Stuart Maconie's Hackney Weekend highlights
The BBC 6 Music DJ picks out the best acts performing at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend - and where to catch them on TV and radio
Jay Z & Plan B
Hackney seems more suited to Plan B's edgy politicised rap bulletins from the heart of modern Britain (Sun on Radio 1 from 1:00pm) than headliner Jay Z's multi-platinum-selling American hip hop (Sat at 9:00pm, BBC3, Radio1, 9:40pm, Radio 1Xtra). The transformation of Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew (aka Plan B) from mouthy upstart to Britsoul phenomenon with his album The Defamation of Strickland Banks has been something to behold.
Kasabian & Maccabees
If you think indie stadium pop is the preserve of posh boys, the Maccabees' names alone (Hugo, Orlando, Sam, Rupert and Felix) may make your eyes roll. But don't let prejudices get in the way: they deliver exciting, intense pop rock songs with passion and style, if not the shoutiness we'll get from old hands Kasabian (Sat at 8:00pm, BBC3, from 7:00pm, Radio 1).
Florence and the Machine
Four years ago when I saw Florence Welch perform a quirky, performance-art-style set in a Texan club, then jump into a pool, I knew she had something. But I could never have foreseen her vertiginous ascent from oddball scenester to global superstar whose winningly bombastic pop has swept all before it. (Sun at 8:00pm, BBC3)
Chase & Status
This glacially cool duo of Saul Milton and Will Kennard are maybe at the point where their fame makes them too mainstream for some, but just enjoy their urgent, widescreen drum and bass and electronic dance tunes, which have made them go-to production guys for everyone from Rihanna to Cee Lo Green. (Sun at 7:00pm, Radio 1)
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Rihanna & Nicki Minaj
Rihanna may be headlining and is sure to deliver something unexpected (Sun at 9:00pm on BBC3, Radio1, 1Xtra), but admirers of Miss Minaj point to her flamboyance and sheer bamboozling oddness. A big stage is where her stuff will make the most sense. (Sat at 8:00pm, BBC3)
