Summer Jam is the annual hip-hop fest held in
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census. and sponsored by New York-based radio station
Hot 97FM. Normally held in June, the concert features the most popular acts that
hip hop and
R&B have to offer in a particular year.
The hip-hop summer festival format was originally pioneered and popularized by
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
radio station
KMEL
KMEL (106.1 FM) is an urban contemporary radio station that is licensed to San Francisco, California, and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned and operated by iHeartMedia.
KMEL has studios located in the SoMa district, and broadcasts ...
with their large-scale ''Summer Jam'' concerts
from 1987 through the 1990s and present day. KMEL continues to host smaller versions of the event annually. Similarly,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
station
KKBT held an annual ''Summer Jam'' hip-hop concert during the 1990s after hiring KMEL's Program Director in 1993.
The concert was discontinued as the station switched formats.
The concert has increasingly become a scene of drug use and violence over the years. A recent festival held on June 7, 2015 included a riot in the stadium parking lot. The disturbance began when crowds of people without tickets attempted to enter the stadium anyway by climbing over the fence and were stopped by
New Jersey State Police
The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with statewide jurisdiction, designated by troop sectors.
History
As with other state police organization ...
. At this time, the decision to close all gates to the stadium was made and those in the parking lot were asked to leave. Instead of leaving, the crowd began throwing glass bottles and other objects at police. The police responded with
riot gear
Riot control measures are used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved in a riot, unlawful demonstration or unlawful protest.
If a riot is spontaneous and irration ...
,
armored vehicles
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...
, and
pepper spray
Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
. Multiple arrests were made.
See also
*
List of hip hop music festivals
The following is an incomplete list of hip hop festivals, which encapsulates music festivals focused on hip hop music or other elements of hip hop culture. Hip hop music, also called rap music,Encyclopædia Britannica article on rap, retrieved ...
*
Hip hop culture
Hip hop or hip-hop is a culture and art movement that was created by African Americans, Latino Americans and Caribbean Americans in the Bronx, New York City. Hip hop culture is characterized by four key elements: rapping, DJing and turntablis ...
References
{{Hip hop festival
Hip hop music festivals in the United States
Music festivals established in 1994
Music festivals in New Jersey