Zach Cruz

Lil Tjay’s most avid fans could be found whipping their hair in the balcony corners, tucked behind the Regency Ballroom’s gargantuan hanging speakers.

Without knowing much about the man his fans call “Peggy,” you could tell what JPEGMAFIA stands for from the stage he chose to perform on.

Walking the festival grounds from one stage to another meant wading through a never-ending stream of Rolling Loud party-goers, huddled in groups of friends, united by the mission to have the best time possible.

Juice Wrld’s performance of “Lucid Dreams,” the hit single that brought him into the mainstream, electrified the crowd.

The Bay Area holds a special place for its own. While rappers such as E-40 and Mac Dre spent years developing the Bay’s trademark sound, SOB X RBE has been able to bring melody to it, which is the key to today’s modern hip-hop setting. 

On a less subtle note is Cardi B’s boisterous, unabashed Invasion of Privacy in which Cardi recounts her rags-to-riches tale while never losing her distinguished voice — contributing to the success of standout track “Bodak Yellow.”