TiaCorine to Headline Durag Fest 2025: A Cultural Homecoming for the Queen of Alt-Rap

Charlotte, North Carolina is about to experience a cultural quake and leading this "full-circle moment" (as the festival creators call it) is TiaCorine, the anime-loving, genre-bending rap phenom who's redefining Southern sound and Black girl artistry. She’s officially been announced as the headliner for Durag Fest 2025, and let’s just say… it’s up.

A native of Winston-Salem, TiaCorine has been on a meteoric rise, breaking the mold of what it means to be a Black woman in hip-hop. Her style is loud, feminine, and fully in her own lane; a fusion of trap beats, surreal visuals, and lyrical playfulness that’s earned her co-signs from industry powerhouses like Latto, Denzel Curry, and Key Glock.

You may have first caught wind of her on TikTok with the viral hit “Lotto” or more recently on “FreakyT,” a track that landed on Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Songs of 2023. And if you’ve seen the music video for her latest single “Ironic,” you already know: TiaCorine is not just an artist, she’s an aesthetic.

So why is this headliner moment such a big deal? Because Durag Fest a movement!

What started back in 2018 as a block-party-meets-art-installation tribute to Black Charlotte has since grown into a nationally recognized celebration of Black culture, creativity, and community. Taking place during Juneteenth weekend, Durag Fest is known for bringing together thousands from across the country for a day of music, fashion, food, and unapologetic joy... all rooted in Black Southern expression.

This year, the festival returns to the Blackbox Theater, right off the Sugar Creek Light Rail Station; transforming the area into a radiant fusion of streetwear runways, DJ sets, interactive art, food truck heaven, and Black-owned business pop-ups. There’s even a Pop Out & Pitch competition, where HBCU students and grads can win a $1,000 business grant.

Having TiaCorine headline shows the power and intention behind the festival; it's the perfect celebration of homegrown talent on a homegrown stage.

Durag Fest has always been about reflecting the brilliance of the culture back to itself. And this year, with Tia leading the charge, the energy is set to reach new heights.

From the block to the main stage — this is for the South. This is for the creators. This is for the culture.

Are you pulling up? W4TC wants to be in the building and we want to see YOU there, too.