A few days ago, the biggest hip-hop festival in the world announced it was making its way Down Under.

Now, promoters have revealed those artists that will be headlining the debut event, but there’s something a little off about the line-up.

While the line-up features A-list hip-hops acts like Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Tyga, Smokepurpp and Manu Crook$ — it neglects to feature any female or NB acts.

While organisers have flagged that “more artists will be announced soon” — and it is refreshing and important to see a line-up in Australia featuring a line-up made of up entirely artists of colour — it’s highly disappointing for the festival to not feature even one non-male act on the initial line-up, especially given that Rolling Loud promotes itself as “the world’s biggest hip-hop festival”.

The situation closely echoes that of Bluesfest’s first round announcement back in August, which only featured four female acts in among a large number of male acts.

Activist group LISTEN slammed Bluesfest organisers on Facebook at the time, accusing them of showing “women and non binary musicians that they don’t deserve a spot, and if they do, they are not worth getting announced first”.

If Rolling Loud needs any suggestions for great local female and NB acts, here are just a few: Sampa the Great, Miss Blanks, Tkay Maidza, Princi, Okenyo…and so, so, many more.

Rolling Loud Australia Line-Up 2019

Future
Lil Uzi Vert
Playboi Carti
Tyga
Smokepurpp
Manu Crook$

+ more to be announced 

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Photo via Rolling Loud Facebook