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Rolling Loud Presents: Rod Wave’s SoulFly Tour

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Gathering many of rap’s biggest names, Rolling Loud events are known for their expert curation and high-energy performances. After years of building themselves into the premier festival brand in hip-hop, Rolling Loud launches Rolling Loud Presents, their first venture into tour promotions. 

Rolling Loud Presents is one of the company’s most ambitious expansions yet, taking the Rolling Loud experience on the road with a series of tours headlined by some of the biggest stars in hip-hop, in partnership with Live Nation. 

First up, Rolling Loud partners with superstar artist Rod Wave for “Rod Wave: SoulFly Tour Presented by Rolling Loud.” Spanning 20+ dates, the “SoulFly Tour” brings the Rolling Loud experience to cities across the country. Kicking off in August, “SoulFly Tour” is merely the first tour promoted by Rolling Loud Presents to be announced. 

Tickets for “Rod Wave: SoulFly Tour” go on sale starting Friday, June 18th at 10am local time at http://soulflytour.com/. List of all tour dates below. 

Described by The New York Times as the ‘preeminent hip-hop emoter of the last couple of years,’ Florida’s Rod Wave has evolved into one of the most organically popular artists in the rap game. His new album SoulFly debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with over 130k units sold, following last year’s Platinum-certified Pray For LoveThe Alamo-signed artist is a consistent presence in the top 10 of the YouTube Music and Rolling Stone charts, amassing over 6.5 billion streams in less than three years. On the “SoulFlyTour,” he’ll perform SoulFly album highlights like “Tombstone,” which peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and older hits like the multi-platinum singles “Rags2Riches” and “Heart On Ice.” On his upcoming headlining tour, Rod Wave will demonstrate why he’s one of the best live performers in hip-hop.

“Touring is a team effort, you’re only as strong as your team,” say Rolling Loud co-founders Matt Zingler & Tariq Cherif. “Each tour we take on is given the same attention as a Rolling Loud Festival. We strategically work with the artist team and our local partners to ensure a good turnout while not being over ambitious with the room capacities. If an artist really wants to grow they need to go out and build. Every market they go to helps build their fan base. Over time you will get to the Drake and Travis Scott level. Even those acts have been tour support and played in 500 cap rooms. I know because we booked Travis Scott in a 1500 cap room.”

“Rolling Loud has done an incredible job of not only launching but continuing to maintain such a relevant and forward-thinking music brand in the hip-hop space,” said Colin Lewis, tour promoter at Live Nation. “We’re excited to be a part of their expansion into touring and to kick things off with Rod Wave. Can’t wait for fans to see what else we have up our sleeves.”

The announcement of Rolling Loud Presents comes hot on the heels of the announcement of Rolling Loud New York 2021. Occurring October 28th-30th at Citi Field inQueens, the festival promises headling performances by Travis Scott, J. Cole, and 50 Cent, and features a lineup packed with superstars and NYC legends.

Rolling Loud New York 2021 is the second of three Rolling Loud festivals to be held in 2021, following the brand’s flagship event Rolling Loud Miami 2021 and preceding Rolling Loud California 2021. With headliners Travis ScottPost Malone and A$AP Rocky, Rolling Loud Miami 2021 is a triumphant return for live rap music, and a coming out party for risers and new superstars eager to play in front of a festival crowd. Rolling Loud Miami 2021 will occur on July 23rd-25th at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Occurring on December 10th-12th, 2021 at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA, Rolling Loud California promises headlining performances by J. Cole, Kid Cudi, and Future, as well as a special duo performance by Young Thug and Chris Brown. Both Rolling Loud Miami 2021 and Rolling Loud California 2021 are sold out.

Buy tickets to “Rod Wave: SoulFly Tour”: http://soulflytour.com/

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Editorials

Omega The Poet Speaks On Being a Music Executive, Producer, & His Record Label

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Making music ain’t just something you do for a day and call it quits — you’ll never take off like that. It has to be a lifelong journey, filled with dedication that makes you love what you do. Omega The Poet’s obsession with the craft, which began as a child, has evolved into a career full of creativity that’s been driven by his years of experience. From his early beginnings to owning a record label and his lofty plans in the future, Omega’s had and has it all figured out.

Everyone has a unique way that they discover music. For some, it’s experiencing what their parents listened to. For others, it’s randomly vibing to a song on the radio. Omega’s origins had a bit of a holier beginning.  “I got into music by attending church,” he shares. “My introduction to music was unique in the sense that most of my ‘music-making’ abilities came from reading and the development of that skill.”

From there, he participated in a children’s choir, learning about different vocal registers—soprano, alto, tenor—and understanding the foundations of music theory. These formative years gave him an understanding about song structure that would prove pivotal to his development as an artist in later years. 

Soon, Omega became a lyricist that didn’t find inspiration in whatever was on the radio. He studied musical legends for their craft and their personalities to discover what kind of artist he’d want to be — specifically André 3000, Wale, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West (before he was a dickhead).  “I enjoy how unapologetically unique these artists are, how they push boundaries sonically, and their undeniable influence on the culture,” he explains.

In recent years, his inspirations have expanded to include experimental artists like Solange, Steve Lacy, Childish Gambino, and Daniel Caesar because of their fearless approach to music-making. “These artists have this ability to merge genres and create something truly special,” he says. “I want to bring that same level of originality and fearlessness to my own work.”

After the release of his debut EP Eros in 2020, Omega took a step back from releasing music — but now, he’s back with a reinvigorated sense of purpose. “Recently, I’ve been releasing songs that I’ve had stashed in the vault since Eros,” Omega explains. “My goal is to release one song of mine every month for the whole year.”

This consistent rollout strategy isn’t just about holding on to the huge and organic momentum that he’s building — it’s also about evolving and wanting his fans to experience his growth and versatility in real time.  As he’s doing this though, he’s also working with others to develop their talent in an exciting way. “I plan to introduce the music of artists under my publishing company and record label, For The Record.”

Working as an executive producer and record label founder, he’s bringing something special with For The Record. “I drew inspiration from Kanye West’s former label, G.O.O.D. Music,” he says. “I loved the grandeur and exclusivity that surrounded that label.”

However, as he matured, he realized that creative vision alone wasn’t enough. He wanted to combine artistic innovation with solid business practices founded in realness. “It was a true step-by-step journey toward creating and solidifying my record label,” he explains. “But the idea was developed incrementally, and it’s like God revealed each piece I needed at the perfect moment to allow the business to flourish.”

Today, For The Record is home to a growing roster of artists, including Nylo Cash, Tajé, 7Reazon, and JSavv, with more names coming soon. They’re set to takeover this year, so stay tuned for this exciting new chapter.  

With so much on Omega’s plate, he (and his label) are destined to make a definitive impact in an industry that often is only focused on making a splash.  “I want to create music that resonates, that stands the test of time,” he reveals. “And I want to help others do the same.”

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Omega The Poet and Curtis Williams address legacy on striking new track “Boy”

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Omega the Poet’s back with another deep and introspective track about the human experience. His new collaboration with Curtis Williams (who’s worked with A$AP Rocky, J.I.D., and Wiz Khalifa) digs deep into the idea of legacy and rejecting the idea of sainthood. Smooth, complex, and endlessly memorable, it’s a striking listen that stays with you long after the song ends.

Listen to “Boy” below.

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Editorials

How Omega The Poet Brought A Real Experience To Life On “Nina Simone”

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The best music comes from a real place. It’s easy to make up a story and translate it rhythmically, but it often sounds better, and is more relatable, when a musician draws from their real life to entertain listeners. 

Omega The Poet proves that with his new track, “Nina Simone.” Named after the Civil Rights activist and singer of the same name, it covers a situation with an amazingly unpredictable woman that he’s experienced before. The soulful track that features both Tajé and Innanet James make you think about similar experiences that you’ve had, succeeding in being both relatable and extremely listenable. 

Here’s an interview with Omega The Poet about how “Nina Simone” came about and what’s coming next for him. 

What was the inspiration behind Nina Simone?

Generally, the song is about a love affair I had with a young lady whose name also happened to be Nina Simone. Listening back to my verse, I’m taken back by how witty the lyrics are. I promise, nothing in that song is made up.

For example, the first line “Nina Simone, my ace of hearts…“ is something I said because she has an ace of hearts tattoo on her chest. So the inspiration was to express my adoration for a lady that was (and is) very significant in my life — in the most coded way.

How did this collaboration come about?

The collaboration with Tajé was a no brainer. He’s one of my closest friends & we went to college together at NCCU. He was a Jazz studies major & I would always hang around him and improve on my skill set and musicality. We just developed a genuine brotherhood. Given that, I thought he was the perfect person for the hook. As far as how Innanet James got on the track, I’ve always been a big fan of his music and the collaborations he’s done with other artists (Like Pusha T, Mac Ayres, etc.)

I also like to think my “musical palette” is very advanced & sometimes peculiar. So sonically, I thought he would be a great addition to the song. I reached out, he liked the song and he hopped on.

Have you ever had your own Nina Simone experience? If so, did that factor into how you made the song?

I think I have, now that you bring it up. I think at the time of making this song I was super young and, shamefully to say, in a serious relationship while also navigating the “secret” relationship with the young lady the song is about. I know that Nina Simone, as an activist, addressed issues like love and freedom. And as I relate her life to my life and this song, I’m drawing synchronicities as in how while I’m generally ( and always have been) a very loyal person…how certain phases of your life as it relates to growing, and freedom can cause you yearn freedom even if it is slightly deceitful. And even more — create such an amazing (and again) coded song.

What’s your favorite part about the track?

My verse for sure, I think since it’s such a 100% real story from beginning to end. It almost amazes me how I wrote it so fluently. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the melody of the song, but if you really listen to the lyrics…it’s kinda’ mind blowing. Bar’d up too on the rap side of things.

What will “Nina Simone” appear on? Can you tell us more about the project?

Nina Simone is actually a single from my last EP Eros. Eros explored the time of my life where I was budding as a young kid newly out of college and into the world. Still finding myself, but very complex and poetic given my age. I called it Eros because that is the name of Cupid in Greek mythology and I felt like that was the effect I had on women at the time.

What’s next for you?

Lots of new, highly developed yet egoless music. Some artists that inspired the music I’ll be releasing this year is Solange, D’angelo, Daniel Caesar, and Steve Lacy. Lots of beautifully simplistic, niche yet gravitational music. The type that is undeniable and forward. I haven’t released music since 2020…so everything in the vault since then will be coming out in 2025. I also started my own music publishing company and record label, called For The Record. So, I’m excited to introduce the artists under my direction as well.

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