Chicago’s hip-hop community is getting a new stage this summer. Groundwaves, the artist development movement founded by rapper MURS in 2018, is making its biggest expansion yet with the launch of the inaugural GoodWaves Music Festival & Conference, a free, three-day celebration of hip-hop, education and community taking place Aug. 28-30.
Presented by MURS 3:16 in association with Good Chaos, the event will feature performances, panel discussions, workshops and networking opportunities designed to connect established artists with the next generation of talent.
The conference kicks off Aug. 28-29 at Venue SIX10, where attendees can hear live conversations with Killer Mike, Snow Tha Product, DJ Premier, Vic Mensa, Styles P, Rapsody, Dee-1, April Walker, Estevan Oriol and The Company Man. Workshops led by Brother Ali and Phenom will round out the programming.
The festival culminates Aug. 30 at The Salt Shed Fairgrounds with performances by Killer Mike, Snow Tha Product, DJ Premier, Rapsody, Brother Ali, Dee-1, Navy Blue, Coyote x Statik Selektah, Propaganda and dozens of emerging artists, alongside hosts Slot-A, B4Lasers, Coolout Chris and Binkey.
Admission is free for all ages, with advance registration required. Since launching in 2018, Groundwaves has built a reputation for creating spaces where independent artists can perform, collaborate and receive mentorship. Previous editions have been held in Fort Collins, Denver, Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas, with Chicago becoming the movement’s largest market to date.
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“I’m so happy to partner with Good Chaos to put together this free multi-day event in Chicago, a legendary city for festivals and free public programming,” said MURS. “GoodWaves is what I always dreamed my Paid Dues festival would evolve into. The GoodWaves conference gives our Groundwaves community an opportunity to hear from and build with hip hop legends, while the festival platforms some of the best performers in the nation alongside an A-list of Chicago talent.”
Organizers say the partnership with Good Chaos is intended to establish Chicago as a flagship destination for artist discovery, collaboration and community-building through an annual festival and conference.
Applications for the conference and free festival registration are available here.
