A$AP ROCKY is one of the most disruptive names on the hip-hop scene worldwide. But the path was not always easy for Rakim Mayers. His father was arrested when he was only 12 years old and soon after that, his brother was killed. These were some of the wounds that would eventually influence his commitment to music and his own artistic personality – art gained a major importance for Rakim. Influenced by UGK’s southern style and his hometown heroes, hip-hop groups The Diplomats, A$AP ROCKY managed to rise form Harlem and went to New Jersey where he began to rap more seriously. He’s been part of a collective called A$AP Mob since 2007 and that’s where he got the first part of the war name he would come to adopt for the rest of his career. Shortly thereafter, some of his songs came up on YouTube as well as a lot of buzz around his immense potential. “Peso” and “Trilla” were some of the songs that began to get everyone’s attention. This was followed by the mixtape “Deep Purple” and even before releasing his first album, A$SAP Rocky was already nominated for some major awards, such as the BBC Sound of 2012. His first album, “Long. Live. A$AP”, released in 2013 featured collaborations from Santigold, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lama and Yelawolf. His second album “A.L.L.A. (At Long Last A$AP)”, would come two years later. Save the Date. July 16, Super Bock Stage at Super Bock Super Rock.
When it comes to mixing electronic elements with the best indie rock, it’s impossible not to talk about the work of HOT CHIP.
Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor met in 1991, when they attended Elliot School in Putney, England. Back then they shared a fascination for artists like Beastie Boys and Bill Callahan and putting such different names together was never a problem for HOT CHIP. In spite of their long-standing friendship, HOT CHIP was officially only formed in 2000, with the release of their EP Mexico. In 2002 they released San Frandisco E-Pee. This work caught the eye of Moshi Moshi Records and in 2004 they released their debut album, Coming on Strong. At this point, the duo went on to become a five-piece as Owen Clarke, Al Doyle and Felix Martin joined the band. In 2006, The Warning, their second album, was released under EMI Records in the UK and DFA in the US. Later, Domino Records would also come on to the scene. Influenced by such bands as Talking Heads and Pet Shop Boys, this work was a success with critics and public alike and earned them a Mercury Prize nomination. Over the following years the band continued to embrace challenges, seeking a musical language of their own beyond their obvious influences. Tracks such as “Hungry Child” and “Melody of Love” will no doubt win over audiences at Super Bock Super Rock – July 16th on the Super Bock stage.
GOLDLINK is one of the most exciting and promising names of today’s hip hop. He is well acquainted with the rules of hiphop but this rapper doesn’t miss the opportunity to venture into more alternative terrain. A young D’Anthony Carlos introduced himself as Gold Link James and began to be noticed as he shared some of his tracks online, earning a steady volume of followers from early on. Despite his success, the young musician took a break to come back in full force in 2013, this time as GOLDLINK. The songs the rapper shared on SoundCloud were increasingly popular, which in turn caught the eye of producer Kaytranada and Danish electronic artist Galimatias. In 2014 he released his first mixtape, The God Complex, which was well received by public and critics alike, the latter considering it one of the best mixtapes of 2014. The following year he began working with producer Rick Rubin, who became one of the main influences on the rapper’s musical language and on his next mixtape, And After That, We Didn’t Talk. The success of these releases saw GOLDLINK signed by American record label RCA, which would release his first album in 2017, At What Cost. This album is set in the musical tradition of GoldLink’s native city of Washington DC, where the rapper fits comfortably, and features guest appearances of such names as Wale, Shy Glizzy, Steve Lacy,Jazmine Sullivan, Kaytranada, Mýa, and Brent Faiyaz. The success of the album’s single, “Crew”, featuring Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy, earned him the nomination for Best rap/Sung performance at the Grammys. A year later he did land the Grammy award thanks to his collaboration with Christina Aguilera in the song “Like I Do”. His second album, Diaspora, with guest appearances from Pusha T; Tyler, the Creator; Khalid and Wizkid, was released in 2019 and constitutes another jewel to be enjoyed live by the public on July 16th 2021 at Super Bock Super Rock.