Taste of Chicago: Chance The Rapper + The Roots + Joey Purp + D.R.A.M.

Taste of Chicago by Emily Laurich

On Wednesday July 6th, Music in Minnesota jumped the state border to check out The Taste of Chicago. For those who are unfamiliar with the event, this annual culinary festival the city of Chicago host downtown, but it isn’t just about food. This year, they brought in a few big name artists to entertain the gathering crowds.

Spreading over five days, The Taste of Chicago kicked off with Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment.

Led by Nico Segal, stage was overflowing with horns, a full choir, and other various instruments to round out their big band sound.

They started their set by playing a few of their original songs. Once the crowd was warmed up, Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment were joined by a plethora of special guests throughout the remainder of their set, including Joey Purp, D.R.A.M., and Chance the Rapper.

If you don’t know of Joey Purp, I encourage you to check out his most recent release, “Girls” (feat. Chance the Rapper).

If you’re interested in D.R.A.M, check out his hit song, “Broccoli.”

From being a Chicago native and gaining more recognition over the past few years, Chance the Rapper drew a huge crowd to this show. He wasn’t listed on the official lineup, but he tweeted the night before that he would make an appearance at the Taste the following day. Shortly after he tweeted this, the tickets quickly sold out.

Chance the Rapper was the last guest that Donnie Trumpet brought out. When he stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted! It was clear that a majority of the crowd was there for Chance. If you’re interested in checking him out, he released an album, Coloring Book, this past May.

The headliner for the first day of The Taste was none other than The Roots. Dating back to the 1980’s, The Roots are still very relevant. Today, they are best known for their role as house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Fans of all ages were there to enjoy their range of music. Starting out very soulful, The Roots ended up going into a funkier direction when their friend Jeremy started mixing beats. By covering various genres, alongside their high energy, The Roots definitely put on a show that all ages could enjoy.

Check out the Taste of Chicago for a look at next year’s events!