For the second consecutive year, Jay-Z’s Made in America Festival has been cancelled, but there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy Hip Hop vibes in Philly this summer. There is a wealth of dynamic, top tier, live Hip Hop throughout the city this month, and Metro has the scoop on them all.
Here are August’s best Hip Hop concerts.
Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and Ciara
Monday, Aug. 5, Wells Fargo Center
It seems impossible to believe since she’s been cranking out wildly experimental rap-pop hits since 1988, but the Queen of Hip Hop, the first female rapper in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and one of music’s boldest fashionistas never wound up having her own full length tour – until now. That’s amazing, especially when you consider that Missy followers such as Nicki Minaj and Philly’s Tierra Whack have had their own share of live showcases since Elliott’s start. What makes this tour even more special is that Missy’s large-scale production featuring all of her hits such as “Work It” will also welcome longtime friends such as her co-writing, co-producer Timbaland, her buddy Busta Rhymes and the sensual soul-phonic Ciara.
Luenell
Thursday and Friday, Aug. 8 and 9, City Winery Philadelphia
Wait, are we talking about comedy or hip hop? Can’t an artist be both? Yes. Luenell is raunchy rap hip hop attitude and comic culturalism, through and through. Though she was a Bay Area radio sensation since the early 1990s, everyone fell in love with her in Sasha Baron Cohen’s comedy mockumentary ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.’ In the last two years, Luenell has been funnily featured on ‘Hacks’, ‘Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy’, ‘John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA’, and so much more.
PartyNextDoor
Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 12 and 13, Fillmore Philadelphia
One of hip hop’s most strangely soulful and alluringly avant-garde rapper-singers, PartyNextDoor is Drake approved (they have a joint recording project coming out in the Fall of 2024), and ready for any celebration.
Future and Metro Boomin
Wednesday, Aug. 14, Wells Fargo Center
Together, the team of mean-edged rapper Future and cinematic producer Metro Boomin concocted one of 2024’s most bracing projects — ‘We Don’t Trust You’ — two albums full of vividly picturesque mini-movies in time with Boomin’s soundtrack work on ‘Spider Man: Into the Spider Verse’. Who knows what action adventure the two might bring to the big stage.
Childish Gambino and Willow
Wednesday, Aug. 21, Wells Fargo Center
Donald Glover is loved for his wise, wry acting and writing style. Yet, the real thrill of Glover is when he becomes his hip hop alter ego, Childish Gambino. Since 2011’s ‘Camp’, Gambino’s music is harshly incendiary, ferociously activism-driven and proactively sexy, whether on album or on stage. With the release of 2024’s ‘Bando Stone & The New World’, Glover is promising that this is the last Childish Gambino album and tour, so you don’t want to miss that finale. Better still, Willow Smith (better known as Willow) recently moved from emo-power-pop (the sound she had on ‘Lately I Feel Everything’ (2021) and ‘Coping Mechanism’ (2022) – to free, neo-soul on her new album, ‘Empathogen’.
French Montana
Sunday, Aug. 25, Fillmore Philadelphia
Since French Montana’s start in 2002, he’s done a lot. He sounds as pop and electro-rock as he does hard-edged and hardcore, sort of a user-friendly, more R&B-heavy Nas.
Usher’s Past Present Future Tour
Friday and Saturday, Aug.30 and 31, Wells Fargo Center
Anyone who forgot about how silky smooth a vocalist Usher was – along with being a lithe and funky dancer – got an earful and an eyeful last year when Usher took over the Sunday night headlining slot at the Roots Picnic. And more than just being a cool soulful R&B balladeer, his rhythmic, rocking raps were sturdy and wild. A whole two nights with Usher – and these shows are nearly sold out, so hurry – promises to be a huge treat for hip hop lovers, young and old.
