The ESSENCE Festival of Culture celebrated Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary over the sizzling hot weekend with an impressive guest list and even more impressive lineup and show.
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Curated by the one and only, legendary Jermaine Dupri, the weekend featured a special Dirty South tribute to the city that shaped the genre for nearly two decades, entitled The South Got Something To Say.
After getting things started with an on-screen montage of his various inspirations and influences, including Peabo Bryson and Cameo, as well as clips of his early successful acts like Kriss Kross, Dupri took to the stage, getting right into a celebration of snap music, a sub-genre of Hip-Hop he helped popularize from coast-to-coast.
Launching into his verse on “I Think They Like Me,” the veteran rapper was joined onstage by Dem Franchize Boyz and a team of dancers leading the crowd in — you guessed it — the snap-dance.
Next, Dupri brought out collaborator and New Orleans native Curren$y to perform their tribute to the festival of culture, “ESSENCE Fest.” After launching into a run-through of multiple hits he wrote and or produced, including JAY-Z’s “Money Ain’t a Thing,” Ari Lennox’s “Pressure,” Usher & Alicia Keys’ “My Boo,” and Nelly’s “Grillz,” JD introduced his next special guest, Big Boi.
As one half of the pioneering Hip-Hop duo Outkast, Big Boi has more than a few hits in his back pocket. Making sure to break out some faves like “So Fresh & So Clean,” “Miss Jackson,” as well as the Speakerboxx/The Love Below hit, “The Way You Move” with the crooner Sleepy Brown at his side for some assistance.
Big Boi’s set continued with him launching into “Kryptonite (I’m on It),” followed by his verse on UGK’s “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You).”
“Can I keep turning it up??” Dupri asked to raucous cheers from the crowd, before bringing out Gucci Mane, who opened his trap-heavy set with a rendition of his verse from 2016’s Drake assisted track, “Both,” and his 2009 smash hit “Wasted.”
Next, the self-proclaimed King of the South, T.I. took the stage to perform some of his biggest hits, including “What You Know,” “Whatever You Like,” and “Live Your Life.”
Taking over the stage after T.I., Lil Jon sent the crowd into hysterics with his hits “I Don’t Give A…,” “BIA BIA,” and the Ying Yang Twins club classic “Get Low.”
Ludacris later joined Lil Jon and Dupri on stage to launch into some of their joint classics like Usher’s “Yeah!” and “Lovers & Friends” before closing out the set with an ode to ATL, “Welcome to Atlanta.”
And that was just one of the performances. In addition to the musical offerings the list of celebs either there to enjoy or contribute to the weekend’s festivities included Coco Jones, Kim Whitley, Tyler Lepley, Lance Gross, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kelly Rowland, and more.
Additionally the cast of The Color Purple. Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, and Danielle Brooks were joined by their director Blitz Bazawule and (of course) Oprah Winfrey, who spoke on the main stage for a panel titled “Page to the Stage and Beyond: A Discussion of the nearly 40-Year Legacy and Impact of The Color Purple.” And Vice President Kamala Harris joined the Global Black Economic Forum Headquarters Stage.
And all that wasn't even the half of it.
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