Way Out West 2025 is getting closer by the day! Today, we’re adding nine new names rooted in hip-hop, R&B, and related genres to the poster. Please welcome Black Star (Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli) [US], Westside Gunn & Smoke DZA [US], Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 [NGA], Mwuana, Erik Lundin, Dizzy, Cherrie, Josef Slunge, and Venus Anon to Gothenburg this summer!
Boom bap is back, and it’s largely thanks to Buffalo rapper Westside Gunn and his influential label and collective, Griselda Records. For over two decades, they have breathed new life into the gritty, raw yet soulful productions popularized in the ’90s by producers like RZA and DJ Premier, bringing them straight into the present.
When Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and Talib Kweli released the album Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star in 1998, it marked the beginning of a radical shift in hip-hop culture. The lyrical, political, jazzy underground rap was no longer just the domain of backpack-wearing men in basements—it became a potent cultural force.
Seun Kuti is the youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. He has spent most of his life preserving and further developing his father’s political and musical legacy as the leader of Fela’s former band, Egypt 80. In 1997, when Fela passed away, Seun—according to his father’s wishes—took over as leader of Egypt 80 and has led the band ever since.
On top of this, we’re also adding the ever-relevant Cherrie, album-releasing Mwuana, chart-topping Dizzy, hip-hop poet Erik Lundin, and local heroes Josef Slunge and Venus Anon.
NEW ARTISTS IN TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT:
Josef Slunge (SOW)
Venus Anon (SOW)
Black Star (Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli) [US]
Dizzy
Cherrie
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 [NGA]
Mwuana
Erik Lundin
Westside Gunn & Smoke DZA [US]
3-day tickets, Premium tickets and almost all Youth tickets are now completely sold out, with more ticket categories to follow soon. Buy your tickets now HERE!
