Wondering who to see? Looking for a way to avoid the wooks? New Times may not be able to help with that latter concern, but we'll more than oblige for the former. As the crusty raver masses prepare to descend upon Sunshine Grove, scope out our picks for the best acts at Okeechobee Music & Art Festival 2023.
Baby Keem
He may be Kendrick Lamar's protégé, but there's much more to Baby Keem than that. The LA rapper's 2021 album, The Melodic Blue, was a hit with critics, and he even gave King Kendrick a run for his money on ferocious tracks such as "Range Brothers" and "Family Ties," which contains no less than three beat switches and won a Grammy for "Best Rap Performance" last year. Okeechobee is usually pretty good at putting on rising rap acts, and none are rising faster than Keem. 9:30 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at the Be stage.
Big Boi
It's Big Boi. He was one half of Outkast. If you missed them on their high-profile reunion tour nearly ten years ago, which will probably never happen again given Andre 3000's feelings on the matter, this is the next best thing. It's not just the next best thing but a great thing in and of itself. Despite not releasing an album for a few years now (his last was 2017's Boomiverse), Big Boi's catalog of hits and features is deep. He will play "The Way You Move," at the very least. Get ready to encounter a hip-hop legend. 7:50 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Be stage.
Coki
There's the dubstep you know — the Americanized, EDM-ified, Skrillex/Zeds Dead/Illenium kind. Then there's the original kind. Fashioned by the producers of South London to reflect their surroundings, UK dubstep is darker and more atmospheric but just as bass-heavy, and Coki is one of its chief practitioners. One part of the legendary Digital Mystikz with Mala, who together created the genre's greatest-ever tune, "Anti War Dub," Coki is also responsible for the scene's most iconic tracks, including the earth-shaking "Spongebob." When you come out of a set by this legendary producer-DJ, you'll have a whole new perspective on a massive genre. 6 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Aquachobee stage.
Earth, Wind & Fire
Some musicians transcend time and space and enter another dimension of cool entirely. Earth, Wind & Fire are one of those acts. Your parents loved them. Your grandparents probably loved them, too. Now it's your turn. How can you deny the band's cosmic disco-funk power? The hits count themselves: "September," "Fantasy," "Boogie Wonderland," "After The Love Has Gone," and "Let's Groove." If you miss this performance, you will regret it forever. 9:20 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Be stage.
JPEGMafia
Hip-hop would be in a better place if more rappers were as unapologetically themselves as JPEGMafia. This is a guy that has released covers of "Call Me Maybe," a song called "I Might Vote For Donald Trump" in 2016, an album titled All My Heroes Are Cornballs that starts off with a harsh noise interlude — you get the picture. What we can expect from this unpredictable artist is energy, especially on drum-'n'-bass-sampling tracks like "BALD!" during his live performance. 8:45 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at the Now stage.
Lil Yachty
A few short months ago, Lil Yachty boldly, heroically did the impossible: He took the wock to Poland. No one expected it. No one asked for it. No one even knew they wanted it, that it was even necessary. But he did it anyway. The wock... to Poland. Then, late last month, he doubled down on this unpredictable streak by dropping a psychedelic rock album with a horrific AI-generated album cover. And it was actually kind of good? Well, Anthony Fantano (AKA the Needle Drop) liked it, at least. Honestly, the rapper swerves when others drive straight. It just begs the question: What will he do next? 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 3, at the Be stage.
Nia Archives
One of the fun new faces of jungle that's been taking over TikTok, Nia Archives can be ruff, but she can also be sweet, with high-energy club bangers like "Baianá" and a blend of R&B with the hyperactive genre on "Forbidden Feelingz." Her nostalgic yet contemporary take on the uptempo genre has earned her plenty of acclaim, including DJ Mag's coveted "Best Breakthrough DJ" award. 6 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at the Here stage.
Princess Nokia
"With my little titties and my fat belly/I could take your man if you finna let me." We are a few years from that bracing, humorous declaration of feminine power and body positivity. However, Princess Nokia's words in "Tomboy" still feel as daring as they did in 2016. The New York City-bred rapper preceded a wave of bold female voices in hip-hop, including Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, while taking influence from the likes of Nicki Minaj and Azalea Banks. Yet in a now-crowded field, she continues to refine her own unique voice on albums like 2020's double-pack Everything is Beautiful and Everything Sucks and her upcoming EP i love you but this is goodbye. 8:45 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Now stage.
Sama' Abdulhadi
Originating from Ramallah, Sama' Abdulhadi lived her early life at the mercy of the Israeli Occupation Forces, emerging from the struggle to become one of the most in-demand DJs in the world and a beacon of Palestinian artistry. Now based in France, she detailed in a recent DJ Mag profile how techno allowed her to channel her anger and trauma, saying, "Techno saved me." Her bracing take on the genre might save you, too. 9 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the Jungle 51 stage.
Turnstile
Last year, Turnstile blew the fuck up. After a solid decade of grinding in the hardcore punk scene, they experienced something plenty of bands covet, and few achieve: outrageous success on their own terms. The band's fourth album, Glow On, gained rave reviews and led to packed shows from Brooklyn to Milwaukee and Orlando. Turnstile even received a Grammy nomination, unheard of for a band of their genre. Okeechobee is your chance to see the band of the moment. 7:40 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at the Be stage.Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival. Thursday, March 2, through Sunday, March 5, 2023, at Sunshine Grove, 12517 NE 91st Ave., Okeechobee; okeechobeefest.com. Tickets cost $349 to $2,979.
