Some of America’s hottest hip-hop artists came together to celebrate the life of the late rapper and the launch of his final release, Bad Vibes Forever.
In Miami, it’s known that the first week of December is one of the biggest of the year. Art Basel is an international art fair showcasing the works of world-famous and emerging artists that travels from Basel, Switzerland, to Hong Kong, and here in Miami Beach. For Miami, it’s not just the art that brings tourists and A-list celebrities from around the globe to one of the largest cities in the world. The entire city embraces the arts for a week-long party that includes exhibitions, music performances, and parties organized by the biggest promoters in the business. This year, Miami played host to the late artist XXXTentacion’s album launch event, celebrating the release of his posthumous LP Bad Vibes Forever.
Jahseh Onfroy, also known as XXXTentacion, was arguably one of the most influential artists of his generation. Similar to last year, Empire Distribution and his mother, Cleo Onfroy, came together to organize the second and final album release from the late artist. To celebrate and remember the music and life of this talented hip-hop artist, a multi-sensory museum was created, displaying many of Jahseh’s memorabilia ranging from personal items, artwork, and even the awards he won from BET, Guinness World Records, and the AMAs. Lines for the museum formed early and stretched down the block, with fans queuing from as early as 5 A.M.
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Following this, the team organized a release party for the night with performances from his former collective Members Only, Robb Bank$, Yung Bans, and even Playboi Carti. The A-list appearances did not stop there, as artists like Splash Zanotti, YNW Melly’s brother YNW BSlime, long-time associated producer Ronny J, Trippie Redd and many others joined. The record itself is comprised of unreleased verses from X’s studio sessions, and boasts features from some of the biggest artists in the industry. Acts like Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Trippie Redd, PnB Rock, Joey Bada$$, Tory Lanez, Mavado, and even Blink 182 all played a part in bringing his final vision to life. In all, the project was an ode to the versatility and range in sound and his ability to draw from any genre and create something truly his own.