Chicago is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and amazing places in the world. From its amazing food to its beautiful community of boutiques and shops. As well as great scenery, weather, live performances venues and sports. Especially during the Summertime. There is nothing better than, “Summertime Chi.” Which was on full display on a sunny, but also somewhat nice cool Summer Day. On Saturday, June 17th for the first day of this year’s Hyde Park Summer Fest.
Taken place at Chicago’s Midway Plaisance. There was an array of great performances throughout the day on three different stages. That ranged from the Clipse to 2 Chainz, Alex Isley and Chicago’s very own Philmore Greene. Alex Isley, the daughter of Ernie Isley of the legendary and iconic, The Isley Brothers. Who was originally scheduled to perform at 12:45pm as one of the festival’s very first performers switched to a 3:30pm slot. Alex showed her very amazingly soulful vocal talent throughout her pretty soulfully amazing and solid late afternoon set. Showing that while she definitely gets her great talent from her legendary family lineage. That she also has put in the work herself too. To have such a beautifully soulful and amazing voice that she has.
Many of Chicago’s great DJ’s from DJ Jay Illa to DJ BG, Protégé, Terry Hunter and DJ RTC. Were also on display at the Hyde Park Summer Fest. Showing what a great array of great DJs the city has to offer too.
Longtime streetwear maven, Dave Jeff, who hosted and is also one of the co-founder’s of the festival. Made sure the fellas were represented on Father’s Day weekend too. By bringing out the legendary DJ Pharris of Power 92 Chicago and Tone Kapone of WGCI 107.5 Chicago to show the unity that the two biggest Hip-Hop stations in Chicago could have.
Clipse and Philmore Greene having by far the two best performances of day one of the festival. With Greene’s late afternoon performance on the small Tres Generaciones Stage. Providing for a little bit more intimate performance. That actually drew a pretty somewhat sizeable crowd despite the stage being towards the back and probably not that many people hearing or knowing about the performance because of that. Not to mention the fact that because of Isley’s performance on the main stage getting pushed back to later. It ran around the same time Greene’s was. Putting attendees in the predicament of trying to either choose between one or the other or somehow try to squeeze in both performances. Greene decked in a black Chicago Bulls Mitchell and Ness jersey and matching black pants with a black and red snap back. With his longtime producer and very good friend, Rashid Hadee, as his DJ. Showed how to properly emcee throughout his set. As he went through many of his classic’s from his most recent classic collaboration album with Apollo Brown, Cost of Living. With such tracks as Steep Life, Hittin’ Blocks, Day on the Ave, Just Imagine, and It’s Different. To such classic’s from his earlier album’s as Follow My Lead, Co$t of Living, Way Too Focused and All That I Know. 
Greene had both the fellas and ladies involved throughout his set. As he talked to the ladies on a couple of tracks and also went to his more raw and real emceeing tracks. Taking it to the streets for all the hustlers with Hittin’ Blocks and Day on the Ave. With his performance of tracks like All That I Know, Greene showed how to properly emcee and give that raw emceeing so many of us love. That shows why he’s not only arguably the best in Chicago, but one of the best emcee’s or lyricists in Hip-Hop over the past several years period. The pretty sizeable crowd for such a smaller stage showing that true hometown love to Greene.
2 Chainz had a really solid and energetic set on the main stage as the second to last performance of the night. Going through many of his hit records ranging from No Lie to I’m Different, It’s a Vibe, and I Luv Dem Strippers. To some of his great guest verses on tracks such as Chance the Rapper’s, No Problem, G.O.O.D. Music’s, Mercy, and Yung Bleu’s, Baddest. 2 Chainz several times said how Chicago has always showed him so much love both in the streets and rapping. Asking if anybody that was in attendance had a birthday. 2 Chainz would close out his set with his infamous hit record and Kanye West collaboration, Birthday Song. Minus Ye.
Legendary group and duo, Clipse, would reunite for their very stellar Hip-Hop and coke rap performance to close out the night. Bringing all the energy, bars and grit you would expect from a Clipse performance. Pusha T and No Malice didn’t look like they lost a step. As they seamlessly went together through such classic’s as Mr. Me Too, When the Last Time, Popular Demand (Popeyes), their Baby collaboration, What Happened To That Boy, and Kinda Like a Big Deal. To even more B-sides type tracks that they usually don’t perform and not many would recognize. Such as Wamp Wamp (What It Do), We Got It for Cheap and Virginia. Several times during their set, Pusha would emphasize how long not only the Clipse have been together. So that it should be no surprise about them being back together performing together again, but how long they have been doing things with Dave Jeff and so many others here in Chicago and how much love the city has shown them throughout the year’s. So why it made sense to have Chicago as a place for Pusha and his brother, No Malice, to come back together as their first official show back together in years as the, Clipse. You know the Clipse couldn’t finish out the night without closing with their classic street hit, Grindin’. Right before officially closing out with The Neptunes-produced and Pharrell featured feel-good track, I’m Good. That was also the perfect way to close and end a very amazing first day of this year’s Hyde Park Summer Fest.