Bonnaroo Band of the Day: D.R.A.M.

As we’ve been doing for the past several years now, we’re making it our mission to help you get acquainted with many of our favorites acts from from Bonnaroo‘s impressive 2017 lineup. As we dig through the entire schedule, we’ll highlight a spread of performers spanning across genres and stages, big and small, new and old, to bring you some of the most interesting, lesser-known, or most highly-reccomened among this year’s crop of artists. Though we’ll be jumping around, we’re loosely working our way through by day, and we’ll also be bringing you some special features and longer guides along the way, to help you plan your weekend before the fest. While these previews won’t span every performer, and might omit some more obvious must-see acts, we hope they’ll serve as a way to help you navigate Bonnaroo’s gargantuan lineup, and to make the most of your busy weekend on the farm!

Grab your tickets right here if you haven’t already, and keep reading to learn more about our Bonnaroo Band of the Day…

LEARN

Born Shelley Marshaun Massenburg-Smith to a military mom in Germany, and raised Hampton, Virginia, rapper, singer, and producer D.R.A.M. is fast becoming one of the most exciting names in hip hop. Raised on a steady diet of classic soul and funk, D.R.A.M. fell in love with hip hop in his teens, honing his sound and flexing his style until attracting label attention from Atlantic, and releasing his debut EP, #1Epic, in 2015. Fueled by infectious first single “Cha Cha,” and thanks to a fortuitous online shoutout from Beyoncé, his presence quickly escalated, and by 2015 mixtape Gahdamn!, D.R.A.M. was a certifiable must-know artist.

Last year’s debut LP, Big Baby D.R.A.M., brought the versatile artist even more praise, featuring guest spots from the likes of Erykah Badu, Young Thug, and Lil Yachy, spawning multiple hit songs, and achieving gold certification, and his recent guest features on Gorillaz’ latest further honed his crossover appeal. D.R.A.M. has continued to tour constantly since, and, aside from high profile outings at the likes of Bonnaroo, where he’ll make his festival debut on new hip hop and EDM stage The Other, he’s set to hit the road later this year with superstar Kendrick Lamar, all but cementing the rapper’s ascent into the legion of hip hop greats. Given his previous work with Chance the Rapper, and Chance’s knack for surprise appearances, there’s a good chance you’ll see one or both of them pop up at the other’s set as well.

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