Gunna and J.I.D perform to exuberant crowd for Hope Benefit Festival
Gunna and JID perform to exuberant crowd for Hope Benefit Festival
Rappers J.I.D and Gunna took the stage at Goldstein Auditorium on Friday in celebration of Alpha Phi Alpha’s 12th annual Hope Benefit Festival.
The two were preceded by dancer-cum-rapper Kash Doll, who dropped it low to her most recent single, “Ice Me Out.” Kash Doll is best known for her feature on Big Sean and Metro Boomin’s “So Good,” though with almost 3 million followers on Instagram, she certainly has a fan base of her own.
“Does everybody here like diamonds?” The 26-year-old Detroit native asked to a less than enthusiastic crowd.
For what Kash Doll may have lacked in recognition, she made up for in style. She too, was iced out, sauntering confidently around the stage in bedazzled boots and a Barbarella-esque metallic jumpsuit.
J.I.D began his set by prompting the audience with “Are you ready to have a good time?”
The crowd riled up when J.I.D broke into his 2017 hits “NEVER” and “EdEddnEddy,” the latter borrowing its moniker from the classic Cartoon Network series.
In June 2018, JID made XXL’s infamous Freshman Class, the magazine’s list of 10 rappers to watch. The 11thedition also featured SoundCloud successes Lil Pump and Smokepurpp.
Gunna
J.I.D
The Hope Benefit Festival was J.I.D’s first performance since the release of his second album, DiCaprio 2.
Gunna’s set, while short, managed to get the crowd going. Draped in a plaid shawl and at least a few diamond-studded chains, the rapper had a glistening quality to him.
Gunna commanded the audience to put their lighters up. The result, instead, was a burst of the modern equivalent: phone flashlights. The middle of the crowd, illuminated, submerged into a mosh pit while Gunna rapped to “Space Cadet.”
Most notable for his collaborations with fellow Atlantan Lil Baby, the two released their mixtape Drip Harder in late 2018. The album features appearances by Drake, Young Thug and Lil Durk, among others.
The crowd erupted into applause and screams as Gunna finished off the night with the album’s lead single, “Drip Too Hard.”
is a magazine major with an interest in arts and culture.
