Update (9/22 1:34 p.m.):  Team Kanye Daily tweeted out a photo of an audience member in a wheelchair trying to crowd surf  at AAHH! Fest. You just can't make this stuff up folks. Last week was Kanye's wheelchair incident where he was wrongfully accused of trying to make a concertgoer who was handicap stand up during his performance of "All The Lights" in Australia. Yeezy and his wife Mrs. West addressed it the following night.

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Chicago hip-hop scene continues to prove commercially viable and critically adored, yet the city still lacks the industry resources to keep its stars from flocking to New York or Los Angeles. The first-ever installment of AAHH! Fest, curated by Common’s Common Ground Foundation and Kanye and Rhymefest’s Donda’s House, Inc., sought to be an answer to that growing concern and a celebration of The Chi’s vibrant, insular culture. It didn’t disappoint.

A community showcase highlighted by the dour Lil Herb began the day, following headlining afternoon sets from Jay Electronica and MC Lyte. The elusive Electronica ran through a spirited set that included “Abracadabra” and “Exhibit C,” while Lyte’s performance of “Ruffneck” made heavy use of crowd call-and-response. A buoyant De La Soul took the stage next, providing one of the festival’s most enjoyable moments with a setlist that ranged from The Grind Date to 3 Feet High And Rising. Jennifer Hudson concluded the afternoon backed by a soulful band and draped in a red Off-White flannel that the crowd would see much more of later on.

Lupe Fiasco kicked off the evening sets with an inconsistent 30 minutes. The highs (“Kick, Push,” “Go Go Gadget Flow,” “Around My Way”) were expectedly great; the lows (a five-minute freestyle over “Don’t Like,” a reference to Ray Rice when a girl in the front row didn’t know how to do the Cabbage Patch dance) induced plenty of awkward stares. As Fiasco was introducing his last song—“The producer is from the Chi, the verses are from the Chi, the hook is from the Chi, it was recorded in the Chi,” he teased — his microphone was cut off.

Common’s “The Food” was introduced by none other than Dave Chappelle, who also cracked jokes about medical marijuana cookies and moving to China, claiming that his new house is an 18-bedroom mansion made entirely of Legos. Common’s set was mostly rooted in Be and his new full-length Nobody’s Smiling, and included an appearance from Twista, who impressed the audience with his rapid-fire delivery on “Do Or Die” and “Overnight Celebrity.” Jay Electronica and Vince Staples also came on stage to do the remix of “Kingdom.”

Then the ominous chants of “Jesus Walks” began, and special guest Kanye West tore through a 16-hit setlist in one of his most intimate concerts ever. Wearing the same flannel as Hudson, West ranged from “Gold Digger” and “All Falls Down” to “Bound 2” and “Clique.” He announced that he was initially only supposed to do three songs, but Kanye certainly did not phone it in, screaming into the mic during “Blood On The Leaves” and frantically running around the stage during “Niggas In Paris.” The night ended with West and Common performing College Dropout classic “Get Em High.”

Between a $4 Harold’s Chicken food truck, a welcoming crowd of 5,000 in which everyone seemed to know everyone, and sets from Chicago’s Hip Hop Mount Rushmore, the first-ever AAHH! Fest was a sweeping success and, at times, a bit surreal. Hiccups were seldom, and when Lupe rapped that he was from the best city in the whole wide wide world, it was hard to form a convincing argument. Here’s to the festival returning next year.—Steven Goldstein

Previously: Common Has No Problem With Using The N-Word In His Songs
Common Thinks Chicago Is A War Zone Right Now
Common’s Father Passes Away
Common Gives A Scouting Report On New Chicago Rapper Lil John

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