Each year, right before Labor Day, Los Angeles hosts a music festival which is arguably the best music festival I have ever been to (and I have been to quite a few). Comfortably situated in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Park, FYF is a summer reprieve equipped with music, food, and art and each year has been getting better with the addition of more hip hop sets. What also makes FYF so appealing is the value you get for a ticket by having the chance to see some amazing indie performers and big names in hip hop and alternative all in one venue. For a couple hundred bucks you can see several artists and if well planned out you could end up standing close to the stage.

Day one was high energy, with the coliseum crowded to the point of seemingly reaching capacity. The wait to get into the venue was my least favorite part, with a wait time of almost an hour before getting through security and ticket scanning. Luckily I ended up making it to the main stage in time for Grimes. Grimes’ set was exceptional, with plenty of crowd interaction and dancing. Tame Impala followed, with their psychedelic sounds vibrating throughout the main stage and beer garden. The main headliner for Saturday was Kendrick Lamar, a headliner I have spent months waiting for. What I appreciate about Kendrick being the headliner for FYF is the enthusiasm he is received within Los Angeles. A Compton native, Kendrick’s love for LA is something that I was hoping to see during his set.

Lo and behold, Kendrick started his set strong with flame effects on the stage during Untitled 7 helping the audience gain more momentum. His set was reminiscent of old school hip hop combined with the jazzy instrumentals provided in songs like “These Walls.” He even performed “For Free?” showing us his flawless delivery with wordplay, making his rap arguably the best I have ever seen.

I left night one of the festival completely satisfied and dehydrated. This was my fourth year going to FYF Fest and it I have seen FYF grow significantly. What started out as an indie music festival has grown into the perfect coexistence of hip hop and indie alternative.