Rolling Loud Co-Founder Apologizes for Targeting EDM Festivals in Tweet

Tariq Cherif walked back remarks he made in defense of his hip-hop festival.

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Tariq Cherif walked back remarks he made in defense of his hip-hop festival.

Earlier in the year, Rolling Loud found itself at odds with the rave scene after somebody from the hip-hop gathering's social media team made a jab at EDM festivals. The event brand's co-founder has now apologized for remarks that may suggest others in the organization share the attitude.

Rolling Loud Co-Founder/Owner Tariq Cherif responded to a tweet comparing his festival and Coachella to raves. "They need all that production because the DJ’s [sic] just push play and fake a 'performance,'" he said.

Cherif's comments elicited backlash from many in the EDM community, among them Australian DJ/producer Alison Wonderland. He later apologized for the remarks, with some speculating that the festival's Los Angeles iteration's relationship to SoCal rave promoter Insomniac may have given him cause to do so.

Rolling Loud's 2019 installment took place this past weekend at Citi Field in Queens, New York. Among the other controversies overshadowing the event were five of its headliners - 22Gz, Casanova, Don Q, Sheff G and Pop Smoke - being pulled from the lineup due to safety concerns expressed by the NYPD.