Lawn on D is going to be lit on Saturday as B.o.B., Waka Flocka Flame and Boston’s own Sammy Adams are taking over the popular outdoor venue for this year’s Briggs Fest.
Hosted by Briggs Original Boston Cranberry, this weekend’s music festival will feature a lineup of nearly a dozen of today’s top hip-hop acts, who plan to bring the heat at the summertime show. As a hometown hero, Adams promises his local fans will have a “dope” time.
“We have a lot of people in Boston that are going to come through, so we’re super stoked to get some time at home,” says the 29-year-old rapper.
Aside from getting a chance to perform in the Hub, Adams is also pumped to team up with a few of his hip-hop homies. B.o.B. was recently featured on the track “All Night Longer,” which appeared on Adams’ latest album “The Long Way,” while Waka Flocka Flame has performed at several of the same shows as the Boston rapper.
“I did a lot of days with Wale, Waka Flocka and J. Cole, so we’ve just sort of known about each other forever,” Adams says. “And us doing a lot of college markets and shows, we crossed paths a lot or were on the same bill. So Waka’s a homie. It’s been cool to see other homies winning and build in the industry.”
Adams notes that, while Bay State artists like himself and Cousin Stizz have found mainstream success, it’s been hard for many in Boston’s rap scene to really break through into the big time. The city isn’t exactly on the same level as other hip-hop havens, and local music lovers seems to be just as fickle as Boston sports fans.
“The tough thing about Boston is, there’s so much—I don’t know if animosity is the right word—but it’s sort of like our sports teams,” Adams says. “When people are doing well, they’re on your side. When s—t isn’t going so well, they’re not exactly on your side. As a city, it’s always been a bummer like that because we need to support each other, especially being a smaller city than New York, L.A., or even Chicago and Atlanta.”
When local fans are supportive, though, there’s nothing better than performing for a Boston crowd.
“You come home and play a hometown show and it’s the most lit ever,” Adams says. “Being home, you sort of get a pretty good response right away and it sort of dictates the show.”
After hitting the road this summer for the Vans Warped Tour and working on a slew of new singles, Adams is excited to return to Boston before heading out for his next slate of gigs. The rapper will join Lil Yachty, Demi Lovato, Big Sean, Gucci Mane, DJ Khaled and more at this year’s Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival in August.
Since next month’s fest is in New York, expect Adams to break out his Boston side and troll attendees by wearing Patriots or Red Sox gear.
“I always sort of f—k around with them,” he says. “They have a pretty good sense of humor, so we troll each other back and forth, but nothing too serious.”
If you go:
July 29, 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Lawn on D, 420 D St., Boston, $69+, 18+, briggsfest.com
