Originality and brotherly love shone at the picnic at the roots

Without a doubt, Philadelphia is the city of music. Some of the best talents in black music come from the city of brotherly love – including Jill Scott, The Roots, Will Smith and Eve. Beyond a few of the city’s most famous black stars, music is woven into the city’s fabric the sixth largest city in the country. That’s why it was no surprise that on our few rides together, I used to be greeted with every thing from gospel music to Arabic rap, or why it took lower than a mile to walk to seek out the closest music paradise in the city, Repo records on South Street, a beloved vinyl record store offering a few of the city’s hottest genres, including jazz, hip-hop and Philly soul. These anecdotes tell the larger story of what makes Philly’s special hometown music festival The Roots Picnic is wealthy in music, art and, after all, culture.

At first glance you would possibly have preconceived notions of what Philly is, but unexpected beauty emerges, especially during Roots Picnic weekend. As a part of the multi-generational festival, flocks of Black people unfolded across the park lawn, covered in blankets and mats, fully prepared to brave the heat and hear their favorite musicians in vivid colours.

“I always love coming to Philly because I’m always shocked by how many Black people there are in Philly,” says the St. Paul rapper. Louis, Smino. “They always jump out and show love.” The rapper performed on the first day of The Roots Picnic and also appeared at the Chase Sapphire-sponsored Roots Picnic kickoff party at the Brooklyn Bowl, where he took part in an intense bowling match with fellow rapper and comrade, Just. Amid playful banter and trash talk, the couple’s energy prepared the intimate audience of fans for what to anticipate during the Roots Picnic weekend: an electrifying mixture of soulful performances, surprise guest appearances, and a celebration of hip-hop culture that guarantees unforgettable moments.

While Smino claims he won the bowling game, the real victory was performing at a music festival in front of fans latest and old. The Collaborator of Ghetto Sage was included in a lineup that included bands reminiscent of Sexyy Red and BLK ODYSSY to Amerie and Andre 3000, so everyone had plenty to pick from. In addition to performing in front of a packed house, Smino was also thrilled with the two-day festival that featured two of his biggest musical influences, Lil Wayne and the aforementioned . “Those are the two that had the biggest impact, and Jill Scott played last night,” he says. “My mom and dad played with it a lot at home.”

Fashion can also be very clearly a very important a part of the aesthetic we perceive when we expect of Smino. But he principally stays true to himself – today he’s wearing camouflage Amiri cargo pants, Timberland boots, an oversized white T-shirt, and a Wrestlemania hat that sits beautifully over his signature afro. “There are many various versions of St. Louis,” explains the Grammy nominee. “You won’t get the same [person] twice ever. We pride ourselves on not being like the next person.

While it might be easy to check The Roots Picnic to other popular American music festivals, the picnic has a definite character. Picnic divides the space into three stages in Fairmount Park, with the essential stage bearing its namesake, the Presser stage and the Centennial stage. You can appreciate the small variety of stages to make navigation easier, in addition to the more intimate performances with musicians and their fans. “There was a lot of age diversity at this music festival. I won’t lie, I’ll come back anytime.”

Like many who come to Philadelphia for the Roots Picnic (organizers say the final number was around 60,000 people) there’s something for each attendee, whether it’s spending time at one in every of the sponsor-led attractions like the Chase Sapphire Lounge, having fun on the on-site ice rink, or supporting the diaspora at Jerk x Jollof while listening live Gille and Wallo’s Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast, and even indulge your taste buds with what Philadelphians call “Hot Honey Lobstah Jawn,” you possibly can’t miss anything you select.

I discussed memorable moments and that is what The Roots Picnic offered – think Wale walking into the crowd during his set, Smino taking the stage wearing Topicals eye patches, Jill Scott lighting up a blunt to commemorate her return to her hometown, Fantasia performing a version “Proud Mary” by Tina Turners, the 65-year-old Babyface brings the house down with a few of his own hits like “Whip Appeal” and a few of his famous self-penned songs like “Bobby Brown’s Roni,” “Rock Steady” by The Whispers and “There You Go” by Johnny Gill. Sunday night’s headliners were New Orleanians Trombone Shorty and Lil Wayne, accompanied by the band that offers the picnic its name, The Roots. During the celebration honoring the city of New Orleans, the band entered the stage from the second line, emerging from the crowd, and people could possibly be seen dancing with white towels raised in the air. “It wouldn’t be fair for Philly to pay tribute to New Orleans without bringing up Lil Wayne,” Black Thought said, introducing the legendary rapper.

These anecdotes highlight the diverse, multi-generational audience Smino mentioned earlier, showing how music resonates across age groups and unites listeners from different backgrounds. For his newfound listeners, he wants their takeaway to be: “Damn, I didn’t hear that [before]. I didn’t know I needed it.”

For Smino Roots, Picnic was the starting of what he calls “Smino Summer,” where he shared that latest music was on the horizon. His profession, partly supported by major labels, is undergoing a healthy change as he goes independent. In 2021, the “No L’s” emcee signed to Motown in association together with his label Zero Fatigue. “This is my first real freelance gig,” he explains. “A lot of people think I’m limiting myself to quitting this shit because I was always years away, but this is going to be a big summer for me.”