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Bay Area Hip-Hop Beneath the Rollercoasters

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a local rapper stands on a purple lit stage while confetti falls around him
Iamsu!'s most recent IAMSUMMER performance was in 2019. (Courtesy of Iamsu!)

Richmond rapper Iamsu! hasn’t performed his own live show since 2019 — when the pre-pandemic world felt limitless and more socially manageable. But now, fresh off a guest appearance in Oakland at Larry June’s “The Great Escape” tour, Iamsu! is back on our minds with an upcoming concert of his own: IAMSUMMER Fest.

For Su, a founding member of the rap collective Heartbreak Gang, the time feels right to finally re-emerge after a pandemic-triggered hiatus.

“Once I got settled into the pandemic, it was tough to crack the shell to come out,” he says. “It feels hella good to be back out in this space and picking my right spots, having the right homies to work with and just being intentional about it. It’s a real summer jam.”

The concert takes place at California’s Great America, the amusement park that invokes heavy nostalgia for many Bay Area natives, including Su, who grew up riding favorites like Top Gun, Drop Zone and The Demon.

a local rapper jumps mid air while performing on a darkly lit stage
Iamsu! first performed at Great America in 2016. (Courtesy of Iamsu!)

“As a young boy, the experience of going through those gates, seeing the fountains, eating churros, that just puts a smile on my face,” Iamsu! says. “That magic, that fun, it’s not always present in the Bay these days. It’s just a small escape from our regular lives.”

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Iamsu! will be joined by fellow Heartbreak Gang artists Kool John, Skipper, Show Banga, Dave Steezy, CJ, DJ Shell and other “surprise” guests. Also on hand will be Iamsu!’s favorite food trucks and brands, such as Lily Mae’s House of Soul Food, Oakland Roots, Fundraisers, and San Francisco rapper Lil Bean’s Beno World.

In previous summers, the concert has rotated venues. But by bringing it to Santa Clara’s theme park, Su says, this year’s event is about family fun, childhood memories and being outside again.

“I have memories of being terrified of those rides,” Su admits. “Sometimes you’d wanna bail the line at the end! It’s that mixture of fun and insane anxiety. But you feel like ‘him’ once you get off. I want to bring that feeling back. Shout out Great America and the amusement parks in the Bay, for real.”

IAMSUMMER Fest takes place on Saturday, Aug. 5, at California’s Great America in Santa Clara. Details here.

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