Despite rumours suggesting that Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah was looking to expand his music festival repertoire, the outspoken promoter has now categorically shut down any chance of him moving into the hip hop festival market.

As previously reported, following the announcement of a potential Australian Tour next year from Eminem, rumours sprang up that the Soundwave promoter was looking into the potential of an Eminem-fronted hip hop festival called Rapture, but it didn’t take long before the open airwaves of Maddah’s fertile twitter page gave an update on the certified dead status of the hip hop event.

Though he confirms that Rapture “was something discussed for almost a year,” noting it was “sadly not going to work;” before saying in no uncertain terms that he would not be going anywhere near a hip hop festival.


Aside from the obvious fact that the maverick music promoter – who successfully manages three huge Aussie festivals in Soundwave, Harvest, and the return Australian leg of the Vans Warped Tour – is wary of entering the hip hop festival market, where even the mightiest of concert promoters, Live Nation, have sunk like a stone with their failed Nas-curated Movement festival in April, his confirmation actually echoes Maddah’s previous statements that colourfully emphasised the risks of touring hip hop acts.

As previously reported, Maddah voiced his opinion on the many hip hop flops Down Under in a series of tweets earlier in the year.

Love Eminem?

Get the latest Eminem news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

“Too many dodgy promoters. Too many dodgy agents. Too many dodgy managers. Too many dickhead artists,” said the outspoken Maddah on the topic; adding in a further series of tweets: “It’s plain larceny on the part of fake agents and managers selling acts they don”t have with money up front. Or promoters lying about acts and then not refunding; or “artists” that can’t be fucked getting on a flight or leaving hotel. It’s just 1 giant citcle [sic] jerk of thieves and arseholes.”

While Maddah did withdraw his offer on touring Eminem and Rapture – a concept that’s been kicking around for nearly two years according to reports – he’s still been courting rap groups with offers to play on the Soundwave 2014 lineup, not such a strange inclusion considering Cypress Hill’s appearance on this year’s Soundwave bill.

Maddah recently revealed he’d put in offers for the Ice T-fronted Body Count for Soundwave 2014, but negotiations fell through due to conflicts in scheduling between the music festival dates and Ice T’s commitments to long-running TV show, Law & Order SVU. 


Even though Maddah has confirmed he “will not be doing a hip hop festival. Ever,” the fact that he’d even been in discussions with Eminem representatives about Rapture demonstrates that he may not be adverse to adding another major music event o his already bursting music festival repertoire.

A bold move considering the current climate in which even major players are feeling the financial squeeze – such as the news of (company formerly known as) Future Entertainment Pty Ltd entering liquidation, Bluesfest struggling with the launch of Boomerang, and Pyramid Rock Festival announcing the cancellation of its 2013 edition due to “tough economic conditions.”

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine