MIKE’s fourth annual alternative backyard party went down on July 13th at Herbert Von King Park on a sweltering day.
The stage was built in a totally empty field, the kind of space youth soccer would be played on. The sun beat down on centerfield, so most people escaped to the outskirts, where trees provided adequate relief until sunset. People could choose to either suffocate in the crowded shade, or break a sweat in the unrelenting light of the sun; neither option was particularly attractive.
The heat was part of the charm. The disillusionment or hysteria it offered only complemented the array of dizzying sounds that blared out of Herbert Von King Park on Saturday, July 13th, which hosted the fourth Young World Festival, an annual festival curated and coordinated by New York alternative rap king MIKE and his label 10k global. In celebration of the lineup that included Earl Sweatshirt, Pete Rock, skaiwater, and MIKE himself, thousands of New York’s alternative and leftfield folks came out to celebrate a lineup of sounds both fresh and treasured.
Beginning in 2019 but finding form in 2022, the first iteration at Herbert Von King Park, the festival has hosted dignitaries like Slick Rick, Noname, and Quelle Chris. MIKE’s eye for up and comers, like TisaKorean, 454, Mavi, and more, has also been well profiled in previous years.
The afternoon felt more like a backyard party than a structured music festival. A single stage stood as the center of attention in the middle of Herbert Von King’s open field, with vendors littering the outskirts in the shade. Dozens of food, drink, and merch options were available; it didn’t seem to matter which were sanctioned by the festival and which were not.
MIKE himself performed early in the day, likely to draw a crowd for the cast of smaller yet equally exciting names that followed. His typical vocal style was heightened to something far more anthemic for the performance, though his off-kilter beat remained largely unchanged from their original frenzy. Drawing largely from Burning Desire and Pinball, his surprise 2024 release with Tony Seltzer, he made sure to focus on his more danceable material. Even during his own timeslot, MIKE made sure to platform his peers and protégés that he clearly feels deserve as much attention as his recent output has received. 454, Niontay, and El Cousteau, all made appearances to perform bits of their own material; playing material with higher BPMs and bigger low-ends, the trio played perfect foil to MIKE’s lethargic style.
Ahead of MIKE were Sideshow and Stacy Epps, who neatly represented both sides of the aisle the festival presented. 10k global signee Sideshow offered a take on what it meant to be abstract in the modern age, while Stacy Epps, most known for her collaborations with the late MF DOOM, reminded everyone of a more bygone era of alternative hip-hop. With the festival aligned to the underground godfather’s birthday, Young World took advantage of the timeliness to celebrate via appearances from Epps and staHHr. Epps was DOOM’s attorney and occasional collaborator, while staHHr appeared on King Geedorah’s Take Me To Your Leader and DOOM’s MM…Food and Born Like This early in her career. Through the two women, and a crowd of rap heads who could go bar for bar with Madvillainy, DOOM’s legacy and spirit was not only felt, but thoroughly celebrated through Young World.
Young World’s contemporary sect was absolutely its most exciting though: Baby Osama, Myaap, and skaiwater all brought a cracked-out Gen-Z energy to their short-but-sweet appearances. Myaap’s Milwaukee decadence brought an ass-shaking thunder to the show, while skaiwater’s blown out hybrids of Jersey club, baile funk, sexy drill, and more sounded even heavier in the Brooklyn sun.
Capping off the evening, legendary producer Pete Rock rocked a slew of New York classics from the boom-bap era. Though Earl Sweatshirt needed no introduction at the festival, it still felt honorific to have Pete Rock spin “Shook Ones, Pt. II” and “The World is Yours” ten minutes before Earl took the stage. As the sun set, the crowd was clearly too stoned and sunburnt to properly react to the marquee event, though as he blazed through a set of his classics like “Ontheway!” and “E. Coli,” it became clear there was no way to watch Earl Sweatshirt than standing in awe.
Halfway through Baby Osama’s set, news broke of the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. Though no mention was made of it on stage, the crowd buzzed with confusion (and excitement) in reaction to the news. Though pundits and politicians immediately began peddling narratives of unity and community, it wasn’t clear there was ever intention to follow through on that hope.
Staring on as Earl Sweatshirt invites the entire festival’s roster on stage to get down to Laila!’s “Not My Problem,” it was clear the community and unity millions seek will not be fulfilled by talking heads on TV screens or corporations peddling experiences for capital. Instead, it’s in moments and spaces like Young World where the promise of community and togetherness will be fulfilled. The coagulation of a subculture as niche as MIKE’s was powerful enough to shake Herbert Von King Park, even if just for a night.