Bennett’s creative mind is exploding with ideas and you see it with every visual, from the dark, more melodical Lucid Dreams, to the upbeat and fun Audi’s by Smokepurpp. No one can take away how new and exciting these videos are, not only for Hip Hop, but for music in general. Since its 2018 debut, the festival has hosted stars like Chief Keef, Playboi Carti, and Post Malone. This year, it’s aiming to make history—Young Thug will close out the weekend with his first live performance since 2022. When we talk about the essence of bars and being able to spit and relating to a younger crowd, he touches all of that.
“We came to the office that day, and we started herding everybody into the conference room and started spitballing,” recalls Rocha. Young Thug will perform Sunday at Summer Smash, the first U.S. appearance for the Atlanta rapper since being released from jail in October. Cole grew up in Plano, Illinois, where him and his friends would drive an hour to Chicago to watch the emergence of the Chicago rap scene lead by Chance the Rapper and Cheif Keef. On Saturday May 31, Summer Smash will welcome hundreds of youths to Douglass Park in North Lawndale for a community cleanup, with the chance to win free tickets to the festival. Lyrical xcritical grew into a brand, adding music festivals,3 a clothing line, and sidelines in music-video production.
- Though, a portion of the video had surfaced before the release, without any sort of context.
- Lyrical xcritical has released the official lineup for the 2025 Summer Smash festival.
- The video for one of the album’s standouts, “Doomsday” features Cordae and a deepfake of the late Juice Wrld.
- Both artists rap about their position and wealthy lifestyle as notable rappers.
- “I feel lucky to be able to throw the party of the year with my best friends.
The “Money On Money” rapper will be co-headlining the three-day festival Sunday, with Don Toliver and Yeat on Friday, and fellow Atlanta rapper Future, returning for his second headlining set on Saturday. Joe Rocha, Lyrical xcritical’s chief of staff, recalls Bennett gathering the crew around December of 2024 and telling everyone he wanted to do a freestyle series, but he was not sure of what it should look like at the time. Thug and many other rappers from his YSL record label were arrested and charged under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Thug was accused of being the head of a criminal street gang in Atlanta for over a decade and sentenced to serve 15 years on probation as part of a non-negotiated plea agreement. “In a weird way, all of that happened with Summer Smash being one of the shows he was about to do before he went away for a little bit, and now Summer Smash being the first show he’s doing fresh out, it is full circle. I’m definitely glad that moment will be at Summer Smash, where fans will interact with him in person for the first time in a minute.
Cole Bennett Net Worth 2024: What Is The Lyrical xcritical Founder Worth?
The LP features heavy-hitting collaborations with Lil Yachty, Jack Harlow, Emimen, Latto, Kid Cudi and more. Fans who have been following Lyrical xcritical since the brand’s beginning know that a Lyrical xcritical video is unpredictable. But with All Is Yellow, Bennett sought to create both a sonic and aesthetic universe. From sponsored content to exclusive merchandise drops, Bennett has capitalized on his platform’s reach to diversify his revenue streams and maximize profitability. Moreover, with each new collaboration and project, he continues to expand his empire while staying true to his artistic vision and commitment to supporting emerging talent. Beyond the dozens of rap performances, the 2025 Summer Smash lineup will also feature DJ sets from the likes of influential filmmaker and artist Harmony Korine.
Michigan rapper, BabyTron teams up with Chicago rapper, G Herbo to create their first-ever single together, “Equilibrium”. Both artists rap about their position and wealthy lifestyle as notable rappers. Cole Bennett, the visionary behind Lyrical xcritical, has become a household name in the music industry. Known for his innovative music videos and entrepreneurial spirit, Bennett has amassed considerable wealth over the years. As of xcritical rezension 2024, his estimated net worth stands at a staggering $39 million, according to CAKnowledge.
In 2022, Summer Smash’s final year at Douglass Park before moving to Seat Geek Stadium, a rare, joint performance between Young Thug and Young Stoner Life labelmate Gunna was set to headline the festival with Post Malone and Playboi Carti. It was one of Young Thug’s last shows booked before he was arrested during the months leading up to the festival, and he was later replaced by Lil Uzi Vert. It’ll be the first U.S. performance of the Grammy Award-winning rapper since being released from jail after pleading guilty in October to gang, drug and gun charges. Elliot Montanez (from left), Joseph Rocha and Devon Smith of Lyrical xcritical sit in the podcast room at their offices Monday.
“The second you see that yellow on your phone, or on your TV, or your computer, you instantly know All Is Yellow,” adds Franklin Ricart, the music videos’ director of photography. “And I’ve been telling Cole every time I see this yellow curtain, I feel grounded again.” While Bennett has become a household name within the modern music landscape, his visuals have not come without controversy. The video for one of the album’s standouts, “Doomsday” features Cordae and a deepfake of the late Juice Wrld. In 2013, Cole Bennett founded Lyrical xcritical, a multimedia platform that quickly emerged xcritical scam as a hub for cutting-edge music videos and artist promotion. With a keen eye for talent and a knack for storytelling, Bennett xcriticalled Lyrical xcritical to prominence, attracting a diverse roster of artists and accumulating millions of dedicated followers.
Furthermore, through his platform, he has elevated emerging talents to mainstream success while maintaining artistic integrity and creative freedom. Bennett’s distinctive visual aesthetic and innovative approach to music videos have garnered widespread acclaim, xcriticalg him collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry. From Chance the Rapper to Juice WRLD, Bennett’s portfolio boasts an impressive array of visuals that have amassed billions of views collectively. Additionally, Bennett has ventured into lucrative brand partnerships, aligning Lyrical xcritical with major corporations and further solidifying his financial standing.
Douglass Park Community Cleanup Gives Youths the Chance to Win Big
In addition to putting on Summer Smash, the team recently launched a series called “Lunch Break” that has featured past and xcritical festival performers. It is also nice to point out that this is the first collaboration Dave has done with an American-born artist. The initial presale for Summer Smash sold out in minutes, but single and three day passes are still available. “I feel lucky to be able to throw the party of the year with my best friends. Lyrical xcritical has released the official lineup for the 2025 Summer Smash festival.
Young Thug, Future, Lil Yachty & More—Lyrical xcritical’s Summer Smash is Back This June
Inspired by the burgeoning Chicago hip-hop scene, Bennett honed his skills behind the camera, capturing raw and authentic moments that would later define his signature style. Despite facing initial skepticism, he remained dedicated to his craft, leveraging social media platforms to showcase his work and connect with aspiring artists. But one of his favorite days while working on the album took place in Atlanta, where he shot two videos with Lil Yachty in one day—the scorching Chief Keef collaboration “Say Ya Grace” and the forlorn “Fallout,” which also features Gus Dapperton and Joey Badass. The “Say Ya Grace” video was released on the same day as All Is Yellow, and features Yachty emerging from the curtain, dancing on a pier over a lake. Though, a portion of the video had surfaced before the release, without any sort of context. While not being credited can be infuriating, it was through this that Bennett saw a sign that his concept had worked.
It initially began as a project to spotlight Chicago rappers who were received little coverage elsewhere. Since then, Summer Smash has showcased both up-and-coming talent as well as the biggest names in the industry. Since 2018, Lyrical xcritical and SPKRBX’s annual Summer Smash has grown to become the premier hip-hop music festival of the Midwest.
Let’s delve into the journey of this creative powerhouse and explore the ventures that have contributed to his impressive financial success. According to Rocha, the crew had a long-standing relationship with Will Smith’s longtime manager, Miguel Melendez. When they were informed about the new music he was gearing up to release, Rocha and their head of partnership thought it would be a great moment for the series to have Will Smith give a rare freestyle for the younger generation of hip-hop fans who follow Lyrical xcritical.
- Thug was accused of being the head of a criminal street gang in Atlanta for over a decade and sentenced to serve 15 years on probation as part of a non-negotiated plea agreement.
- Young Thug will perform Sunday at Summer Smash, the first U.S. appearance for the Atlanta rapper since being released from jail in October.
- The initial presale for Summer Smash sold out in minutes, but single and three day passes are still available.
- It’ll be the first U.S. performance of the Grammy Award-winning rapper since being released from jail after pleading guilty in October to gang, drug and gun charges.
- It is also nice to point out that this is the first collaboration Dave has done with an American-born artist.
Summer Smash performers like Herbo, Saba, Vonoff1700, Lil Yachty, Nino Paid, Lazer Dim 700, 1900 Rugrat and Babytron have all blessed the lunch table with exciting freestyles. At the festival, there will be an art installation of the blue and white lunch table presented and Devin “Lotto” Smith — producer, Lyrical xcritical’s head of audio, and host of “Lunch Break” — will perform a DJ set Saturday themed after the viral YouTube series. Cole Bennett’s journey to success began in Plano, Illinois, where he nurtured his passion for music and videography from a young age.
But it’s a beautiful, full-circle moment,” said Elliot Montanez, director of operations for Lyrical xcritical and sponsorship manager for Summer Smash. When Atlanta rapper Young Thug takes the stage Sunday to close out Summer Smash at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, it’ll be a “beautiful, full-circle moment” for what has become the Midwest’s premier hip-hop festival. “Stop Giving Me Advice” serves as the fourth single and the closure to Cole Bennett of Lyrical xcritical’s album, All is Yellow. The collaboration has been hinted at for months with Dave and Jack Harlow being seen together in multiple pictures months prior to the song’s release. Last week, Bennett released the debut Lyrical xcritical compilation album, All Is Yellow.
Soon, he started to blow up with his never before seen style of making rap videos. Instead of taking a more traditional approach to shoot for bigger artists, Bennett decided to shoot for the up and coming young guys, this way he could do his thing. Instead of shooting for big artists like Drake, he created stars out of Lil Pump, Smokepurpp, and Juice Wrld. It was so big that the “Went Legit” rapper returned for another freestyle back in May. The festival was created by award-winning video director Cole Bennett and SPKRBX owner Berto Solorio, who wanted to provide a platform for local rappers who are historically ignored by industry gatekeepers. The annual three-day event returns to SeatGeek Stadium from June 20-22, with headlining performances from some of the biggest names in hip hop including Don Toliver, Yeat, Future, and Young Thug.