The sun shone bright on Philadelphia as more than 80,000 people gathered for a two-day celebration of Black music, culture and influence at the Roots Picnic on May 30-31 in Philadelphia, featuring chart-topping and legendary artists such as Jay-Z and The Roots, Brandy, T.I., Backyard Band, Wale and Black Thought in a J. Period Live Mixtape, and Erykah Badu.
As the nation and world navigates war, the federal elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion and threats to civil rights, the weekend was about more than entertainment, but, highlighted the beauty and power of Black culture and offered an important reminder from the words of Badu’s 2000 hit “Didn’t Cha Know.”
“There will be a brighter day. If you believe,” she sang, before speaking to the crowd. “See, it goes by what you think.”
In a spiritual, soul-stirring Sunday night performance, Badu sang classic songs such as “Bag Lady” (2000), “Window Seat” (2010), and brought out The Roots’ Black Thought for their collaboration on the 1999 song “You Got Me” (also featuring Eve) in a show-stopping moment that beamed with Philadelphia pride.
During the Dallas-born artist’s set— performing under a full moon— she asked audience members to lift up one arm toward the sky in a moment of connection.
“What you’re feeling right now is the energy of this whole moon in this space— the full moon, the orange moon, the light inside of you. Right now, when you’re feeling the feeling that you’re feeling, you transcend race, you transcend sex, you transcend religion. You transcend height, weight, size, age,” the five-time Grammy winner emphasized. “We are one.”
Even beyond Badu’s beautiful, bold close to the weekend and Jay-Z’s trending performance featuring a diss, surprises and a new hairdo, Roots Picnic was about unity— coming together in the name of music.
“Each year we get better. Each year we get wiser,” The Roots’ Questlove told The Washington Informer on May 30, just two hours ahead of the band’s historic show with Jay-Z, featuring guests who performed as a tribute to Philadelphia, such as Jazmine Sullivan, Bilal, Meek Mill, and a mini State Property reunion with members Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk and Young Gunz. “[It’s] a new day. It’s taken us 19 years to get to the [Belmont Plateau] and here we are and I couldn’t be happier.”
For Questlove, getting the 25-time Grammy winner to perform at the annual music festival was about years of building a connection with the barrier-breaking rapper.
“If I could ever offer sound advice to people, relationships are everything and you know, l’ve had a good, slow and steady cultivated friendship with Jay. l’ve asked him [something like] 17 times to do this festival and finally I wore him down,” Questlove, a six-time Grammy winner, said. “This couldn’t have come at a better moment.”
Hosted the last two days of May, right ahead of Black Music Month, the festival highlighted the power of African American culture overall.
“Tapping into Black music, in the beginning of Black music month, it’s important, it’s a heritage. We are the griots of our time. The songwriters, the creators, the music that we make is designed to change lives, save lives, heal, build,” two-time Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Carvin Haggins told The Informer on May 30, ahead of Jay-Z’s historic performance with The Roots. “Some make music to kill and destroy, right? So our goal is to make sure we exemplify Black excellence. So that’s what we do.”
It was truly a two-day festival of all things Black culture: with thousands of people gathered, donning stylish fashions, many representing their “roots,” hundreds of vendors selling their wares and providing food and drinks, plus phenomenal performances on multiple stages.
“It’s the Black renaissance,” said the DMV’s own Raheem DeVaughn, a three-time Grammy-nominated artist and host of WHUR’s “The Original Quiet Storm.” “It’s culture.”
Highlighting D.C. and Black Culture
There was so much to take in during the two-day event, including: the exciting and outstanding set from Jay-Z and The Roots, with the rapper taking lyrical shots at Drake, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West; Brandy surprising the audience with Monica; the 50th anniversary of go-go celebration with artists such as Noochie and Backyard Band; three-time Grammy winner Black Thought bringing out Big Daddy Kane; and Badu featuring lauded DJ and producer Alchemist.
For DeVaughn, the festival — attracting thousands of people from around the nation — was a reminder of The Roots’ influence on culture overall.
“I was a bona fide Roots supporter and fan before I ever worked with them. I say that The Roots are the hip-hop Rolling Stones,” DeVaughn told The Washington Informer. “To see what they’ve cultivated with the culture and how they’ve wrapped their arm around their city and [created] something, where their fellow artists can come out, while [showing] support for go-go here in Philly with Noochie and the Front Porch, it’s incredible.”
For rapper Noochie, the visionary behind the popular Front Porch series based in D.C., being able to perform at Roots Picnic was a full-circle moment.
“I remember sneaking into Roots Picnic, so to be on the lineup and be on the same lineup as Jay-Z, Erica Badu, T.I., some of the greatest, and to be here celebrating 50 years of go-go, showcasing D.C. in Philly [is everything],” said Noochie, who also performed alongside acts such as the legendary Backyard Band and Ms. Kim.
In addition to the 50th anniversary of go-go tribute, DMV acts such as Wale wowed the Roots Picnic crowd.
“I don’t think any other city was able to showcase their culture and music at the Roots Picnic like D.C.,” Noochie told The Informer.
While the DMV area felt the love in Philadelphia, people local to the area, such as entrepreneur Dominique Shields, were also able to gain exposure beyond the music.
In her third year as a vendor at Roots Picnic, Shields, owner of Pretty Girls Cook, had a team preparing food with soul for festival attendees in the Belmont Lounge.
“This is my third year actually at the Roots Picnic. Belmont Lounge was something a little more chill, a little more vibey and that’s kind of the thing that I like to do,” she said.
Shields’ team prepared delicious made-to-order dishes such as charbroiled oysters, wings, cauliflower bites, toasted jalapenos, and truffle or seafood fries.
“I think that, for one, you should always stick to ‘the roots’ and the things that we (African Americans) like. I also tried to spice it up… do something different, try to be creative, because people like festival foods, outside foods, things that you can eat with your hands,” she told The Informer. “So, we just tried to make it a little bit of a lighter vibe.”
There were truly good and peaceful vibes all around, as magnificent music, the refreshing aroma of flavorful foods, and fun filled the atmosphere.
Haggins described the moment as a turning point in culture, which is extending to music.
“I think right now, music is at a new beginning,” he said. “You got more of the stories of our struggle and our success, our fight and our wins, our losses, our victories. So it feels like now that the music is turning to something that people need to feel… The party’s over. What do I feel? So right now we’re at that feeling place and that’s what R&B and soul music do for you.”
