Los Angeles hip-hop artist Blxst performed on Coachella's outdoor stage on Saturday, in an early night set that overlapped with Sublime. But you'd never know it from looking at the crowd crowding around the platform, happily shouting his lyrics at him.
Earning a spot on Coachella's annual lineup is a career achievement for any artist, but it carries extra weight for those who hail from Southern California. When the festival debuted in 1999, headliners Beck, Rage Against the Machine and Jurassic 5 all had roots in Los Angeles.
As Coachella grew (from one day to three days and then back-to-back weekends), local artists were often the most anticipated acts, such as the Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre doubleheader in 2012 that reincarnated Tupac in a hologram. This year, local Angelenos Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat are the headliners, along with Long Beach ska-punk band Sublime.
Outside of music, Coachella has become a true food festival in recent years, often drawing on L.A.'s best and brightest to participate. Last year, there was an intimate multi-course dinner hosted by Michelin-starred Arts District restaurant Camphor, and this year, local chefs Burt Bakman (Slab) and Karla Subero Pittol (Chainsaw) are cooking at Outstanding in the Field's 200-seat, family-style sunset dinner.
For South-Central native Blxst (pronounced Blast), that legacy makes his 2024 Coachella debut even more meaningful.
“This moment is huge,” he said. “Just seeing the magnitude of the artists that have played on these stages and the fact that I can follow in their footsteps puts me at ease because I'm representing my city in the right way.”
Blxst, whose real name is Matthew Burdette, began recording and producing music right out of high school, but rose to prominence as a solo artist with his 2020 single “Chosen” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Tyga. The song peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming his first platinum hit. That, along with “Gang Slide,” which appeared in the opening credits of Issa Rae's Max's reality show, “Sweet Life,” helped solidify his star among national audiences.
The singer and rapper released his debut album “Before You Go” in spring 2022, featuring appearances on songs by artists such as Rick Ross, Grandmaster Vic and Arin Ray. Shortly after, he appeared with singer Amanda Reifer on Kendrick Lamar's song “Die Hard” from “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers album.
Parked in the corner of the stage during Blxst's performance is a shiny black lowrider, a call to our region's car culture. It's also a reference to the cover of Blxst's new single, “Rewind,” which features a grainy neon background reminiscent of “Grand Theft Auto,” with a lowrider parked in front of palm trees. The song featuring Colombian singer Feid ventures into reggaeton, a departure from Blxst's L.A.-specific style that's defined by vulnerable, real-life lyrics layered over upbeat beats that seem made for sunlight.
“To me, it's just a classic piece,” Blxst said. “Especially with my music, I want it to be timeless and when I think about lowriders, they are timeless. “They're rooted in the history and culture of Los Angeles, so it's like having an action figure that represents your lineage.”
You can't talk about Southern California's car-obsessed identity without talking about the foods we eat in traffic and in the trunks and hoods of our cars. This is especially true for artists who spend much of their time in the recording studio or on tour. Blxst revealed that the last meal he ate in his car was on the way back from Coachella: a burrito from Loco Burrito in Moreno Valley.
Blxst grew up partially in the Inland Empire and can't resist stopping at some of her favorite food spots when she's in the area, like Baker's Drive-Thru, which she holds in the same esteem as her chain colleague In-Nn, born in California. Outside.
For most of the festival, Blxst was preparing and recovering from his performance on Saturday (he was on vocal break when we met up on Sunday), but he managed to carve out a little time to explore. Her favorite meal of the weekend was the vegetable meatballs from Mìlà at the VIP Rose Garden. “It was fire,” he confirmed.
For Weekend 2, Blxst hopes to get her hands on Tijuana-style tacos from Tacos 1986. She tries to eat vegan most of the time, so she'll opt for a filling of crispy mushrooms soaked in a salsa macha vinaigrette before eating . seared and topped with chopped onion, cilantro, and a creamy scoop of guacamole.
As with other Coachella artists, Blxst plans to keep Weekend 2 audiences guessing with a revamped performance.
“My goal is to bring more L.A. moments,” Blxst said. “I don't want to give away any surprises, but I definitely want to share the stage with other people who I think are interesting from the city.”
