Preview: Five Must-See Artists at Budweiser Made in America: Los Angeles

By: Krystyn Bristol – 

Jay-Z is officially bringing his “Made in America” festival across the country to Los Angeles this year. Originated in Philadelphia in August 2013, Budweiser Made in America: LA will be held at Grand Park in Los Angeles on August 30 and 31. Although the Philadelphia show will still remain, the addition of a BMIA in Los Angeles is bringing a mass amount of attention from fans on the west coast. It doesn’t hurt that both shows have completely different lineups, giving fans on both sides of the country an opportunity to experience two different events, both created in the mind of hip-hop legend, “Hovah.” The festivals will be simultaneously put on the same weekend.

Artists who will to perform over the course of the two-day event include: Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, ScHoolboy Q, Weezer, Rise Against, John Mayer, Imagine Dragons, Sublime with Rome, Cypress Hill, Metric, Juanes, Afrojack, Wolfgang Gartner, Dr. Dog, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Isaiah Rashad, SZA, Hit-Boy, Classixx, Nipsey Hussle, Rita Ora, ZZ Ward, DJ Mustard, Capital Cities, Borgore, YG, 12th Planet, Mute Math, and A Tribe Called Red.

With such an eclectic lineup, fans in attendance will be given the opportunity to witness history at the 12-acre Grand Park, in the heart of Los Angeles.

If you’ll be spending your Labor Day weekend at BMIA: LA, here are five artists that you can’t miss.

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Kendrick Lamar
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Compton native and rising influential hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar, who opened for BMIA headliner Kanye West on his Yeezus tour in 2013, will be a crowd favorite this year. The 27-year-old rapper and songwriter is best known for his interesting take on life whilst living in Southern California’s tough streets. Also affiliated with rap star and producer Dr. Dre, Lamar will perform many tracks from his debut major-label record good kid, m.A.A.d City, including fan favourite “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “m.A.A.d City.”

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Steve Aoki
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Dim Mak Records founder and DJ Steve Aoki will be one of the most insane sets of the weekend. Known for “caking” his crowd – yes, literally throwing frosted cake on them – Aoki’s DJ sets include tons of crowd surfing, bass drops, and sticky, sweet fun. His current hit, “Delirious” is gracing the charts and radio stations across America. The crowd energy and spontaneous feel of his performance will definitely make history for this uprising festival. Be sure to catch his set for an unforgettable EDM experience.

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Weezer
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One of the most popular groups to emerge in the post-grunge alternative rock aftermath, Weezer, is one of the highest “can’t be missed” bands on this list. Their awkwardness and recognizable riffs in songs like “Undone (The Sweater Song)”, “Buddy Holly”, and “Say It Ain’t So” give a definition to modern rock. From their viral music videos to the vintage nostalgia that correlates with their 90’s-rock vibe, Rivers Cuomo and the gang are sure to rock the stage of BMIA: LA.

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Kanye West
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The only familiar face on both the Los Angeles and Philadelphia lineups is “Yeezus” himself. After headlining Wireless Festival of London and being announced as a headliner of Las Vegas’ Life is Beautiful Festival, organizers rewarded fans in LA and Philadelphia with the announcement of Jay-Z’s late headlining addition. The 37-year-old Grammy-winning “God”, well known for his outrageous statements and road musical pallet, began with Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records in 2001 and since has taken the world by storm with his unrelenting musical vision. With “Yeezus” being still fairly new, expect a contemptible performance from West that can’t be defined or truly predicted, which will make his performance all the more exciting.

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Imagine Dragons
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Although this chart-topping alternative group only has one record to their name, they have made cameos in blockbuster films like “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” After a memorable Grammys performance and collaboration with BMIA: LA performer Kendrick Lamar, Imagine Dragons gained a plethora of fans. The Las Vegas natives draw a lot of inspiration from hip-hop music and they definitely show that while performing with stellar stage presence. Highly recognized for their smash hits “Radioactive” and “Demons”, Imagine Dragons, also noted as the best live-performing band of 2013, are a promising headlining act.

Single-day and two-day passes are still available for purchase at ticketmaster.com.