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Rockstar Energy presents Wireless 2024 –line-up deep dive
Your ultimate guide to the runners, riders and rappers taking over the London festival this July
Wireless will take over Finsbury Park once again this summer from 14 – 16 July 2024. For one grand weekend, the London park will be HQ to a legion of hip hop, drill, rap and Afrobeat powerhouses.
The festival has just announced Phase Two, which means a second bill of names (some first-time performers, some returning) joining headliners Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage, J Hus and Doja Cat. With only a few months left to go, it’s time to plug into the playlist, brush up on your lyrics and read this handy guide to July’s biggest weekend.
The headliners
Nicki Minaj
The Barbz are in for a treat, especially if they couldn’t get their hands on stadium tickets this year. Nicki Minaj has chosen to add one more London show to her world tour: headlining the first night of Wireless 2024. The Queen Of Rap took to Instagram to write: “instead of doing another arena show in London after we sold out in the first week, I opted to do Wireless Festival. This year’s show will be a billion times more special, creative, beautiful, cohesive, ugh! I’m so excited”. She’s still riding the tornado success of her last album, so we’re officially dubbing the first night of Wireless “Pink Friday”. Expect catalogue hits such as ‘Moment 4 Life’, Barbie soundtrack bop ‘Barbie World’ (featuring fellow Friday-performer Ice Spice), and more recent singles such as ‘FTCU’. An unmissable start to the weekend – oh, and the dress code is pink, of course.
21 Savage
British-born rapper 21 Savage is coming home. After enduring detention and threats of deportation from the US (where he’s lived since a child), he was finally declared a ‘lawful permanent resident’ in October 2023, meaning he’s now free to visit the UK. His Saturday co-headliner status marks his first ever festival performance in England, and his second stage appearance in his birth city, London – so the Main Stage is the place to be on July 13. His 2024 album, american dream, allows the Atlanta-based artist to open up about his roots; his mother voices an introduction and you’ll find a childhood photo on its cover. 21 could revisit any number of records from his decade-spanning catalogue at Wireless and still make a perfect set. ‘Bank Account’ and ‘10 Freaky Girls’ are likely to get the crowd hyped up (could Future even make an appearance for ‘X’?), but his new releases are to be especially anticipated as he embraces a new era on the other side of the Atlantic.
J Hus
Saturday’s second co-headliner is also a Brit, and he joined 21 Savage on stage in London last year as special guest. Stratford’s own J Hus saw his most recent album, Beautiful and Brutal Yard, reach No.1 on the UK charts last year, and its summer sonics are the perfect soundtrack for J Hus’ performance this July. It’s still a novelty to see the Afroswing artist on stage – he’d been on somewhat of a hiatus before returning to tour life at the end of last year – so now’s your chance to get your fill while he’s gracing the Main Stage.
Doja Cat
Doja Cat, flanked by a troupe of blonde yetis, recently treated the crowd (and watching internet) to creative choreography, hairy outfits and hypnotic theatrics in the form of a charismatic Coachella performance that left us wanting – no, needing – more. As it happens, the singing, rapping and dancing maverick is on her way to paint London town red. As Sunday’s headliner, she’ll wrap up Wireless 2024 while marking the end of her own European tour. Her performances this summer will be her first in the UK since 2022, so we anticipate favourites from her earlier Hot Pink and Planet Her eras woven through her latest Scarlet album material. Any Doja fan will be excited to see how her ‘Demons’ look when in London – quite different from her ‘MOOO!’ era, if her deliciously unpredictable trajectory continues. Where could she take this performance?
The unmissables
Future
Future has plenty of new material to unpack. The rapper recently released We Don’t Trust You, his first full collaborative album with maestro producer Metro Boomin, and it was quickly followed by a second project, We Still Don’t Trust You. Both LPs feature heavy guest appearances from the Weeknd, Playboi Carti, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Baby. His ethereal yet trap-heavy sound, mumbled style of rap and auto-tuned melodies are ever present. He’ll embark on his We Trust You North American tour (joined by Metro Boomin) a mere two weeks after his Wireless set, so think of this as a sneak peek into what’s to come.
Sean Paul
Come evening, the park will transform into an impromptu dancefloor as Sean Paul gets started with his dancehall classics. An OG with a roster of finely aged favourites is always a hit at Wireless, and this Kingston-born legend has hit after hit to perform. In fact, 2024 marks his 30th year in the dancehall music industry, a career that has seen him collaborate with Keyshia Cole, Busta Rhymes Beyoncé, Blu Cantrell and Fuse ODG. Showing no signs of slowing down; he released his eighth album, Scorcha, only two years ago. Whether you heard his debut album, Stage One, in Y2K or recently discovered ‘Baby Girl’ on your FYP, you can’t deny: every Sean Paul song is a hit.
Gunna
It’s likely to be non-stop moshpits during Gunna’s timeslot. The Atlanta rapper is having a strong comeback this year. After a stint behind bars, he hit the ground running and his viral summer hit ‘fukumean’ ended up the most streamed rap song of 2023 in the US. Expect the crowd to rush as soon as you hear the lyrics “Young Gunna Wunna back, callin’ me splurge”. He is back. His six months of incarceration was commuted to time served, and he got straight to work on a fourth studio album, A Gift & A Curse, that he’s supporting with the Bittersweet North American tour, alongside Flo Milli.
The Opium takeover
Destroy Lonely
The fervour for Opium (Playboi Carti’s label and all who are signed to it) was undeniable at Wireless Festival 2023, and Destroy Lonely will no doubt summon an equally hyped crowd when he returns this year. Destroy Lonely, real name Bobby Wardell Sandimanie III, is only 22, started making music while he was 14, and it was the catchy instrumental of his single ‘BANE’ that caused him to go viral on TikTok in 2022. Any Barbz saving a spot at the front for Nicki Minaj’s appearance later, how about joining the jumping crowd while you wait? Give ‘if looks could kill’ a listen before you get to Finsbury Park station.
Homixide Gang
Homixide Gang is another Opium name returning after an epic performance last year. The duo, made up of Homixide Beno! and Homixide Meechie, also hail from Atlanta. They released their third album (their second in a single year) 5TH AMNDMNT in October. Listen to both to brush up on the beat drops – that way, you can join the mosh when it inevitably kicks off.
The Afrobeat stars
Rema
For a Rema fan, summertime starts when they press play on ‘Dumebi’. Or ‘Woman’. Or ‘Soundgasm’. They’re all strong contenders, and any of his self-referred Afro-rave hits will stir up a reaction from the crowd when he performs them on Sunday. The Nigerian singer made history when his debut LP, Rave & Roses, became the first African album to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify. One of his tracks, ‘Iron Man’, even made Barack Obama’s summer playlist. He’s now working on a fourth EP that takes inspiration from Christopher Nolan’s films, and the anime series Bleach and Death Note.
Ruger
Ruger’s eye patch and bubblegum pink hair is the visual shell of his sweet but razor-sharp interior. He actually wears the former to remind him of someone who achieved great things even after losing an eye and being discouraged by those around him. He has previously described his sound as Afro dancehall, but his latest album, Ru The World, visits new territory. A drill beat counts in ‘Tour’, an opening track with an adrenaline-fuelled tempo. This isn’t his only work of the year; he also released a mixtape with singer-songwriter BNXN having resolved their previous beef.
Asake
Asake is a third artist set to bring Nigerian flair to the crowd. Borrowing his stage name from his mother, his friends would call him “omo Asake” (child of Asake), until they started leaving out “omo” and Asake stuck. Plus, he likes the look on the audiences’ faces when their expectation of a pretty female performer is quashed by his arrival on stage. His second studio album, Work Of Art, (we can agree on that) was aired last June and features auditory magic such as ‘2.30’, ‘Amapiano’ and ‘Lonely At The Top’. The 2024 release of his latest single ‘Only Me’ hints that much more is on its way – in time for summer, let’s hope.
The UK talent
Nemzzz
Mancunian rapper Nemzzz became a recognised name in 2021 when his breakout hit ‘Elevate’ blew up on TikTok and scored over 54 million Spotify streams. He describes his sound as “chill with a mixture of drill and trap music”. His first mixtape, Do Not Disturb, dips into trap, lo-fi and even Jersey drill while keeping his distinct story-telling lyrics and witty punchlines. He’s been hustling since the age of 14; his dad was a reggae vocalist and his mum wrote music beats, but he discovered he had a talent of his own after venturing into his family home studio. Though a self-professed introvert, he’s big on uplifting anyone listening from his home town of Gorton.
Digga D
Ladbroke Grove rapper Digga D is often talked about as one of the trailblazers of UK drill. He started out in 2017 as the frontman of a local collective 1011 (named after two West London postcodes), which would later be renamed CGM. Fast forward to 2023 and he’d become the youngest rapper to headline the Royal Albert Hall, launch his own music label, Black Money Records, and release a fourth mixtape. Back To Square One shows his sound has grown along with him; his influences shift from drill to dancehall, plus bashment and rap, and the intro track ‘Fighting For My Soul’ layers more of a spoken word style over guitar riffs and twinkling piano.
Bringing the vibes
Ice Spice
Ice Spice smashed her Wireless 2023 set. The crowd waved flags of her face as they waited for her to come on and, when she did, they knew every word of ‘Deli’ and ‘Munch (Feelin’ U)’. Now she has yet more earworms under her belt as she returns for her second Wireless performance on Friday. Her tongue-in-cheek single ‘Think U The Sh*t (Fart)’ has been cemented in our minds (and TikTok FYPs) since it came out in January, and she recently announced that she’s finished recording her debut album. Any Ice Spice performance is a blast, so sing along and channel your inner baddie.
Skillibeng
Skillibeng is a Jamaican artist passing dancehall down to a younger generation. He merges the genre with reggae and techno to make hits such as ‘Whap Whap’, ‘Coke’ and ‘Crocodile Teeth’. He’s influenced by rappers Lil Wayne and Young Thug, plus his own genre’s predecessors Popcaan and Vybz Kartel. He went on to collaborate with the latter on the track ‘The King And The Prince’, as well as the Queen Of Rap herself Nicki Minaj and, most recently, South African up-and-comer Tyla.
Sexyy Red
You can’t help the surge of self confidence that comes with hollering ‘Get It Sexyy’. Sing it for Sexyy Red on stage, sing it for yourself, sing it for the hoes everywhere. The Missouri rapper returns for another year after a high energy 2023 performance during both her own set and Travis Scott’s when the ‘Utopia’ headliner brought her out. She’s also endorsed by Drake; he featured her – complete with a baby bump – in the music video for ‘Rich Baby Daddy’ (she did actually gave birth to her second child this year). Expect unfiltered crowd singlalongs to ‘SkeeYee’ and ‘Pound Town’ with a few wheelups in between.
Flo Milli
I’ll admit, my gym playlist is often just Flo Milli’s ‘Conceited’ on repeat. Her bratty, boastful energy is enough to drive any half-hearted individual into ultimate hype mode. Inspired in her music by Lil Kim, the Alabama rapper wears preppy looks that could have been taken from Clueless and enunciates each cutting diss with a confidence that could bring a tear to your eye. Her latest album lets us know that she’s only just getting started. Fine Ho, Stay introduces us to four alter egos that we’re bound to meet in person on Friday: girly girl Florence Million; skater girl Flo Ski; the vengeful Dirty Floana and hood girl Flo Jo.
Vanessa Bling
It was in the early 2010s that Vanessa Bling (you might also know her as Gaza Slim) rose to success, but her fame received a revival when Cardi B played her 2012 track ‘Everything Fi Hold Him’ in the background of an Instagram video. The dancehall queen, known for her many hits with Jamaican musician Vybz Kartel, is back in business with her 2024 tracks ‘Single’, a heartfelt song that’ll have phone torches swaying in the audience, and the infinitely more energetic ‘Nuh More Than Me’.
Don Toliver
The name Don Toliver first popped up on Travis Scott’s third album, Astroworld, after they’d met through a mutual friend. Within a week of its release, he was signed with fellow Houston rapper Scott’s Cactus Jack Records and Atlantic Records. Don drives in his own genre-bending lane, merging trap and R&B with hip hop, pop, rock and more. His new track ‘Deep In The Water’ is an ode to partner Kali Uchis and their newborn child.
The Amapiano princesses
Tyla
Joburg-born sensation Tyla is bound to make us sweat when she takes to the stage on Sunday. She shot to stardom with the viral hit ‘Water’ that was followed by an epnonymously titled debut studio album with all the makings of a summertime masterpiece. It doesn’t hurt that she’s also the youngest African artist to win a GRAMMY Award. Tracks such as ‘Safer’ and ‘Truth Or Dare’ fuse the unmistakable amapiano log drum with pop and R&B vocals, and you’ve likely heard snippets of ‘ART’ and ‘Jump’ on TikTok. If not, start scrolling ASAP to get the choreo down before the day.
Uncle Waffles
Lungelihle Zwane, known by the stage name Uncle Waffles, is another South African-based artist bringing amapiano rhythm to the world. She learned to DJ during lockdown, practising for eight hours a day, and then turned her hand to music production, releasing her debut single ‘Tanzania’ in 2022. During an Uncle Waffles show, the dancefloor extends to behind the decks. Get ready to follow her lead as she busts a move between tracks. ‘Wadibusa’ is the latest to join her repertoire of dance hits.
Photo credits: Kevin Mazur/Getty, Burak Cingi/Getty, Timothy Norris/Getty
