So, here we go again; festival szn is upon us! Another summer of flying plastic cups, muddy trainers and damn good fun beckons. And what better place to start than in South London’s Brockwell Park to witness one of the most highly anticipated line-ups of the whole season? Project 6 has quickly become one of the definitive one-dayers in the English capital, with a featured cast bursting with talent – a myriad of the very best in rap from either side of the Atlantic, as well as an assortment of forward-thinking, gut-bustling electronica.

Last Friday (24th May), summer well and truly kicked off with a raucous and celebratory affair. This year’s Project 6 edition was particularly special, as it saw the fest link up with revered and iconic radio station Rinse FM to celebrate their 30th anniversary. The line -up had to be something special to live up to the occasion, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Gracing this year’s bill was a plethora of the very biggest names in rap right now. Underground hero Oscar #Worldpeace brought his slick, conscious rhymes for an early standout set, while Brit Award winner CASISDEAD – who is finally getting his flowers after long being one of the UK’s most important players – put on an eclectic and engrossing show. AJ Tracey brought the charm and charisma, Unknown T showed why he’s amongst drill’s most pivotal acts, and Chip flew the flag for old school grime with a cheek-laden performance.

There was nifty DJ sets from Wonderland favourites such as KEYRAH, p-rallel and Kilimanjaro, SBTRKT stood out for his striking and diverse showcase, and Shy FX closed up the FABRICLIVE tent’s proceedings with his usual anthemic finest.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated set of the day was another anniversary celebration. Seminal US rapper and producer duo Freddie Gibbs and Madlib made their way across the pond to bless the audience with a sonic recounting of their classic record Piñata, which turns 10 this year. The pair were accompanied by a live band, with Freddie perusing around the stage with flawless presence, whilst Madlib enjoyed a well deserve cigar and casually gave his tambourine the odd shake.

Later that evening, legendary rapper Pusha T took to the Main Stage for a all-too-short but nevertheless sweet rendition of classics such as “Santeria”. Finally, UK road rap trailblazer Nines ensured the night ended up a blistering high with a playful and potent set of heavy-hitters from across his decade-long career, bringing out his close contemporary Skrapz for a track or two, and generally showing why he’s such an untouchable name in the UK rap space.

A day full of quality sonics, star-studded appearances and sun-filled vibes, we thoroughly enjoyed Rinse FM’s 30th birthday party. We hope they did too.