Must-See Artists at Chicago’s Summer Smash Festival 2022

Thumbnail via Summer Smash Festival

The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash Festival is back in Chicago, lasting 3 days from June 17th-19th at Douglass Park.

Lyrical Lemonade and SPKRBX’s Summer Smash Festival is one of the biggest hip hop music festivals in the midwest. It will be taking place in Douglass Park with over 60 artists on 3 different stages. Not only will this event feature well-known acts like Playboi Carti, Lil Skies and Wiz Khalifa – this immersive experience will also help bring light to up and coming artists in the making. Check out our picks for artists to check out at this iconic festival.

BABYXSOSA

Babyxsosa is a 19 year old artist from Richmond, VA and sets herself apart from many through her diverse tunes. She’s been writing music ever since elementary school and almost became a graphic designer, but pursued music to use her own voice instead. When she dropped “EVERYWHEREIGO” in 2019, it reached a large audience and allowed her to garner a wave of new fans through social media. It displays her range in her voice and diverse sound within her music that would be killer live.

FEMDOT

Chicago rapper Femi Adigun (aka Femdot) has moved people with his tracks on his recent album Not For Sale. As an independent rapper, he is able to have his own swing to his performances and melody. He shows what is important to him through his music and who he is a person. Adigun shares an experience that displays what it means to be African American by being completely open in his music he puts out and for others to relate to. 

BKTHERULA

An Atlanta-based artist Bktherula, has moved to spread her message across the world through her music that almost comes naturally. With her biggest breakout singles in “Summer,” “Tweakin Together,” and “Santanny,” it allows fans and new listeners to feel the energy she puts into her verses. Her immersive, melody-driven tracks are some that are kept on repeat for big fans who respect her undeniable talent. Feel her full experience during her set at Summer Smash Fest.

AUTUMN!

Autumn!, whose real name is Benjamin C. Phillips Jr., is a Louisiana-based rapper and producer. He’s been producing music since the age of 11 and eventually incorporated rapping. In April, Autumn! dropped a new album called Antagonist! – the project has no features and only showcased his raw talent of who he is. You don’t want to miss out on his set because you will definitely see what the hype is about within his music.

Tink

Singer, songwriter, and rapper Trinity Laure’Ale Home or formally known as Tink has made a name for herself in Chicago. Born in Calumet City, IL she got into songwriting at the age of 12 and released many mixtapes. She has been featured on many tracks with artists such as Future Brown, Sleigh Bells, Jeremih, Kelela, Dj Dahi, and Timbaland. Tink has a very devoted fan base for her very open, heartfelt and soulful music. Women in the Hip-Hop world like Tink deserve to have a huge moment in the industry that deserve support and respect for the work they put into their passions; you will not want to miss out on her set at Summer Smash.

WARHOL.SS

A certified Lyrical Lemonade legend that they have supported since the beginning, known as Warhol.ss. The rapper was born and raised from Chicago, influenced by his family his music widely ranged from Doom to Erica Bardu where his music took inspiration from. Warhol started creating music around 16 years old where his freestyling and rap interest had started to take place. Warhol has collaborated with artists like Famous Dex, JackBoy, Shoreline Mafia, Ugly God, Trippie Redd and more. It has been five years since the album Where’s Warhol was dropped for him to bring out his most recent release Where’s Warhol 2 when he had isolated himself and tapped back into the true Warhol. He is an act you would need on your list to get the full experience at Summer Smash to hear some bangers.

OTHER ARTISTS TO CHECK OUT

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LUCKI

FLO MILLI

KEN CAR$ON

D SAVAGE

LANCEY FOUX

I'm based by the Chicagoland area in Illinois. I would describe myself as a multidisciplinary artist who specializes in photo, design and some illustration. I am a recent graduate in Graphic Design and love being involved in the entertainment industry. I love thrifting, visiting galleries/museums, listening to podcasts and going to countless concerts when I can. My very first concert was the Jonas Brothers when I was very little!