With the NBA’s All-Star Weekend having just wrapped up, hip-hop has announced the details for its own this summer. The annual Roots Picnic festival has become a staple of modern Philadelphia culture, growing bigger and bigger each year since its debut in 2008. Fifteen years later, the event continues to absorb energy and radiate it back into the world, and 2023’s lineup reminds us of exactly that.
Watch the Trailer for the Inaugural Roots Picnic in 2008
Diddy is scheduled to fill one of the headlining spots along with the Roots, who also host the gathering every year. Both entities are stakeholders of different sides of the cultures—one commercial and the other alternative—so it only makes sense for them to join forces in celebration of it.
The other main event is reserved for none other than hip-hop’s very own matriarch, Ms. Lauryn Hill! To commemorate the 25th anniversary of her landmark solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the singer and MC will make a sporadic appearance in Philly to honor her influential career.
Watch the Roots Perform at Roots Picnic 2022
But it doesn’t stop there. Over the years, Roots Picnic has evolved into so much more than just an average hip-hop event, and instead covers the different crafts and creators who operate on the culture’s periphery. This includes comedy and podcasting, which have their own separate slots at the show.
Though the two-day festival is scheduled to take place in the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in West Fairmount Park, veteran comedian Dave Chappelle is also on the bill for a stand-up set on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Back at the park, an entire stage will be reserved for podcasters, featuring the likes of Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Akademiks, Angela Yee and Talib Kweli.
In addition to featuring a roster of heavyweights such as Lil Uzi Vert, Ari Lennox, Busta Rhymes and Glorilla, Roots Picnic 2023 will also set the stage for two massive legacy acts: The Isley Brothers and Roy Ayers. Other notable appearances include Beanie Sigel, Black Thought, Questlove and Syd, among several more.
Will Ms. Lauryn Hill even show up? Will Dave Chappelle double down on the controversy he carries everywhere with him? Will DJ Akademiks stay on brand and just stir up some shit?
The only way to find out is by being there from June 2–4.
Mark your calendar and get your tickets to Roots Picnic here.
