Rap And Hip Hop Festivals Besides The Gathering

It’s safe to say that Detroit horror rap group Insane Clown Posse’s annual music festival, The Gathering of the Juggalos, is the most well-known festival of its kind. While its main focus is on the musical micro-genre of horror rap and Psychopathic Records artists, it also features artists whose styles fall outside these confines. For instance, Bobby Brown and Vanilla Ice have been featured in years past, not to mention totally random placements like Reggae legend George Clinton.

While the festival and its artists may be curated by ICP and Psychopathic Records, both parties are selfless enough to not make the Gathering exclusive to Psychopathic Records. The Gathering often gets a lot of attention just thanks to its association with ICP, which could possible drown out the country’s other rap and hip hop music festivals. Are there any other rap and hip hop festivals? And if so, how do they compare to Psychopathic Records’ the Gathering?

To put it simply, the answer is an emphatic no. Yes there are other rap and hip hop music festivals, but none that are quite like The Gathering. After all, The Gathering lasts 4 days, features helicopter rides, artist seminars and autographs, swimming, oil wrestling, beauty pageants, comedians, and all the Juggalos + Psychopathic Records artists you could possibly imagine. Still, the other rap and hip hop festival pretenders deserve a mention.

The first that comes to mind is Atlanta’s A3C festival. It’s tagline it “the largest hip hop festival in the southeast” which is true, because The Gathering is always located in the Midwest, the same region that Psychopathic Records calls home. This rap and hip hop festival is seven years old compared to the Gathering’s twelve, and only lasts two days and three nights.

It usually draws some pretty big names in the world of rap and hip hop, but is designed to entice mainstream rap and hip hop fans, not the kind of fans that listen to Psychopathic Records artists or frequent the Gathering. On the bright side, they do diversify the festival’s offerings with breakdance, fashion, film, producer showcases, and industry panels.

Rap and hip hop does exist in large quantities outside the southeast, however, which is proved by not only by Psychopathic Records’ the Gathering, but also by festivals like Brooklyn’s Hip Hop Festival.

Curated chiefly by A Tribe Called Quest’s front man Q-Tip, this festival aims to highlight the positive aspects of rap and hip hop culture, and even throws a family friendly block party for attendants. Similarly to the Gathering, this rap and hip hop fest considers itself more of a family reunion for those who love great culture rather than a concert or fest.

Still, the number of things offered at this festival is miniscule when compared to what is offered at Psychopathic Records’ the Gathering.

The Gathering still holds the title for most outlandish and entertaining rap and hip hop festival in the U.S., and it appears is destined to hold onto that title for the foreseeable future.

By: Jack Burden

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The Gathering of the Juggalos is an annual rap and hip hop festival put on by ICP record label, Psychopathic Records. This article examines the lesser rap and hip hop festivals around the country. To learn more about the Gathering of the Juggalos, please visit insaneclownposse.com.