Rolling Loud’s Global Dreams Are A (Successful) Reality Now

Since their debut Rolling Loud event back in 2015—a same-day, smaller edition which took place in Wynwood, Miami—founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler have successfully turned the festival into a globally-recognised, in-demand brand. And now, they’re launching their first ever Rolling Loud in Europe after two years of waiting for Covid-19 to subside.

Starting out as touring specialists based in Florida under company name Dope Entertainment, Matt and Tarek already had a knack for booking the right talent and throwing memorable events, but more importantly, they understood how to tap into the underground hip-hop scene—a quality that would draw audiences to Rolling Loud events for years to come. Booking artists who started out as SoundCloud rappers—often before they’d go on to become megastars, like they did with an up-and-coming Travis Scott seven years ago—they have well and truly solidified their position as hip-hop tastemakers. Their tendency to include local talent on the same bill as established artists has also helped set them apart from the rest.

Rolling Loud’s Portugal edition, which takes place on July 6-8, lists American heavyweights such as J. Cole and A$AP Rocky alongside UK stars like Central Cee and Skepta. The line-up continues the Rolling Loud tradition of honing in on local talent by featuring Portuguese acts like Minguito and Lon3r Johny. Ahead of the first ever Rolling Loud event in Portugal, we caught up with Matt Zingler to discuss the U.S. to Europe transition, staying connected with underground rap scenes globally, and the future of one of rap’s biggest festivals.

COMPLEX: How does it feel knowing that the first set European Rolling Loud festivals are finally going ahead after two years in the works?
Matt Zingler: I would say the bigger picture than that is it’s always been an aspiration. There’s not a lot of US-based and newer festivals that have accomplished what we have in such a quick manner. I’m just so happy that the brand was accepted in Europe and there’s a demand for it. It’s really exciting to be in Portugal, as I know they have a whole new scene over there. I’ve heard that it’s difficult to get talent into London because they’re really strict with visas, so I think Portugal was a great choice in location so we can get everyone in.

How has the organisation process of festivals changed since before the COVID-19 pandemic?
The health and safety protocols change so frequently. We’re finding that each European location—Amsterdam, Portugal—have their own specific requirements. On our end, we do safety protocols for fans and talent but that’s really just up to whatever the government is requiring from us. It fluctuates, but over time it’s gotten less and less strict and it’s not as intense as it was July last year.

You started Rolling Loud in Miami in 2015 as a same-day event, with a much smaller capacity than what you’re putting up now. Did you ever imagine it getting as big as it currently is?
I definitely always believed in the brand. Even before the first show, people would ask “what is Rolling Loud?” and I would tell them that it’s the biggest hip-hop festival in the world because, at the time, I didn’t see anyone doing it. Our first show in 2015 had people like Travis Scott and Post Malone, who are headliners now, but at the time, not many people knew who they were. As the music grew and as the artists grew, this really helped us get to that next level. Bringing Rolling Loud to Toronto and Europe was a great accomplishment for us. Next, we’re planning on bringing it to Asia and Australia.

Speaking of the Toronto festival, what made you curate the line-up in that way, specifically choosing UK rap star Dave as a headline act?
It’s interesting because, in Canada, there’s a high demand for UK rap, drill and Afrobeats. Dave being a headliner made sense to me because he’s probably one of the biggest artists out of the UK right now. Not only that, but I wanted to do something different and curate something more eclectic. Although it might be risky, being a hiphop head and someone who is very well versed in culture, I figured that if anyone can do it, Rolling Loud could do it in Toronto.

After taking over Miami, New York, LA and Canada, what made you want to bring Rolling Loud to Europe?
Rolling Loud, to me, is a lifestyle brand and to make it a lifestyle brand, you have to be in as many spaces as possible. I wanted to increase the Rolling Loud footprint and provide that experience so more people across the world can understand why it’s not just a music festival and more of a lifestyle brand. It can be implemented onto any item, building, or merchandise—from chips, snacks, waters, sodas. It can be anything.

One of Rolling Loud’s unique qualities is being in touch with what’s going on in a number of underground rap scenes. How do you always stay connected and what do you tend to look for in those artists?
It’s not always easy to identify real talent but you can tell real authenticity. In terms of what I look for, I’ll consider different factors: from their streaming numbers and rollouts to the quality of their team. After all, an artist is only as strong as the people working behind them. I’ll also do a lot of the work with my team, and we’ll have full discussions about talent and listen to their music. Sometimes we’ll listen to unreleased music that artists send us and other times, artists will come to our studios and play us stuff.

Would you say your process is similar when curating the line-up for the European Rolling Loud festivals?
I wouldn’t say I have a different strategy as a lot of it is pretty similar. When it comes to UK talent, a lot of my selection is co-sign oriented and that helps me see who to pay attention to and who’s coming up. Getting co-signs from American artists, Afrobeats artists or other UK artists, is usually the first sign.

Who are your favourite UK rappers right now?
One of my favourites, hands down, is Central Cee. I think he’s going to take it to that next level. I’ve been in talks with his team and I can’t wait to meet him in person. I like AJ Tracey and Dave a lot, too.

Which UK rapper do you see being taken in by American audiences in the near future?
I think there’s acceptance for Central Cee in the States already. You’ve seen it with Skepta doing well in certain markets in the U.S.; it’s really about getting that overlap song and working with American-based artists to collaborate with, getting on U.S. airwaves and social media platforms.

What were you musically into growing up? Was it always rap?
I listened to everything growing up! When I first started in this industry, I was touring with a bunch of different electronic and drum & bass artists, like Datsik and Excision. The first album I ever bought, at the age of 12, was The Slim Shady LP. But my music taste was definitely hip-hop based, and so many cool things were happening in the music scene at the time.

Before Rolling Loud, you ran a company called Dope Entertainment, booking music talent and organising shows across Florida. How did you develop such an interest in events?
Everybody likes to party, so there’s that [laughs]. But I’d say for me, personally, I started in nightlife, managing venues, and we were into touring with our hip-hop touring company Dope Entertainment. It was really just about trying new things. The first show that we did with Rick Ross didn’t do very well, but then we did a tour with Curren$y and that flew.

How do you think your come-up has played a part in your success?
You have to start at ground zero to be a true entrepreneur and independent. To be able to say I did this on my own, you have to start from nothing. So, to answer your question, I don’t think that anything in my come-up really helped me; everything was always in my way. I think that no one wanted to see me succeed and my success is based on my own personal drive.

Are there any details you want people to know about the upcoming festivals which hasn’t been announced yet?
We always have special guests and you never know who they’re going to be, which is exciting. We have a long history of bringing out unique individuals in each market. You can always expect artists to bring out their friends from that locality, so be on the lookout for that and understand that when we announce the line-up, you never know who’s going to be there aside from the confirmed artists. Other than that, you’ve just got to come to experience it. It’s the first time in Europe, so I’m really excited to show the fans how much energy there is behind Rolling Loud and that it’s not like any other event. No matter where we are, the energy is real.