Some of the biggest turn-of-the-millennium names in R&B and Hip-hop converge on the UIC Pavilion in Chicago this weekend for The ‘Legend’s Fest’ Concert on Friday October 27. Featuring the likes of local native Da Brat plus Busta Rhymes, Brandy, Monica, 112 and more, the affair is a celebration of a certain golden age of urban music perfectly set in the 20-year-loop.
The packed lineup offers a special opportunity for fans of the era to relive the songs they grew up with. The show also marks the first time Brandy and Monica have shared a stage since 2012 and will directly follow the release of 112’s latest project, Q Mike Slim Daron which releases on Thursday.
The event takes place on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago, but it remains to be seen if students born between 1995 and 1999 will be readily familiar. While that may be true, a rift has once again emerged between perceived old heads and the contemporary hip-hop scene over the rise of ‘mumble rap’. Friday’s setlist boasts some of the best-known rhymers in the history of the genre, as well as some of the biggest names in R&B to boot and should serve as an apt lesson in the tenents of both genres. It’s a show that’s sure to give you the feels and take those of us old enough back to a different time before Soundcloud and iPhones.
The event also serves as a welcome connecting of generations of local music, as Da Brat joins the likes of Do Or Die and Crucial Conflict on the bill. A healthy contingent of the scene that rose to the forefront alongside Common and Twista and just before Kanye burst the door down, Friday offers a glimpse at the acts that put the city on the map initially.
If anything, The Legends Fest offers a perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy some of the names that we grew up with and lays the groundwork for plenty of surprise appearances. Busta Rhymes recently featured on Chance The Rapper & The Social Experiment’s “Slip Slide” off the 2015 album, SURF and hometown acts have long been known to tip the cap to the early artists in the scene such as Da Brat. Regardless, the evening should be one to remember, grab tickets here and check back on Mild Sauce for plenty more in the coming days.