Posts made in February 2023

PHILADELPHIA, PA

JUNE 2, 3 & 4, 2023

MOST DYNAMIC LINEUP YET TO FEATURE A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE WITH DIDDY & THE ROOTS, MS. LAURYN HILL CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL ALBUM, A FRIDAY NIGHT STAND-UP COMEDY SHOW WITH DAVE CHAPPELLE, AS WELL AS LIL UZI VERT, ARI LENNOX, LUCKY DAYE, CITY GIRLS, GLORILLA & MORE

(Roots Picnic 2023 admat — download HERE)

(Philadelphia, PA) February 20, 2023: GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum hip-hop luminaries The Roots and Live Nation Urban reveal the details for the 2023 installment of “Roots Picnic.” Renowned for its complete musical and cultural immersion, the two-day festival will be back at The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4, 2023. This year, a special stand-up comedy performance from Dave Chappelle and The Roots at Wells Fargo Center on Friday, June 2 will kick off the weekend. A fan club presale launches tomorrow, February 21 at 12PM ET, and general on-sale follows on Wednesday, February 22 at 10AM ET. Weekend tickets and VIP packages will be available HERE.

This year marks a very special first as multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning legend Diddy will headline the festival with The Roots delivering a set highlighted by decades of his definitive hits. Additionally, Ms. Lauryn Hill will co-headline and perform the entirety of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – a rare event­– to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the seminal album’s release. Award-winning American comedian, screenwriter, television and film producer, and actor Dave Chappelle will make his “Roots Picnic” debut performing with The Roots on what promises to be a seismic, first-ever comedy set of this magnitude. The impressive line-up also hosts a massive celebration of Philadelphia talent including a headline set from Lil Uzi Vert, the return of Eve during Black Thought’s Live Mixtape set, DJ Drama, Kindred the Family Soul, a State Property Reunion, and more. Check out the full confirmed lineup below.

Offering an inimitable experience, “Roots Picnic” also invites crowds to enjoy the fan-favorite Podcast Stage which will be headlined by live podcasts from 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. The concourse also boasts various activations and engagements, ranging from film to social justice.

“Roots Picnic” has continued to be one of the summer’s most highly anticipated festivals and a celebration of Philadelphia’s robust music scene. Over the years, it’s been named one of UPROXX’s “Best Festivals For Hip-Hop Fans Of Any Generation” and lauded as “a major staple within the Black community.” Billboard included the Roots Picnic in their Top 50 Music Festivals round-up, and perhaps BET put it best, “the two-day event proves why hip hop is such a regenerative force of nature.”

Since launching in 2007, The Roots Picnic has stood at the crossroads of music and culture, entertaining, engaging, and enlightening millions of fans along the way. Its dynamic lineups have included everyone from The Weeknd, Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Phantogram, Usher, Nas, A$AP Rocky, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Future to Vampire Weekend, The War on Drugs, Gary Clark, Jr., Solange, Diplo, Gnarls Barkley, and more. “Roots Picnic” isn’t just a cornerstone of the group’s career, but a cornerstone of the culture.

FULL LINEUP:

Diddy w/ The Roots

Ms. Lauryn Hill

Lil Uzi Vert

Dave Chappelle w/ The Roots

Soulquarians Set featuring Roy Ayers & The Isley Bros

Black Thought Live Mixtape featuring Busta Rhymes & Eve

Ari Lennox

Lucky Daye

City Girls

Maverick City

Syd

Glorilla

DJ Drama

Uncle Waffles

Saucy Santana

DVSN

Kindred The Family Soul

Spinall

State Property Reunion (Freeway, Beanie Siegel, Young Gunz, Peedi Crakk, Oschino & Sparks)

Little Brother

Yussef Dayes Experience

Adam Blackstone w/ Coco Jones & Mary Mary

Baller Alert Presents Go Go: Backyard Band vs Rare Essence

Symba

Fridayy

Mike Phillips

Rocky

Dappa

Akin Inaj & Inutech

PODCAST STAGE:

Charlamagne Tha God

Off The Record with DJ Akademiks

Don’t Call Me White Girl

Lip Service with Angela Yee

Questlove Supreme

People’s Party with Talib Kweli

Pour Minds

Trap Nerds

The Office XIV

Love + Grit

**Lineup subject to change

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

Live Nation Urban (LNU) is a partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company. Specifically focusing on Hip-Hop, R&B and Gospel, LNU builds platforms, events, and festivals globally and develops dynamic content strategies based upon the live properties created. Live Nation Urban considers itself the most powerful source for live urban music. For additional information, visit www.livenationurban.com.

About the Mann Center for the Performing Arts

As one of the foremost outdoor music centers in the country, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, a leading non-profit organization, has a historical legacy of artistic excellence as a world-class entertainment destination presenting premier artists, now in association with Live Nation Entertainment. Each summer season, renowned symphony orchestras, iconic rock stars and the latest touring artists in indie rock, hip hop, R&B and pop take the stage here. The Mann is the summer home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and has presented critically acclaimed performers in every decade since the 1930s. Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the Mann hosts more than 200,000 visitors annually. Signature concert experiences are surrounded by Philadelphia’s stunning skyline and include seats beneath the Mann’s acoustically acclaimed TD Pavilion; picnics, blankets and music under the stars on its Great Lawn or at the top of the hill at the Skyline Stage; and dining in Crescendo, the venue’s spectacular tented restaurant. In addition, the Mann’s Education & Community Engagement Program reaches tens of thousands of young people annually through free programming and educational initiatives as well as its virtual Mann Music Room. For more information, visit www.manncenter.org.

As 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, it should be noted that Grammy legends Kool & the Gang stand as the most sampled band within the Hip Hop music culture.
 

According to the Who Sampled website, there are 1,898 documented samples of Kool & the Gang’s songs. The top being the classic instrumentals “N.T.” from their 1971 album, “Live At P.J.’s” and their longtime hit, “Summer Madness”, off the “Light Of Worlds” disc (1974).

CLICK HERE FOR WHO SAMPLED WEBSITE
 

The most well known sample of “Summer Madness” is found on the 1981 #1 hit from DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (Will Smith), “Summertime”. As for “N.T.”, the drum break (played by Kool & the Gang co-founder George Brown) within that track was sampled by Nas (“N.Y. State of Mind”) and N.W.A.
(“Gangsta Gangsta”) among 352 known samples for that one tune. 
 

"SUMMER MADNESS"

“N.T.”

It should also be noted that one sampled Kool & the Gang classic, “Jungle Boogie”, is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year as well.
 

"JUNGLE BOOGIE”

Let’s celebrate good times with Kool & the Gang, commemorating this 50th anniversary salute to Hip-Hop.
 

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PR/Media Contact

Angelo A. Ellerbee

Double XXposure Media Relations

www.dxxnyc.com

(201)224-6570

angelo@dxxnyc.com

Photo courtesy of Alamy Images

“Burt’s transition is like losing a family member. These words I’ve been asked to write are being written with sadness over the loss of my Dear Friend and my Musical Partner. On the lighter side we laughed a lot and had our run ins, but always found a way to let each other know our family, like roots, were the most important part of our relationship. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, letting them know he is now peacefully resting and I too will miss him.”

Dionne Warwick, February 9th, 2023

Respectfully shared,

Angelo Ellerbee
Double XXposure Media Relations

PR/Media Contact
Angelo A. Ellerbee
Double XXposure Media Relations
www.dxxnyc.com
(201)224-6570
angelo@dxxnyc.com

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! Click image for tickets!

Lyricist Lounge presents Origin Stories with Ghostface Killah: An intimate conversation and archival footage screening from the vault of the Legendary Lyricist Lounge.

Conversation hosted by Anthony Marshall and Danny Castro of Lyricist Lounge, alongside special invited panelists.

Interview and live performance by Ghostface Killah.

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Doors: 7:30pm
Event Start: 8:00pm

Fotografiska: 281 Park Ave. South (at 22nd Street), NYC, 10010

Event Admission: $51*
* Museum Admission is included with ticket purchase and in partnership with HIP HOP 50, $1 of each ticket sale goes to support the Universal Hip Hop Museum

Ticket link: https://www.fotografiska.com/nyc/events/lyricist-lounge-presents/

Lyricist Lounge Presents Origin Stories is a four-part series as part of Fotografiska’s Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious. Make sure to join us for all four events on February 16th, March 16th, April 13th, and May 8th.

An example of this is the amazing series from the Legendary Chuck D of the Iconic group Public Enemy. His Docu-series on PBS is a perfect representation of how we all feel about the culture. So enjoy this Instant Classic and celebrate Chuck D, our living legend in all that he does!

“Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World”

“Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World” is an incredible narrative of struggle, triumph and resistance that will be brought to life through the lens of an art form that has chronicled the emotions, experiences and expressions of Black and Brown communities: Hip Hop. In the aftermath of America’s racial and political reckoning in 2020, the perspectives and stories shared in Hip Hop are key to understanding injustice in the U.S. over the last half-century.

More About the Show

Authored by Public Enemy’s Chuck D, who famously labeled Hip Hop as “the Black CNN” for bringing the stories of the street to the mainstream, this story will include personal testimonies of the MCs, DJs, graffiti artists, filmmakers, politicians and opinion formers who created and shaped its direction as it grew from an underground movement in the Bronx to the most popular music genre in the U.S. and the fastest growing genre in the world today.

Featuring interviews from A-list talent like Killer Mike, Will.i.am, Monie Love, Ice-T, Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte and many more, the series will paint a portrait of the unique relationship between Hip Hop and the political history of the U.S.

Episode 1 | The Foundation

Discover the factors that led to the birth of Hip Hop and its first socially conscious hit “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982.

Episode 2 | Under Siege

Explore the 1980s and the birth of Hip Hop as social commentary in the Reagan Era with the emergence of artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Ice-T, and NWA.

Episode 3 | Culture Wars

Experience the 1990s during the Clinton years and the unstoppable rise in popularity of Hip Hop, which becomes a force that is attacked by all sides of the political establishment.

Episode 4 | Still Fighting

Follow the evolution of Hip Hop as its artists turn into multimillionaires and successful entrepreneurs. As a cultural phenomenon, Hip Hop continues to change history and is adopted as the voice of protest around the world.

When you are a Fan or supporter of any cultural movement, you are dedicated to helping its development and growth. So when Hip Hop started to gain popularity and emerge from ground zero on a collision course with Entertainment’s mainstream, those of us within the Hip Hop community filled with unbearable excitement when our heroes from the art form garnered praise and inclusion.

Examples of this euphoria were present when movies like Style Wars and Wild Style was made. When LLCool J first appeared on American Bandstand or when Rapper’s Delight and “Planet Rock,” and the “Message dominated radio.

Instant Classic!!!

NETFLIX

A new couple and their families find themselves examining modern love and family dynamics amidst clashing cultures, societal expectations and generational differences in this brilliant comedy from Kenya Barris.

Eddie Murphy is at his finest as he plays Arkbar, Lauren London’s ultra kool pro black father who never shies away from the past and present struggles that his people is forced to deal with on a day to day basis. A surprising role for the Entertainment legend whose films for the most part have played it socially neutral and free of political and racial statements and themes.

Murphy is still so naturally funny and dominates scene after scene. At times reminiscent of his phenom days on SNL.

His former not ready for prime time player cast mate and Seinfeld legend, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is equally outstanding as she navigates the role of the overly supportive African American sympathizer and mom of Jonah Hill.

Jonah shares the writers credit with Kenya Barris and clearly offers a refreshing balance with the many social issues that this film courageously tackles with the greatest of ease. Not only did Jonah produce the film, is also a perfect fit for the roll of Ezra who quickly learns that there’s much that he has to learn about race relations, and unconditional love.

Jonah also share powerful performances with his gay best friend, and business partner Mo, brilliantly played by comedian and SNL writer – Sam Jay. Their popular pod cast is on the rise giving them both the platform to voice many thought provoking points of view.

Jonah and Lauren London’s on screen romance works hard and eventually convinces the audience that their union can really work despite family approval and public scrutiny.

The entire cast is witty and sharp, competing with each other for on screen excellence. But clearly all of them have their moments. Comedian guest stars like, Anthony Anderson, Deon Cole and Mike Epps sprinkle the screen with their genius providing the catalyst for even more laughs.

The film does a great job with making real difficult and awkward moments in human behavior seem easier to digest and approach. Something Barris had a lot of practice on perfecting while producing his hit ground breaking series “Blackish” on ABC.

Your rewind button will get plenty exercise because every joke and social commentary in the dialogue pulls you in and never lets go. I can definitely see folks watching this one over and over and it may make for solid reference material for scholars, politicians, family meetings and university study.

Not since Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” has a film achieved such important balance of comedy and a much needed conversational piece. Instant Classic🍿!