“SEVERE WEATHER ALERT: A storm is expected to hit between 6:00pm – 7:30pm. For your safety, please seek shelter in your vehicles.”
Thus began Summer Jam 2016.
HOT97 Summer Jam, arguably the biggest one-day hip hop festival on the planet, comprises of two acts: The Festival Stage and the Stadium Stage. This year, Chance the Rapper, Tory Lanez, Curren$y, and a host of others had been scheduled to perform during the afternoon on the Festival Stage, located in Lot G of the vast Metlife Stadium parking lot. To the dismay of thousands, torrential rains and the threat of thunderstorms forced HOT97 to cancel the Festival Stage and delay the Stadium Stage by over three hours in hopes that the rain would subside, and thunderclouds would steer clear of East Rutherford, NJ.
The weather gods abided. By 8:30, the sun had set and the skies had cleared. And so, MetLife Stadium filled with hip hop fans in good spirits. The anticipation was palpable. The bill was stacked: Future, Terror Squad, Pusha T & Big Sean & G.O.O.D Music, DJ Khaled & Friends, A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg, Bryson Tiller, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Tinashe, and Kid Ink were scheduled to perform. Given the major delays, it was understood that several of the acts would be cut. The question was: who?