This weekend, BAMS Fest unveils its hottest lineup yet

Toki Wright remembers his first BAMS Fest. It was 2019, shortly after moving to Boston for a job at Berklee College of Music. Previously, the Minnesota-born rapper had only been to Boston when he was on tour. His impression of the city was that spaces for black and brown creatives and audiences [were] very limited, he recalled.

The BAMS Fest in Franklin Park changed my mind. It was eye-opening to see this community that I hadn't seen when I was here on tour, Wright said.

Wright is now the festival's manager of community partnerships and programs. BAMS Fest, which stands for Boston Art & Music Soul Festival, was founded in 2018 with the express purpose of creating a platform for black and brown artists and a gathering space for their audiences. Festival creator Catherine Morris wanted to correct the inequity she saw in the city, where white cultural events like the St. Patrick's Day Parade received far more attention and support than white-centered festivals, e.g. , on Caribbean or Puerto Rican culture.

Wright summed it up this way: If you have 10,000 white people listening to amplified music at a high volume, what are your preconceived notions about those people? And if it's 10,000 black people listening to amplified music, what are your preconceived notions about those people?

Despite a pandemic hiatus, BAMS Fest has continued to grow and this year features its most impressive lineup yet, headlined by critically acclaimed R&B singer BJ the Chicago Kid and rapper Roc Nation Rapsody.

This is certainly the largest and most notable lineup the festival has had thus far, Wright said, noting that the big-name artists are a boon to the local artists who perform alongside them.

Tickets are priced on a sliding scale with a pay-as-you-go option. The festival features food trucks, a visual art exhibit, a children's stage, a Black-owned business vendor village and a dance tent. But the main event, as always, is the music.

Read on to learn more about our top picks for artists not to miss at BAMS Fest.

Saturday June 29

In many ways, Rhapsody is a rapper rapper, the kind with skills great enough to land the only guest rap appearance on Kendrick Lamars To Pimp A Butterfly, but who remains largely unknown to the general public. The Grammy-nominated North Carolina native is touring her fourth album, Please Dont Cry. It's arguably her most in-depth and personal release to date, and features contributions from Erykah Badu and Lil Wayne, among others. On stage, Rapsody exudes heat, but don't let that fool you. She is a force not to be taken lightly, nor a performer not to be missed.

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Sunday June 30

Nay Speaks is one of Boston's rising hip-hop stars. Rapper Mattapan received critical acclaim for her soulful debut album, Nayborhood Healer, which she released at the age of 19. The album also helped her win the Boston Music Award for Best New Artist. Recent Singles sees Nay Speaks expanding beyond the boom-bap haze of Nayborhood Healer, as poised and direct as ever.

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Sunday June 30

Albino Mbie, singer and guitarist born in Mozambique, fuses jazz with the sounds of his home country. Mbie got his start among street musicians and local bands in Mozambique's capital, Maputo, and eventually found his way to Berklee College of Music, where he immersed himself deeply in jazz. His sound today is an exhilarating blend of exquisite musicality and Afro-pop groove, performed with a charming air and a smile.

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Sunday June 30

Karim has yet to release a full album, but the neo-soul singer from Boston is already generating buzz. He favors woozy synth sounds and dreamy melodies, which he delivers in silky, elegiac vocals. A playful sense of style and sharp wit give these gentle songs an edge. The opening chords of 2023's Garden evoke the heartfelt melancholy of a classic R&B number. But the song takes a deliciously mean-spirited turn. But I know/ You will reap exactly what you sow/ And these seeds will surely grow a beautiful garden, sings Karim, contemptuous, but gentle.

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Saturday June 29

Singable melodies, polished production, danceable rhythms, it's easy to guess why Bia Javier's bilingual Latin pop is racking up streams. But more than that, the Boston singer has serious vocal qualities. Just hearing the opening bars of Javier's cover of SZA's Good Days is enough to grasp the depth of his talent and imagine future heights.