On Black Friday, 2012 in West Boca Raton, Florida, about 2 thousand Hip Hop and R&B fans gathered around the Sunset Cove Ampitheatre to listen to today’s rising stars. The event, known as the Black Friday Festival, was an annual concert that is hosted in Boca Raton of many Hip Hop musicians, from those starting out to headlining musicians. The main event of the 2012 show was Compton’s own Kendrick Lamar and G.O.O.D.
Music’s Pusha T. Other artists that performed were Kid Ink, DJ Irie, and many more local rising artists.
The show started off with many of these local acts, including three musicians from the city of Boca itself. Some of these local acts include DJ Demetrius, Emir Duru, and Ty Sade. As the show went on, the more primetime musicians performed. Kid Ink then came to the stage, singing songs such as his main Single “Hell and Back” and “Time of Your Life.” Following Kid Ink was the newest member of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music group, Pusha T. Pusha T, is featured in some of today’s top hits, including Mercy, Don’t Like, New God Flow, and the main artist of Trouble on My Mind and Pain. He performed many of these hits, including New God Flow, Trouble on My Mind, and Mercy.
The crowd was singing right along with Pusha T, knowing nearly all of the words to his songs. The last and main event of the Festival though was the New King of the West Coast, Kendrick Lamar. Lamar, the singer of the former number one hit, Swimming Pools (Drank) rocked out the show singing his new album, Good Kid M.A.A.D. City and his first album, Section.80. He started off the show with Westside, Right on Time, a key hit of Lamar. Throughout the show he played other hits including the Recipe, M.A.A.D. City, A.D.H.D., Backstreet Freestyle, and closed the show to his number one song, Swimming Pools.
The fans loved Lamar and were eager to be some of the first to hear Lamar’s new album live in concert. The night was a perfect night for Rap fans with great weather, amazing music, and hundreds of fellow Rap fans to sing along with.
by Ben Pawliger
