Young Thug to Headline Summer Smash Festival: A Major Comeback
Young Thug is making headlines as he prepares for his first live performance since his arrest in 2022. According to Lyrical Lemonade, the Atlanta rapper will take center stage at this year’s Summer Smash festival, which is set to unfold just outside Chicago.
Festival Highlights and Schedule
Thug will headline the closing day of the festival on Sunday, June 22, while popular artists Don Toliver and Yeat are scheduled to perform on Friday night. Saturday will feature another Atlanta superstar, Future, headlining the night. The event will be held from June 20 to June 22 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. Notably, Chance the Rapper is also included in the Sunday line-up, along with other prominent artists such as Quavo, Lil Yachty, Sexyy Red, Ski Mask the Slump God, NLE Choppa, and Soulja Boy.
A Long-Awaited Return
Young Thug’s last performance dates back to March 2022 during the South by Southwest festival, as documented on his Setlist.fm page. Following his arrest on RICO and gang charges in May 2022, Thug spent over two years behind bars. He was eventually released late last year under a plea deal, which placed him on 15 years of probation. This case has sparked considerable debate in the hip-hop community, particularly regarding the implications of utilizing rap lyrics in criminal proceedings. Despite these challenges, Thug managed to release his third studio album, Business is Business, in 2023 while still incarcerated.
A Milestone Year for Summer Smash
The upcoming festival marks the seventh installment of Summer Smash, billed as the world’s largest independent hip-hop festival. Tickets for this much-anticipated event will go on sale on Friday, March 28, at noon CT. Fans can purchase their tickets directly through the festival’s website.
Excitement from Organizers
Berto Solorio, founder of SPKRBX and co-founder of Summer Smash, expressed enthusiasm about this year’s event, stating, “We are excited to present the seventh edition of the largest independent hip-hop festival in the world and can’t wait to show the fans what we’ve been working on.”
Fellow co-founder Cole Bennett, who also created Lyrical Lemonade, shared his excitement: “I feel lucky to be able to throw the party of the year with my best friends. May this be the best one yet. Lucky number seven.”