SOUTHFACING FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES BUSTA RHYMES, REDMAN, BIG DADDY KANE AND CHALI2NA

By Rishma • On Events

15 AUGUST 2025 | CRYS­TAL PALACE PARK

ON SALE:  Fri­day 2 May at 10am

https://southfacingfestival.com/ 

South Facing Fest­iv­al is set to deliv­er an incred­ible day of hip-hop roy­alty as one of the most influ­en­tial and cel­eb­rated MCs in hip-hop his­tory announces an unfor­get­table all-day event, and their only Lon­don fest­iv­al appear­ances this sum­mer. Legendary rap­per Busta Rhymes will take the stage for a one-of-a-kind per­form­ance, bring­ing dec­ades of hits, high-energy per­form­ances, and undeni­able star power to Crys­tal Palace park, along­side some icon­ic names in hip-hop.

Argu­ably one of the greatest rap and hip-hop MCs to ever grace the mic, Busta Rhymes has built a leg­acy of lyr­ic­al excel­lence, rap­id-fire deliv­ery, and chart-top­ping suc­cess. Since the release of his debut album ‘The Com­ing’ in 1996, cer­ti­fied Plat­in­um and top­ping the US R&B charts, Busta has con­tin­ued to dom­in­ate the hip-hop land­scape. With clas­sic albums like ‘When Dis­aster Strikes’ and ‘Anarchy’, as well as glob­al hits like Look at Me Now and Don’t Cha, his impact on the genre is undeni­able. With 11 Grammy nom­in­a­tions under his belt, Busta Rhymes has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with, bring­ing an unmatched energy to stages around the world. Fans can expect a high-octane set filled with clas­sic anthems, deep cuts, and the kind of elec­tri­fy­ing stage pres­ence that has made him a glob­al hip-hop phenomenon.

Also join­ing is the legendary New Jer­sey rap­per Red­man, a gritty, anim­ated hip-hop icon known for his funk-infused style, sharp punch­lines, and endur­ing influ­ence. Emer­ging in the early ’90s after ment­or­ship from EPMD, he broke through with his solo debut Whut? Thee Album, kick­ing off a run of gold and plat­in­um releases includ­ing Dare Iz a Dark­side, Muddy Waters, and Doc’s da Name 2000. Known for his raw lyr­i­cism and ener­get­ic deliv­ery, he also made waves through col­lab­or­a­tions, most not­ably with Meth­od Man, and topped rap charts with both solo and group efforts. In the 2000s, he con­tin­ued his suc­cess with Mal­prac­tice, launched his own Gilla House label, and remained a fix­ture in hip-hop, cul­min­at­ing in the 2024 release of Muddy Waters Too, a trib­ute to his leg­acy and artist­ic evolution.

Big Daddy Kane is also con­firmed for this incred­ible line-up of hip-hop tal­ent. The Grammy Award-win­ning Amer­ic­an rap­per star­ted his career in 1986 as a mem­ber of the rap group the Juice Crew and is widely con­sidered to be one of the most influ­en­tial and skilled MCs in hip hop. Rolling Stone magazine ranked his song ‘Ain’t No Half-Step­pin’ #25 on its list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, call­ing him ‘a mas­ter word­smith of rap’s late-golden age and a huge influ­ence on a gen­er­a­tion of MCs.

Adding to the high-energy of the day is the cha­ris­mat­ic and instantly recog­nis­able Chali 2na, whose deep bari­tone voice and dynam­ic stage pres­ence have made him a fan favor­ite. Best known for his work with Jur­as­sic 5 and Ozo­matli, Chali 2na will bring his sig­na­ture style and lyr­ic­al mas­tery to the fest­iv­al. Also gra­cing the decks are Supa Dupa Fly, HHBITD, Don’t Flop and Hip Hop Chip Shop DJs.

South Facing is a multi-day, open-air fest­iv­al that takes place each sum­mer in the his­tor­ic­ally sig­ni­fic­ant Crys­tal Palace Bowl. The fest­iv­al boasts a huge choice of top-end street food and drink options includ­ing street food, craft ale and rum shack, and is eas­ily access­ible from Lon­don and all over the South East thanks to the vari­ous train and bus routes, includ­ing Crys­tal Palace (TfL Over­ground and Nation­al Rail), Penge West (TfL Over­ground and Nation­al Rail), and Gipsy Hill (Nation­al Rail). So far this year, announce­ments have included Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Base­ment Jaxx, Skepta’s Big Smoke fest­iv­al, Flack­stock, Mog­wai and more.

SOUTH FACING FESTIVAL
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Rishma

Edit­or / PR Con­sult­ant at No Bounds
Rishma Dhali­w­al has extens­ive exper­i­ence study­ing and work­ing in the music and media industry. Hav­ing writ­ten a thes­is on how Hip Hop acts as a social move­ment, she has spent years research­ing and con­nect­ing with artists who use the art form as a tool for bring­ing a voice to the voiceless.

About Rishma

Rishma Dhaliwal has extensive experience studying and working in the music and media industry. Having written a thesis on how Hip Hop acts as a social movement, she has spent years researching and connecting with artists who use the art form as a tool for bringing a voice to the voiceless.