When I asked her what she was doing, she asked if I could remove my bucket hat and “what’s under it,” referring to my Hijab. Instead, she reached for my bucket hat and tried to remove it. The security guard body scanned me, and I thought it would end there. I transiently forgot that my Hijab precedes my name on this campus. It was my turn to get checked, and for an oblivious, naive second, I thought the world might not be so terrible and assumed the security checkpoint would go smoothly for me, just like it did for everyone else. You can probably tell where I’m going with this. Other people were not being touched by the security guard. Everyone was body-scanned and quickly moved through the rest of the process.
Upon entering Juice Jam, there was a security checkpoint. Without any justification, people see my Hijab and activate all of their predetermined prejudices and Islamophobia. Being visibly Muslim, however, comes with its burdens and public assumptions, especially at SU. I am a Hijabi Muslim, and you’re probably wondering how that is remotely relevant to Juice Jam.
I posed, vogued and walked with my navy blue oversized cargos, multilayered turtlenecks - bottom layer is pistachio green and the top is purple and green - sleeves covering my hands with film captures of trees, topped off with my green Hijab and Champion green bucket hat. I spent days outfit planning, becoming a master of color theory while employing my scholarship in blending fashion with persona, producing one of my favorite looks and then sharing captures of it on Instagram. Rolling Loud Miami was originally set for May before being pushed back to July.After days of students anticipating Jack Harlow’s hazy, dreamy presence on campus - even though the majority didn’t even recognize his gratuitous verse in “Already Best Friends” - everyone mobilized and cosplayed to be a Harlow fan for Syracuse University’s music festival, Juice Jam. Limited tickets for the festival go on sale Friday, April 23rd at noon ET via their official site. Rolling Loud will honor all passes for those who held onto their Miami 2020 tickets and will grant refunds to ticket-holders no longer able to attend. (Many of this year’s performers were originally booked to perform during the earlier installment.) The 2021 fest is their first in two years, following a postponement of the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gucci Mane, T-Pain, Kodak Black, Tyga, Gunna, Swae Lee, Roddy Ricch, Jack Harlow, City Girls, Rod Wave, Don Toliver, Lil Durk, Nav, Polo G, Sheck Wes, Bfb Da Packman, Ski Mask the Slump God, Curren$y, Fetty Wap, Chief Keef, Wale, Lil Tjay, Lil Yachty, Young Dolph and Rico Nasty also highlight the massive, 130-artist lineup. The three-day event - set for July 23rd to 25th at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida - will also feature Megan Thee Stallion, Rick Ross, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Young Thug, DaBaby, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti and “special guest” Bobby Shmurda. A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott and Post Malone will headline the rescheduled 2021 installment of hip-hop festival Rolling Loud Miami.