Over the past weekend, award-winning hip-hop group The Roots hosted their annual Roots Picnic at The Mann at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA. The weekend marked a beautiful celebration of culture, art, music, and the city of brotherly love. The festival began on the evening of June 2 when Dave Chappelle joined The Roots for the first time during an unforgettable stand-up comedy show and musical performance at Wells Fargo Center. The following day, Ms. Lauryn Hill delivered a historic performance of her seminal The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on its 25th anniversary. She surprised fans with a special Fugees reunion bringing out her former bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras for what may be their final performance.
Closing out the festival with a bang, Usher entranced fans with a crowd-moving performance primed by his recent Las Vegas residency but amplified with backing by The Roots crew and special guests Jazmine Sullivan and Eve. Over the span of the weekend, another hometown hero Lil Uzi Vert amped up the audience, while Eve made her grand return during Black Thought’s Live Mixtape set alongside Busta Rhymes, her voice perfectly meshing with the legendary rappers. DJ Drama brought out Fat Joe who performed his biggest hits. Sporting a diverse slate of leading hip-hop, R&B, and soul staples, Ari Lennox, GloRilla, Lucky Daye, and Syd, among others, also delivered electric, show stopping sets.
Influential artist Al-Baseer Holly returned for the second year in a row with the popular and provocative Colored Art Exhibition. Plus, the 2nd annual Roots Picnic Spades Tournament hosted by World Series of Spades creator and comedian Clint Coley proved to be a fan favorite in addition to other curated activations from experiential agency ASAP! Creative Management. This year, the podcast stage also welcomed Charlamagne Tha God and Off The Record with DJ Akademiks, in addition to Don’t Call Me White Girl, Lip Service with Angela Yee, People’s Party with Talib Kweli, and of course, Questlove Supreme.
In 2023, the festival featured a series of must-see events, attractions, and activations across the city. The inaugural Roots Picnic Con took place at Logan Philadelphia Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton. The conference included panel discussions and a noteworthy panel with Roots co-founder Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Live Nation Urban President and Roots Manager Shawn Gee, and APEX CEO and Roots Picnic Festival Director Brandon Pankey.
The weekend also boasted DJ Aktive Presents Chill Vibes: The Official Roots Picnic Brunch Experience, the official afterparty of the Roots Picnic, Jerk x Jollof with DJ sets from Uncle Waffles, Vic B, Selekta XXX, and Na$H at NOTO.
Since launching in 2007, The Roots Picnic has been entertaining, engaging, and enlightening millions of fans along the way. Its dynamic lineups have included everyone from so many legends in the entertainment industry. This event isn’t just a cornerstone of the group’s career, but a cornerstone of the culture.
