Summer Smash 2026: Skrillex headlines as EDM takes center stage on day two

When Skrillex was announced as a headliner for the 2026 Summer Smash, it took many by surprise. And with a lineup prominently featuring EDM, hyperpop and rage music, the chorus of confusion was so loud that Lyrical Lemonade put it on a T-shirt: “Why Are They Playing EDM At A Rap Festival?”

Nick Johnson of Halftone Agency, who’s involved with producing the Summer Smash’s merchandise, says the shirts were a clever tongue-in-cheek play on the polarizing reaction. As a Skrillex fan himself, he was just as shocked as everyone else, but in his eyes, rap and EDM have always paired well together.

“Honestly, I was shocked, but it was fire because I feel like they’re trying to include more genres to the festival and really just boost the longevity for everything, and I think it was great. I think rap and EDM go hand in hand,” said Johnson.

With Skrillex making history as the first EDM artist to perform at Summer Smash, electronic music was at the forefront on Saturday. This doesn’t mean hip-hop took a backseat, as it’s still a hip-hop festival. Baby Keem, who returned to Summer Smash bigger and better since his festival debut in 2021, had one of the most compelling and creative sets of the night.

Chicago rapper BossFTR (From The Raq), a longtime affiliate of Lyrical Lemonade, set the tone for day two. The rapper’s sound was influenced by EDM, which he acknowledges derives from Chicago and Detroit house music and juke music.

“Hip-hop and EDM, to me, always went hand in hand. I think that this is what music is about. It’s about pushing boundaries and seeing how things can cross collab and make sense. On the other side, people don’t realize that a lot of songs on the EDM side have a similar BPM to the songs the f— with on the rap side,” said BossFTR.

The North Sider aimed to highlight Black Chicago’s contributions to electronic music, juke music, in his performance. And at a Chicago hip-hop music festival, you cannot have a day centered on electronic music without juke music.

“My set was juke heavy on purpose and I realize that the kids that wanna mosh and jump around and everything f— with juke music, the fast BPM, the drums. All I wanted to do today was bring the music that brings the energy that comes with juke music to an audience I knew who would be receptive to it.”

The entire day was emblematic of hip-hop leading electronic music’s next evolution amongst younger artists. Between the leaders of the online underground like Slayr and veterans like Waka Flocka Flame, who was one of the first known rappers to infuse EDM into trap music, it encapsulated a multigenerational wave within hip-hop that had been a part of rap as early as the days of Mantronix and the influential German collective Kraftwerk.

It’s also a bird’s-eye view of a national/online underground rap scene led by Gen Z and Gen Alpha artists. Jon Barlas, social media editor for Complex, says the fusion of hip-hop and electronic music is a big influence on the youth.

“With the new up-and-coming generation, they’re so influenced by it because it’s so energetic. It’s so out there, it’s very experimental, it gets the crowd and excitement going,” said Barlas.

The North Side’s No. 1 White Sox fan and hyperpop prince, 2hollis was red hot from the get-go. As soon as he stepped onto the main stage, he had the whole crowd rocking out to his hits like “Poster Boy,” “Crush” and his refreshingly joyful collab with singer-songwriter Nate Sib, “Afraid,” whom he brought out on stage. Later, he performed “Jeans” five times in a row, and at least one was a remix. The highlight was when he brought his culturally diverse fanbase together by surprisingly playing Chief Keef’s underground hit “Save That S—.”

2hollis’ mother and Biz3 founder, Kathryn Frazier, was perched on the viewing tower near the stage. She and fellow Biz3 partner and friend Dana Meyerson were joyfully watching the show like the proud mom and play aunt they were, recording him and cheering him on. Giving us a memorable and heartwarming grand finale, 2hollis hopped off stage and walked toward the tower to give his mother a big hug. Watching 2hollis walk up to the tower to hug his mom was a beautiful reminder that no matter how far you go in life, you’re always someone’s child.

Meanwhile, Swedish rappers Yung Lean and Bladee delivered a performance that could turn the unfamiliar into believers. The SPKRBX stage they performed on was covered in dim, dark blue lights and a haze of fog from dry ice. When the two friends arrived on stage to a super hype crowd, they performed together, followed by a solo set from Yung Lean, with Bladee returning on stage to close out. In fact, Yung Lean was the dominant one of the duo because of his captivating and shirtless performances of “Storm I & II,” “Kyoto” and “Agony.” The brotherly chemistry between him and Bladee as they embraced each other toward the end echoes the festival’s underlying theme of family.

Skrillex’s headlining set was cut short due to storms. Around 10:30 p.m., security began to clear the stadium. After about 10 to 15 minutes, as fans continued to dance amongst each other, Skrillex’s sound was cut when several other characters from Skrillex’s camp rushed to his DJ booth. The confused fans booed to tell him they couldn’t hear him, and after a while, he raised his hands in the air, made the heart sign, and left the stage.

Despite the shortened set, the EDM legend still had enough time to bring fans to an EDM-meets-hip-hop wonderland told through a dazzling, colorful light show. Skrillex performed a multigenre mix of EDM infused with reggae, pop, and hip-hop, while also incorporating songs from other Summer Smash performers like Playboi Carti (who closes out the fest on Sunday). The only disappointing part was that, unlike other festivals like Pitchfork, where electronic DJs like Jamie xx would incorporate Chicago music into their mix, Skrillex didn’t as much. If anything, it felt like Black Chicago’s electronic contributions felt like a guest in its own city as he took the stage.