The Beat Goes On: 10 Years of Hip Hop at Life Is Beautiful
As a friend put it for me, the only way to describe Life is Beautiful is one big neon block party. This festival has evolved to serve as an annual hub for diverse musical genres and artistic expression, but it certainly didn’t start out that way. Over the past 10 years, hip-hop has gone from a niche portion of performances to emerging as a prominent and integral part of the festival’s lineup and in turn we’ve seen the festival turn into a solidified and welcome part of the Vegas community.
Hip Hop Artists Who Were Early Trailblazers At Life is Beautiful
In October 2013, Life is Beautiful debuted as a three day extravaganza in Downtown Las Vegas. With headliners like The Killers, Kings Of Leon, and Vampire Weekend, it’s safe to say Life is Beautiful did not kick off with hop hop enthusiasts in mind. While no hip-hop artists headlined that year, acts like Jurassic 5, Joey BadA$$, Earl Sweatshirt, and Childish Gambino were a few of the early hip-hop performers to set the stage for what was to come in the following years.
As the festival gained popularity, the organizers made a conscious effort to expand and diversify their musical selection for attendees. The 2014 lineup for Life is Beautiful welcomed now iconic hip-hop artist Kanye West, whose performance drew a massive crowd and marked a pivotal moment for the festival. It also signaled hip-hop’s growing presence and impact on Vegas’ youth. Other acts included legendary lyricists Outkast, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie, and R&B newcomer (at the time) The Weeknd.
Hip Hop Artists Diversity
From 2015 – 2022, Life is Beautiful started to take a deep dive into the subgenres of hip hop and truly distinguished itself from other festivals in Vegas by taking each and every potential attendee into consideration. From Rico Nasty, to T-Pain, to Megan the Stallion, to J. Cole, the festival learned to make the same space for fresh and influential talent on its stages as it did the OG’s. In 2015, Life is Beautiful not only featured mainstream hip-hop acts like Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg but also embraced the underground hip-hop scene. Artists such as Run the Jewels and Atmosphere brought a raw and authentic hip-hop experience to the festival, appealing to a wide range of fans and showcasing the genre’s diversity.
While watching Kendrick Lamar’s second dynamic performance at Life is Beautiful and listening as thousands of fans sang each song word for word, it was clear that hip-hop has found a home in the festival at last. With every year that passes, the festival continues to push boundaries and explore new facets of hip-hop, so fans can expect more memorable performances in the years to come.
