As with anyone’s first time in Asia, the heat is the first thing you immediately notice. It greets you the moment you step out of the airport and continues to remind you of its existence every moment of your trip. In the same vein, the fire of Rolling Loud Thailand still lingers, even days after the festival has run its course. 

For the first time ever, the famed US-based hip-hop festival, Rolling Loud made its way to Asia, finding home on the sunny shores of Pattaya, Thailand. To say it made an impression would be an understatement. Whether it was the incredible venue, where gigantic Yaksha statues greeted the approximate 50,000-strong crowd who flew in from all parts of the world, or the hip-hop lineup of our dreams, the three-day festival wasn’t one you’d forget too easily. 

From the spacious and eventful festival grounds to memorable keepsakes from brands like Levi's to fiery performances from some of the best rappers in the world, here's what went down at the first-ever Rolling Loud Thailand.

A PLAYGROUND IN EVERY SENSE

Words like 'huge' and 'massive' didn't even begin to describe the playground we had that weekend. Living up to their reputation of being "one of the biggest hip-hop festivals" in the world, Rolling Loud Thailand had room for everyone and then some. 

Held at Legend Siam, a Thai cultural theme park that had everyone in grandeur awe before even entering the offcial grounds, the festival was vast enough to accommodate the myriad of attractions, booths, and activations including a basketball court, a skatepark, a tattoo parlour, customisation tailor shop from Levi's, and barbershop—on top of two lavish stages—without making it feel too packed. And don't worry, getting lost was not an option with handy glowing signs and maps placed at every corner. 

So, while the festival grounds were large enough to pack everyone and everything, you still had space to take a break from the crowd if you needed to. 

We just wished our party friends helped keep the grounds clean. While it was a bit of a challenge to find the trash bins around, we hoped everyone else did their part by throwing their trash into their designated area instead of dropping them on the floor. Hey, we get it—you're getting some much-needed grub when suddenly your favourite artists start playing, so you abandon everything to head on over. We've been there, but it wouldn't be such a hassle to carry your waste as you rush on over to the stage, right?

ENERGY FUEL

The selection of food and drinks was aplenty; you had so many options that we caught ourselves planning what we wanted to indulge in for the entire weekend. From pad-thai, chicken shawarma, and fried chicken to fresh fruits, mango sticky rice, and an assortment of ice cream, going hungry was not an option at Rolling Loud Thailand. 

Every corner, middle, and side had an array of stalls for food and drinks so considering the size of the venue, you never had to walk too long to get some much-needed fuel. You didn't have to wait in line for eternity either, with the festival's RFID payment system getting everyone zooming to their next set on time.

PLAYING WITH FIRE

They say, you should fight fire with fire so if there was anything trumping the almost 45-degree weather in Pattaya that weekend, it was the artists that lit up the stage—quite literally, there were bursts of fire, fireworks, and smoke present at every drop and chorus of every song we heard in those three days.

The festival brought together so many of the biggest international names in hip-hop, so much so that looking at the lineup felt like a fever dream.

Rae Sremmurd ushered us into the first night of Rolling Loud Thailand on the grand OKX Stage and there was no better act to do so. Engulfing the crowd with their party anthems, the 'This Could Be Us' hitmakers gave us a glimpse of what the exciting weekend held for us, even making the most of their set's tech difficulties with their acapella singalong.

Lil Uzi Vert owned the stage in the most effortless way possible, emitting the laid-back, carefree energy we need in our lives. Reminding us that our only job that weekend was to have fun, the 'Just Wanna Rock' rapper rose to be one of our favourite performances of the weekend with so much ease.

Offset, with all his tenacity and power, gave a performance to remember. From climbing up the stage's scaffolding to heartfelt tributes, the rapper set fire to an already steaming stage.

Headlining Day 1 was the incomparable Cardi B, proving she's carved out a space in hip-hop entirely her own. as she enticed the crowd with her infectiously positive charisma yet deadly fast-paced flow. While tech difficulties made it difficult for Cardi to begin on cue, the energy never faltered as she carried on her headlining performance with fiery dance moves, cheeky spiels, and alluring stage presence. 

While Chris Brown's set was a testament to the unrelinquishing presence he's had in the music industry. Running through his early 2000s hits, from 'Ay-Yo' to 'Look At Me Now', the Day 2 headliner churned out one nostalgic hit after another.

Travis Scott is the kind of performer you never forget, igniting a fire and agitated excitement amongst the crowd. There was no mistaking his presence on the stage, as rapidly flashing lights and the harrowing call of crows signalled his entrance as he performed highly anticipated favourites like 'Butterfly' and 'Sicko Mode'. The rapper even brought on Offset and a fan to mosh on stage. 

BURNING UP

While Rolling Loud Thailand had no shortage of Western talents, the true fire of the festival's lineup lies in the diverse selection of Asian hip-hop stars showcasing the rich and vibrant music scene of the region. 

F.HERO displayed Thai excellence, setting the Levi's Stage ablaze with his killer verses and booming hooks. Bringing together some of the very best talents in Asia, the rap icon brought on an array of collaborators including Bright Vachirawit, VannDa, and JV. Jarvis, and more.

MILLI went wild in the best way possible. While the rising rap star was a last-minute addition to the lineup, she was a necessary one, showing the crowd exactly the fun, attitude, and eccentric spirit of Thai hip-hop. In just 20 minutes, the 'Squad Sh**' act moved (or rather rolled, in an apt fashion) through the stage to serve a performance that had us dazed in glee—and also, a mango as she performs her life-changing single 'Mango Sticky Rice'.

JESSI is always a delight to witness live. From her sultry choreography to the hard-hitting rap verses to her charmingly hilarious spiels, the Korean rap star was refreshing breath of fresh air in the Pattaya heat. The 'ZOOM' star brought to life many of her catchy hits and even surprised the crowd with a live rendition of 'Blue Check' with Jay Park, where they announced her signing with the latter's MORE VISION label.

It's no secret that B.I's true power lies on the stage. In just a handful of minutes, the Korean rapper leaves everyone hyped and fired up as he exquisitely runs through 'Waterfall', 'Be I', and even an unreleased collaboration featuring Sik-K. 

When you hear the Teriyaki Boyz on stage, you know you have to go—which we did, we literally ran. The Japanese act delivered a performance that proved why they continue to be legends in Asian hip-hop. Also, there's no denying the impact of 'Tokyo Drift', everyone—and we mean everyone, even the bouncers—were dancing to the familiar 2000s hit.

You know the entrance boxers make when they're about to step into the ring, that's what it felt like seeing THAITANIUM walk out on stage to the inciting beats of 'Wake Up'—it's an opening that still lingers in our minds. The iconic rap group's performace is a prime example of the power and calibre that Asian hip-hop holds. 

Jay Park and the boys of H1GHR MUSIC, which includes pH-1, SiK-K, HAON, BIG Naughty, GroovyRoom, Woodie Gochild, Trade L, and SMMT, undoubtedly cemented themselves as one of the weekend's highlights. Coming in with their individual prowess yet coming together as one with so much intensity in songs like 'The Purge', 'How We Rock', and more. Their set even featured surprise guests, JESSI and MILLI to dance along Jay Park for 'MOMMAE'.

Armed with a drummer, ØZI brought together worlds of metal, rock, R&B, and hip-hop to Rolling Loud Thailand, feeding the crowd a refreshing melody amongst the heavy-hitting rap tunes of the weekend. With just five songs, the Taiwanese singer had the entire crowd jumping and dancing as he ran through tracks off his latest EP, ADICA.

Rolling Loud Thailand had a lot of expectations pit up against it, being the first-ever Asian run of the revered hip-hop festival, and yet, they certainly delivered. Its three-day run was the site of musical prowess, heart-pumping performances, and unequivocal fun, certainly the kind of weekend you'd look forward to every year.