Chance The Rapper, Madlib & Freddie Gibbs, Run The Jewels Close Pitchfork
by Staff Editor
If you came to Pitchfork Music Fest with the need to ease your hip-hop itch, the Red Stage is where you needed to be. Hosting acts like Run The Jewels, Madlib & Freddie Gibbs, and the festival-headlining Chance the Rapper, performing with much better weather than the day prior, the 2015 Pitchfork Festival had an amazing close out day.
First to take the Red Stage was Madlib & Freddie Gibbs. The producer, rapper combination graced the audience in the mid-afternoon, with Gangsta Gibbs rolling out a F-bomb laden set, which showcased hits from the collaborative Piñata project, including a personal favorite, “Harolds.” The sounds of the set featured patterns from Madlib’s drum machine, meshed with the bars of the Gary, Indiana product invigorating the crowd.
There were some surprises during the evening at the Red Stage, one of which came during Run the Jewels’ set, as they were joined by Zack de la Rocha for “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck).” During their time on stage, El-P and Killer Mike proved to be a formidable tag team, attacking fan favorites from both of their albums making fans rock with each song change. “This is my Show!” proclaimed hometown hero, Chance the Rapper, on stage during his set. That wasn’t the only powerful statement that came from Chance the Rapper. After claiming the night would be historic for him, he also shared that this show would be the last in Chicago for a while. What is the reason for that? “I want to grow up,” Chance shared.
Thanks for the invite @chancetherapper! I couldn’t say no to my family in Chicago @PitchforkFest! pic.twitter.com/fTz9lLnBDB
— Kirk Franklin (@kirkfranklin) July 20, 2015
Highlights within Chance the Rapper’s set included hits from his growing catalog, taking it back to “Juice” from Acid Rap and running up to tracks from SURF, Donnie Trumpet’s latest effort. The second surprise during the hip-hop portion of The Red Stage came in the form of gospel megastar, Kirk Franklin, and a church choir, who performed “Sunday Candy;” an appropriate moment for those who, like Chance, skipped out on church for the festival today. Ending both his last performance in Chicago for a while, and the festival, Chance stood tall in his White Sox cap and Bulls jersey with “Good night Chicago.”