What on earth am I doing at this millennial rap music festival? To be fair, I am a music industry lifer. I’ve done just about everything there is to do in this game, and I still do have a love for the music. So, I did my plantar fasciitis stretches, took extra-strength ibuprofen, bought a new insole for my sneakers that boast extra arch support, followed by several hours of procrastinating with my bong and then headed to Queens.
My mission was simple: I am not here to watch performances–I am way more interested in what artists are smoking at Rolling Loud New York. So, I came up with a little thing called “Strain Check: We See You Rolling, But is it Loud?”
Within a brief walk through the Rolling Loud grounds, I ended up passing through the epic thrillride that was 300 Entertainment’s “Ride Or Die” public transit themed haunted house activation. I definitely needed to smoke after that, so I paid a quick visit to the Vibes Papers larger-than-life shipping container to stock up on supplies. It was at that moment that I realized something: a music festival that provides rolling papers to its attendees is a very self-aware festival.
After a much-needed sesh, it was time for the Strain Check to officially commence.
Courtesy of Seth Zaplin
Courtesy of Seth Zaplin
The first person I spotted was Shiest Bubz, and we go back for decades. Years ago, I booked Shiest and prominent Dipset members at an intimate club in Connecticut. “Purple City Byrd Gang” was the song of the night right before the place got pepper sprayed. For those who don’t know Bubz, this notorious Harlem MC and entrepreneur smokes like no other and isn’t afraid to let you know it.Shiest Bubz: …
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Author: Seth Zaplin / High Times
