In November, hip-hop lost one of its brightest rising stars when Lil Peep (real name Gustav Åhr) passed away of a drug overdose. Though he had a short career, Peep had a seismic impact on the culture, with artists as diverse as Lil Uzi Vert, Pete Wentz, and Mark Ronson expressing their grief at the young artist’s passing. This weekend, amidst celebration and dozens of performances from rap’s biggest stars, Rolling Loud SoCal offered a space for fans and artists to pay their respects to the late rapper, filling his former festival slot with an emotional tribute.
The tribute started with a grand gesture, as skywriters emblazoned “#LilPeep4Ever” in the clouds. The skywriting gave way to a candle-lit eulogy for the rapper, delivered by Lil Peep’s artist team, including manager Mikey Cortez. Joined on stage by artists such as wifisfuneral, Fat Nick, and others, Peep’s team tied pink balloons and passed out roses to the grieving crowd, as the festival blasted Lil Peep’s most famous songs over the PA system and the balloons painted the twilight sky. Occurring as a peaceful and solemn oasis amidst standard rap performances, the tribute to Lil Peep was the most beautiful moment of a busy weekend in hip-hop at Rolling Loud.
Says Rolling Loud Co-Founder Matt Zingler, “Lil Peep was an extremely influential individual who wasn’t afraid to break boundaries. His music was so impactful that he created a cult following and in my opinion, was the creator of a new sound wave. Music is therapeutic and Lil Peep helped so many people with his words. His imprint will never die. RIP, Lil Peep.”
Check out the video of the tribute below via Rolling Loud’s official YouTube channel.