For the 52nd Dillo Day this weekend, leave the acoustic guitars around the campfire. This year’s festival, “Camp Dillo,” features the freshest rap, hip-hop, pop and house. Here’s the details on the performers announced so far for the Main Stage and the For Members Only Second Stage.
The Main Stage is located near the Kellogg Global Hub, and the FMO Second Stage is closer to Southpoint. FMO is Northwestern’s premier Black student alliance and was involved in Second Stage artist announcements.
Main Stage Headliner: Swae Lee at 9:15 p.m.
Born in California as Khalif Brown, Swae Lee has a versatile and recognizable sound. As one half of the Southern hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd — “ear” and “drummers” spelled backwards — he rose to prominence with the release of 2014 singles “No Flex Zone,” “No Type” and “Throw Sum Mo” (featuring Nicki Minaj and Young Thug).
The duo received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked at No. 1 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Outside of his duo work, Lee has released platinum and diamond-certified tracks and written songs for stars like Beyoncé and Travis Scott. Although best known for “Sunflower” with Post Malone, Lee’s has experimented with ballad form and electronica.
Those at his performance can expect hip-hop and R&B beats.
Main Stage Performer: Bakar at 8:00 p.m.
British producer, rapper and singer-songwriter Bakar is direct support for Swae Lee. His 2019 breakout single “Hell N Back,” a look back at the first time meeting a lover, marked Bakar’s first entry into the Billboard Hot 100.
Born Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr, Bakar made his debut with the mixtape “Badkid” in 2018. He released his debut album “Nobody’s Home” in 2022 and his sophomore album “Halo” in 2023.
Ones to Watch, an American music blog showcasing new and underground talent, has described his music as a “melting pot of indie, rap, rock and punk.”
Bakar has over 16.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify and is fresh off the May 3 release of single “React.”
Main Stage Performer: Amaarae at 6:15 p.m.
Fresh off rave reviews of “Fountain Baby,” Amaarae, or Ama Serwah Genfi, will bring her fusion of pop, R&B and Afrobeats to the Lakefill Saturday. The Ghanaian American singer-songwriter is also known for her fluid representation of gender and sexuality.
Her song “Angels in Tibet” created a viral dance trend that swept social media in October. Also popular on TikTok was her 2020 song “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY” from debut album “THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW.” Kali Uchis was featured on a remix of the song in 2021, and it charted globally.
Amaarae has sold out headline shows in Los Angeles, New York City and London — and soon, she might add NU to the list.
Main Stage Performer: Lupe Fiasco at 4:45 p.m.
Straight from Chicago, this Grammy Award-winning rapper gained national attention with his debut album “Food & Liquor” in 2006.
Known offstage as Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, Lupe Fiasco was a recipient of the MLK Visiting Professorship Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also created eight studio albums throughout a industrious career, the most recent being “Drill Music In Zion” in 2022.
Fiasco has pushed boundaries in hip-hop with infectious hits like “Battle Scars,” “Superstar” and the triple platinum, “The Show Goes On.”
Main Stage Performer: LF System at 3:15 p.m.
This Scottish duo are “purveyors of the finest disco infused house music,” according to their website. LF System, composed of Conor Larkman and Sean Finnigan, broke out in 2022 with the release of the hit dance single “Afraid to Feel,” which samples ‘70s soul band Silk’s “I Can’t Stop (Turning You On).”
Larkman and Finnigan met while playing football on rival teams as teenagers. From clubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow, the pair worked their way to world acclaim. They currently have over 5.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
For house and EDM hits, look no further than these UK chart-toppers.
Main Stage Performer: Maude Latour at 2 p.m.
A viral success in the world of pop music, Latour released her debut EP “Starsick” in 2019 when she was a sophomore studying philosophy at Columbia University. The EP drew comparisons to Lorde, another pop singer known for her ethereal voice and insightful lyrics about youth and romance.
After some early successes with “Superfruit” and “Shoot and Run,” Latour dropped her breakaway single “One More Weekend” in 2020. She will release a new song, “Cursed Romantics,” on Friday.
FMO Second Stage Headliner: YungManny at 7:15 p.m.
With electric, Afrobeat-infused hits like “you can’t stop the rain.” and “MURDAMAN!”, this DMV-raised rapper will bring the rhythm to Dillo.
Emmanuel Okanlawon, known professionally as YungManny, released his breakout hit “Moana” on Soundcloud in 2018. He has since made four albums and become an RIAA-certified platinum selling artist.
He received attention for producing the music video “Otilo” in March 2023 with one of Nigeria’s top video directors. The single showcases smooth vocals and an energetic performance.
FMO Second Stage Performer: Maiya the Don at 5:30 p.m.
Maiya the Don, known offstage as Maiya Early, is a Brooklyn-raised rapper fresh from social media fame. Her breakout single “Telfy” garnered over two million views on YouTube.
Although she started as a makeup artist, she shifted to producing music with the release of “Chiraq” and “222” on TikTok. The app selected her as a 2023 Visionary Voices honoree to celebrate her #WomenInHipHop campaign.
She is featured on the remix of “Conceited” by Flo Milli, and in late 2023, she was a supporting performer on Flo Milli’s “Thanks for Coming Here, Ho” tour.
The city with the most the Don listeners is Chicago, meaning NU could bring the hype.
FMO Second Stage Performer: Adanna Duru
You might know her from American Idol and The Voice, but this R&B and pop singer is also an Internet sensation. With singles like the soulful “POP!” and the upbeat “if i was a boy ;)”, Duru is a versatile performer.
She also has over 2.1 million followers on TikTok, where she is known for entertaining parody videos. Duru released her latest EP, “NAPPY HOUR II,” this February.
FMO Second Stage Performer: Nada!
Nada!, a rapper from Atlanta, has gone from homemade projects on Soundcloud to working in professional booths, according to a Mayfest news release. Mayfest compared his energetic sound to Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty and Chance the Rapper.
The 21-year-old released four full-length albums in 2022 and will drop new song “Glory Me!” on June 7.
FMO Second Stage Student Performer: TiggyBouf
Rapper Tiggybouf released debut album “tiggy this, tiggy that” in 2022 and, most recently, the single “Eternal Grave ‘98” in February. Expect some electrifying beats from this up-and-coming artist.
FMO Second Stage Student Performer: Ciel McDaniels
Hailing from LA, McDaniels, a Communication junior, has over 110,000 plays on his top hit, “CONSTELLATIONS.” The rapper focuses on introspectiveness and storytelling in his music. He dropped his latest single, “Heartbreak Girls,” in February.
His Spotify artist biography reads, “I make songs expressing the world from my perspective.” We may get a glimpse into that worldview at his set.
FMO Second Stage Student Performer: Kendu!
University of Chicago student Cameron Drake and SESP senior Jude Abijah form the duo Kendu! The pair could bring some AfroFusion-inspired mixes and remixes.
Abijah joined Silk Sonic — a duo composed of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — in the Undergraduate Vibe Analyst Internship program. He has also presented “Bokor Bokor,” a streetbeat radio show, on WNUR.
These two have joined forces for Dillo Day to form Kendu! and will be ones to watch this weekend.
Battle of the Artists winners: The Mee-Ow Band and Vitamin K
Student acts The Mee-Ow Band, the house band for comedy group Mee-Ow, and rapper Vitamin K, Arts, first-year Communication graduate student Kay Cui, won Mayfest’s Battle of the Artists by popular vote to earn spots in the Dillo Day lineup.
Expect The Mee-Ow Band to rock the house and Vitamin K to bring the high-energy remixes.
Email: [email protected]
X: @jillian_moore7
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