The ladies took the lead at the Roots Picnic

The Roots Picnic got off to a slow start, but once it got going, people began to pour in to enjoy the festivities. It was a full circle moment for some of the performers.

As Overbrook graduate DJ Sean Falyon put it, “a few Blocks from my high school.” “This was a special moment,” and it was. He had the opportunity to DJ on the main stage for both days of the picnic.

Kur, another Philadelphia native, got things started at the TD Pavillion. D-Nice took Club Quarantine outside to celebrate all the Geminis with a rousing R&B set. He literally had the whole Mann center stage rocking.

This was followed by Black Thought bringing out Benny the Butcher, Rick Ross and special guest Pharoahe Monch for the mix tape segment.

The highlight of Saturday evening was the ladies. Philly’s own Jazmine Sullivan kicked things off and put everyone in a nice and sexy mood. She had no issue letting the crowd know she was happy to be home and gave her everything.

The night closed out with a tight set from the Roots crew and the queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J Blige, who spiritually sang through her roster of hits. Mary is still that girl.

Day two began with Suzanne Christine performing classics mixed in with original music. Kirk Franklin reminded the crowd that it was Sunday with some healing music.

Chief Keef,who hasn’t always had a smooth ride in Philadelphia, took his fans to new highs.

The theme of this year’s picnic was definitely that R&B lives. No more was this evident than during the Soulquarians’s set. The crowd sang along to hits by SWV, Musiq Soulchild and Keshia Cole. The audience was enthusiastic as each act took the stage.

While having some outsiders visit our city was great, Philadelphians took great pride in seeing so much native talent on the various stages. Jazmine Sullivan, Music Soulchild, Kur, Tierra Whack, Suzanne Christine, and DJ Jazzy Jeff are all born in the “City of Brotherly Love.”

The Podcasting Stage, a newer addition to the festival, showcased Jemele Hill, who brought out National Champ NCAA head coach and North Philly’s finest, Dawn Stanley for her day at the Picnic. Stanley was engaged with the crowd and was happy to be at the event enjoying the festivities. Million Dollaz Worth Of Game featuring Gillie Da King and Wallo closed out their recording with a performance by Philly rapper Freeway.

Wallo, who has been using his platform to encourage young people not to take short cuts, said this about the experience “It was lovely to just see people out and enjoying themselves after two years of COVID.”

G-Herbo was a fan favorite among the younger audience. He explained what it was like to perform for such a diverse crowd “I wanted to make sure that everyone enjoyed my music and show off my versatility.”

He added “My aunt flew out to see me perform. She’s never seen me perform and wanted to see me and Mary J. Blige. That shows you how diverse this festival is.”

G-Herbo wasn’t the only rising super star that performed at the Picnic. To show how much faith the Roots Crew has in the next generation, they picked Summer Walker to close out night two.

Walker at 26 has hit a note with women of her generation through songs such as “Playing Games” and her duet with Ari Lennox “Unloyal”.

This festival had a strong female presence. It was a smart approach, considering that most of the crowd was made up of women of all ages.

Despite the fact that things weren’t perfect, the Roots Picnic was a welcomed return to normalcy for many Philadelphians.