The first Sauce Boyz Fest will arrive with a bang. Conceived by Puerto Rican trap star Eladio Carrión, the event, which promises to be historic, will host some of the most exhilarating acts in the música urbana and rap game.
Headliners include Argentine giants Bizarrap and Duki, rap superstar Wiz Khalifa, Dominican dembow artist Tokischa, and rising stars like Young Miko, Dei V, Yovngchimi and more, with an expected attendance of 45,000 total. The event sold out weeks before the lineup was even announced.
“We really want [fest-goers] to have the best experience of their life. Musically it’s going to be crazy. I’ve been dying to just announce this lineup,” Carrión tells Billboard Español. Taking place May 18 and 20 in Mayagüez and San Juan, the Puerto Rican festival is the first of its kind, being held at a beer factory on day one and by the beach on day two. At the same time, Carrión will launch his own beer line, La H.
Billboard Español traveled to Puerto Rico to speak with the tremendo cabrón (reference to his newest album 3MEN2 KBRN) to discuss everything about his latest festival endeavor.
This is your first annual Sauce Boyz Fest. What’s the origin story?
My team and I were trying to figure out how to give fans a better show than our past one, which was at El Choliseo (Coliseo de Puerto Rico) [which took place last year]. It was a really good three days, so we had to do something extra special. It started off as something smaller and we just kept building and molding until this big gigantic monster formed. So it’s amazing that it’s going to be something crazy.
The festival was sold out before the lineup was announced! Were you surprised?
I kind of wasn’t because I know my fans, they know me, and they know that I’m never going to give them something mediocre. What they don’t know is how hard it’s going to be. They know it’s going to be special, but I don’t think they know it’s going to be this special. We went all out.
Talk to me about the logistics, where it takes place, etc.
We divided it into two events. We have the 18th, which is going to be in Mayagüez. Artists usually never do stuff on the West Side because there are no big venues. But we’re going to use the Cervecera where they make the beers in Puerto Rico. They make Medalla, they make our beer La H that we just came out with. We’re going to put [my] beer out [then]. On the 20th , we have the bigger event with a bigger stage. It’s at [Estadio] Sixto Escobar, an open [air] place. There’s a beach, and it’s humongous.
Let’s talk about the lineup.
As for the lineup, we have a bunch of local talent. We’re getting all the kids that are hot right now. We got Dei V, Yovngchimi, Young Miko… people that are stepping the game up from the younger cast of Puerto Rico. Just to name a few of them. As for headliners, we got Bizarrap, Tokischa, Duki and we got Wiz Khalifa. It’ll be Biza’s first time in Puerto Rico, and if I’m not mistaken, for Duki too.
Wiz, that’s the OG. That’s personally a win for me because I’m dying to see his show. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’m going to try and see his show before I do mine. I’m excited for that one. I know they’re going to love it here, too. I think it’s Wiz’s first time live in Puerto Rico. We wanted to bring that cultural experience, not only for it to be Puerto Rican talent, but let [non-Puerto Rican artists] see [the island] for the first time with people who want to see them.
Bizarrap is in the best moment of his career right now. It’s going to be the first time we’re performing that [session] live together, too. It hasn’t been done yet.
You mentioned you’re launching a beer too at the same time?
We semi-launched it low key on the island. They just distribute it to all the places [in Puerto Rico]. This week, people just started buying it. But the official launch, the first announcement of my beer is going to be towards the festival.
What will make Sauce Boyz Fest a unique experience compared to other festivals in the Latin music circuit?
The experience. We got a crazy lineup, 25 artists confirmed, plus my show at the end. Besides the music, we’re really focusing on the experience, like when [fest-goers] are waiting for their favorite artist or when they arrive to the merch seccion — we really want them to have the best experience of their life. Musically it’s going to be crazy. I’ve been dying to just announce this lineup.