Jessica Roti

Summer Smash marked drill artist Chief Keef’s much-hyped homecoming on the Lyrical Lemonade mainstage after 12 years of being effectively banned from performing in the Chicagoland area due to alleged threats of violence, outstanding warrants, and lingering tensions with elected officials.

It was history-making for a subgenre and figurehead unfairly maligned for over a decade; now harnessing the power of a devoted fan base that underscores the shift in how to break new ground and influence a stagnant industry through social media and independent releases.

Now in its sixth year, Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash music festival–billed as the world’s largest, independent hip-hop festival–returned to suburban Bridgeview's SeatGeek Stadium for the second time with big impact--and a few big delays.

Presented by hip-hop blog-turned-creative entrepreneurial empire Lyrical Lemonade and production company SPKRBX, this year's headliners include Cactus Jack (the neo-supergroup of Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Sheck Wes, Sofaygo, and DJ Chase B named for Scott’s record label to which they’re all signed), Playboi Carti, and Chief Keef.

Longtime musician Martin Atkins (drummer for Public Image Ltd., Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, Killing Joke, and others) didn't set out to create the first museum dedicated to post-punk and industrial music on Chicago's South Side--but his collection of memorabilia, trinkets, and donated pieces were too much to simply keep in storage.

This feature explores Atkins' mission behind the Museum of Post-Punk and Industrial Music in Bridgeport and what it's meant to the niche genre's fanbase.

Bad Bunny continues his global domination with three, sold-out nights at Chicago’s United Center on his Most Wanted Tour.

How Chicago-based UpElevated Cocktails is fostering community and advocating for cannabis justice and equity through THC-infused mocktails served with a dose of education.

What’s it like to attend a listening event for the album “Vultures” by Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, in 2024?

Bizarre. At times, admittedly exhilarating. Deeply challenging.

Ye (his legally-changed name since 2021) and collaborator Ty Dolla $ign announced the event on Instagram Feb. 5 and tickets sold out the next day. By the time they arrived at United Center Thursday night, they appeared primed to unveil the first of three joint efforts (the full title of the joint studio album is “Vultures, Volume One,” with volumes two and three announced for release later this year).

For culinary creator and blogger Samantha Mui, food has always been “the center of everything.”

It’s one of the reasons the second-generation Cantonese American launched Thirsty Dumpling, an at-home dumpling-making kit that marries tradition with modern ease.

Every first and third Sunday of the month at the Lincoln Lodge in Logan Square, two pairs of comedians go head-to-head in a battle that asks not only if they’re funny — but can they cook?

The comedy-cooking competition, Sautéed Standup, is a marriage of joke-telling and food television tropes that aims to set audiences on fire without literally burning the place down.

Interview with comedian and Arlington Heights native Matteo Lane about what to expect from his sold-out Al Dente Tour stop at the Chicago Theatre

Riot Fest has officially become Grown-Up Warped Tour.

Yeah, I said it. Riot Fest is Warped Tour for elder millennials—complete with a skate ramp—and the last bastion of whatever an “alternative rock” music festival looked like for Gen X and hip Boomers. So much for no nostalgia in punk. It now revels in it.

My full recap of the 17th edition of the festival and carnival returned to Douglass Park for with headliners The Cure, Death Cab for Cutie/The Postal Service and Foo Fighters.

From making music to planning community events, Jasmine Barber is staying true to her path.

Passion, collaboration and finding your people are the secrets to the ensemble’s longevity, members say.

A little rain didn’t dampen Chicago’s annual music spectacle, which took over Grant Park August 3-6, 2023.

The thump of bass and clang of more than a few guitars echoed down Lake Street, signaling Pitchfork Music Festival had returned to Union Park. This year, weekend headliners included The Smile, Big Thief and Bon Iver, and the promise of some serious music discovery with mid-day performers such as Grace Ives, Koffee and Soul Glo—to name a few.

My review of Pitchfork Music Festival 2023

My round-up of Black and brown-owned vintage retailers in Chicago for folks to shop at ahead of Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour stops at Soldier Field.