Young Thug will no longer headline this year’s edition of the Listen Out festival – or its condensed mini-fest counterpart, Listen In – due to the rapper’s recent arrest and ongoing legal drama.
Filling his place at all four of the Listen Out dates will be Trippie Redd and Roddy Rich. In a statement shared yesterday afternoon (June 8), organisers wrote: “With Young Thug’s legal troubles in the US likely to continue into next year, we have made the decision (and hustled like hell) to replace him with TWO of this generation’s most essential rappers!”
Neither artist will appear at Adelaide’s Listen In, however, with Young Thug’s spot on that bill being filled by London upstart AJ Tracey. The rapper had already been announced to appear at Listen Out, but was initially down to perform exclusively at the main four events.
Young Thug’s legal situation has become increasing dire over the past few weeks; exactly a month ago (May 9), the rapper was arrested on charges of participation in street gang activity and conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) Act. He was one of 28 people named in a grand jury indictment.
Thug denied the allegations made against him, but was later charged with an additional seven felonies. Last week, he was denied bond after a judge labelled him a potential danger to his community and the witnesses involved in the case. This came in spite of his prison conditions being described as “dungeon like”.
Also arrested in the 82-person indictment was Gunna, who too pledged his innocence, but was denied bond. Gunna’s lawyers described the indictment as “intensely problematic”.
Listen Out ’22 will mark Roddy Ricch’s first time performing in Australia, riding hot on the heels of last year’s ‘Live Life Fast’ album. Also appearing at this year’s festival will be British duo Disclosure, Swedish singer Tove Lo and Canadian rapper bbno$, as well as local acts like The Jungle Giants, Barkaa, Electric Fields and Miiesha. 24kGoldn and Polo G will also make their Australian debuts at the events.
The festival will take place in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane over the last days of September and first few of October, while Adelaide’s Listen In will go down on Monday October 3. That mini-festival will also make it to Auckland, New Zealand on Friday September 30, though a line-up for that edition is yet to be confirmed. Find tickets for all dates here, with the updated lineup below.
Listen Out 2022’s dates are:
SEPTEMBER
23 – Melbourne, Catani Gardens
25 – Perth, HBF Arena
30 – Auckland, TBA (Listen In)
OCTOBER
1 – Sydney, Centennial Park
2 – Brisbane, RNA Showgrounds
3 – Adelaide, Ellis Park (Listen In)
Listen Out 2022’s updated line-up is:
24kGoldn*
AJ Tracey*
Anti Up [by Chris Lake & Chris Lorenzo]
Barkaa*
bbno$*
Blanke
Bru-c*
Central Cee*
Culture Shock*
Dameeeela
Disclosure*
Doechii
Electric Fields
James Hype*
The Jungle Giants
Kito*
Louis the Child*
LP Giobbi*
Meduza*
Memphis LK
Miiesha
Nia Archives
Pirra
Polo G*
Pretty Girl
Qrion
Roddy Ricch
Stace Cadet & KLP*
Tove Lo
Trippie Redd
* – also performing at Listen In Adelaide