Essence Festival

India.Arie Criticizes Megan Thee Stallion & Janelle Monae For On-Stage Behavior

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India.Arie called out Megan Thee Stallion and Janelle Monae on Instagram, earlier this week, in response to their recent performances at the 2023 Essence Festival of Culture. She argued that Megan’s dancing and Monae flashing her breast displayed a lack of “discretion.” India.Arie made the statement in a comment on Essence’s Instagram page.

The outlet had posted a video of Megan and Monae on stage with the caption: “Hot girl bootcamp was in full effect last night. It’s @janellemonae with the encouragement for us.” India.Arie commented: “The issue is what is CONTEXT. Humanity does EVERYTHING. But does EVERYTHING BELONG IN A STAGE. No, is everything for KIDS? No, is everything for EVERY BODY? so when we as a culture make something like this main stream ~ it shows a lack of discretion [and] discernment.”

Read More: Janelle Monae Releases New Album, “The Age Of Pleasure”

Janelle Monae Performs At Essence Festival

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Singer Janelle Monae performs onstage during night 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

“Just as many folks have the right to want our MAINSTREAM International export – out Music – to show us in a respectful light,” she continued. “Id like to go on the record saying : this wont age well and thats my issue. i LOVE Janelle AND Meg the way i love us all — AND i dont like this moment. Dont bother debating me lol idc and I DO this. for 25 yrs i’ve done THIS. so. read ponder or don’t.” Other fans took both sides of the argument in the comments section. Check out the post featuring Monae and Megan below.

Megan Thee Stallion & Janelle Monae At Essence Festival

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The performance comes after the release of Janelle Monae’s latest album, The Age of Pleasure. She kicked off the promotion of the album with the sensual music video for its lead single, “Lipstick Lover,” earlier this year.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion’s Essence Festival Twerk Session Proves She’s Been Putting In Work At The Gym

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Jonathan Majors Goes To ESSENCE Fest Despite Legal Trouble

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The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is ending today, July 3rd, and has brought in some high-end celebrity appearances. One such attendee was Jonathan Majors, the Creed III and Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantamania actor. And while he was taking some time to enjoy the live music, it was interesting to see him out and about amidst his current legal issues. He went to the festival with his reported girlfriend, Harlem actress Meagan Good, but out of the spotlight, he and his team are working to get his name cleared from a number of criminal and civil allegations.

Jonathan Majors was arrested back in March after allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend, the British dancer Grace Jabarri. This was in New York City, at Majors’ apartment. In opposition, Majors’ legal team continues to cooperate and release evidence to support claims that he’s allegedly the target of racial profiling by the NYPD and that Jabarri made allegedly false accusations. And if that wasn’t messy enough, more people have come forward since the incident to say they were abused by Majors as well.

Read more: Anthony Mackie Stands By Jonathan Majors Amid Domestic Violence Case

What’s Next For Jonathan Majors?

 

 
 
 
 
 
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At the ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans, Majors was seen in multiple photo ops. One was in a crowd of people with Al Sharpton, the famed activist. He also was in a photo with Meagan Good, in which Majors seems caught off-guard while Good smiles brightly. The cameo is solid publicity, especially as he tries to rehab his public image while in a sea of allegations.

Crew members on his films have come out to claim they’ve been allegedly victimized by Majors. This was due to the actor’s supposed “violent” and “intimidating” behavior, as reported by Rolling Stone Magazine. In Majors’ most recent movie, the critically acclaimed Magazine Dreams, crew members avoided Jonathan Majors due to his overtly dedicated method acting. And while some method actors can be difficult to deal with, rarely are they rude or violent towards the crew. (Which is what multiple people are accusing Majors of allegedly doing.) Even though he’s living life up at ESSENCE Fest, Majors will have to face a different kind of music soon.

Read more: Jonathan Majors Files Domestic Violence Complaint Against His Assault Accuser

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Lil Wayne’s Essence Festival Dance Moves Will Leave You Smiling: Watch

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Lil Wayne is a man of great confidence – he did say that he’s his own only worthy Verzuz competitor, after all. From the stage to the studio, the Young Money leader has never shied away from speaking his truth and letting his bold personality shine through. Sometimes that finds Weezy ending live performances early due to a lacklustre response from his audience, and other times it shows him making surprise appearances and having a blast on stage.

The latter happened this past weekend at New Orleans’ Essence Festival. Wayne wasn’t on the lineup alongside headliners like Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion, however, locals were still happy to see Tha Carter himself in an all-pink Rick Owens outfit. In one video that’s making rounds online, Wayne pulls out a Michael Jackson-esque dance routine for his audience, though it was definitely lacking the King of Pop’s sharpness.

Read More: Lil Wayne On “Verzuz”: Rapper Believes Only Worthy Opponent Is Himself

Lil Wayne Surprises Fans in New Orleans

“Michael Jackson on moon rocks 😂,” one IG user joked in @2cool2bl0g’s IG comments. “Old Wayne would’ve been dissin’ new Wayne,” someone else suggested. Thankfully there are still those who expressed their joy at seeing the “How to Love” hitmaker in good spirits. The smile that spreads across his face at the end of his dance break proves that Wayne was feeling himself, regardless of what any critics might have to say about him.

During his time on the Essence Festival stage, the Southern star rapped “A Milli” and other hits from his discography. While those in person at the event caught it live, people tuning in at home failed to witness Weezy’s appearance as it wasn’t included in the Hulu live stream. Outside the realm of hip-hop, Lil Wayne has also been connecting with Skip Bayless more frequently as of late. At the end of June, we received an update on their Undisputed project, which you can read all about at the link below. For more music/pop culture news updates, check back in with HNHH later.

Read More: Lil Wayne & Skip Bayless Hint At The Future Of “Undisputed”

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Megan Thee Stallion’s Essence Festival Twerk Session Proves She’s Been Putting In Work At The Gym

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The ladies of hip-hop and R&B brought plenty of heat to the Essence Festival stage this past weekend. From Janelle Monae continuing her salacious flashing streak during her performance to Megan Thee Stallion captivating us with her usual twerking antics, we’ve truly seen it all. The latter artist was a headliner at the annual event on Sunday (June 2) evening, following Lauryn Hill’s astonishing (albeit late) set the night before.

She hasn’t given us new music since 2022’s Traumazine, but still, the Houston Hottie has been booked and busy with performances over the past few months. Her first show of the year was at the AT&T Block Party, followed more recently by LA’s Pride in the Park celebration. All of them saw Thee Stallion shaking her booty in full force, though her most recent left plenty of jaws on the floor as her cake continues to grow thanks to all the hard work she’s been putting in at the gym.

Read More: Janelle Monae Flashes Her Chest During Essence Festival Performance

Megan Thee Stallion Headlines Essence Festival 2023

During her time on stage, the Revlon ambassador ran through some of her discography’s biggest hits, including “Big Ole Freak,” “Body,” and “Plan B.” Elsewhere she performed her verse from Cardi B’s “WAP,” as well as the “S*vage (Remix),” sans Beyonce.

At Pride, Thee Stallion’s costume was black and silver in colour, leaving her shining bright like a diamond. For Essence Fest, she stepped out in a golden ensemble that gives a bold view of her chest and behind. Gold seems to be a personal favourite of the rap diva’s lately, as she wore a bikini in the same colour while filming a thirst trap video for Instagram this past weekend.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion Serves Trophy Wife In A Barely-There Gold Bikini: Video

More Videos from MTS’ Set

Keep scrolling to check out more videos from Megan Thee Stallion’s headlining set at Essence Festival 2023. Which song that she performed is your personal favourite? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

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Lauryn Hill Trends After Late Arrival To 2023 Essence Festival

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Lauryn Hill has been trending on Twitter after arriving late to her performance at the 2023 Essence Festival. She took on the fest yesterday (June 30), at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Hill performed songs from 1998’s, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, in celebration of the Grammy-winning LP’s 25-year-anniversary. Her set also featured Fugees’ group mate Wyclef Jean as a special guest.

It appears that fans aren’t too bothered by Ms. Hill’s arrival time based on social media chatter, though some complain that her tardiness had them fighting to stay awake for the late-night set. “I know we make our jokes about L Boogie always being late but listen, when she sang ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,’ something inside me moved,” one user writes on Twitter. Overall, fans are saying her show was one for the books, and certainly worth waiting for.

Read More: The Fugees’ Reunion Was A Shock To Pras

2023 Essence Festival

Lauryn Hill Trends After Late Arrival To 2023 Essence Festival
Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean perform onstage during day 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

The 2023 Essence Festival began on June 29 and will wrap up at the beginning of next week on July 2. Friday also saw a performance from Janelle Monet, and a special 50th anniversary of hip hop set featuring Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, KRS-One, and more. The set was curated by Doug E. Fresh. Janelle Monet Performers like Missy Elliot and Jill Scott are scheduled to grace the stage today (July 10). Jermaine Dupri has also curated a special set in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip hop, dubbed “The South Got Something To Say.” The set will feature performances by Big Boi, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and T.I. Ice Cube has also curated a “West Coast All-Stars” set for today, featuring Ice-T, E-40, DJ Quik, and more.

Megan Thee Stallion is set to headline the fest tomorrow (July 2). Angie Martinez will host another set in celebration of hip hop’s anniversary, called “In Real Life: 50 Years Of Women In Hip Hop.” It will feature Eve, Mia X, Remy Ma, Salt-N-Pepa, and Trina. There will be additional performances by Wizkid, Muni Long, Kizz Daniel, and more.

Read More: What Happened To Lauryn Hill? A Timeless Icon

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Janelle Monáe Couldn’t Be Policed As She Flashed Her Breast To The Audience At Essence Festival

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Janelle Monáe is baring it all. Her latest album, The Age Of Pleasure features her more in touch with her sexuality than ever before, and as she’s been promoting the album, she’s been seen flashing her fans, notably with the vinyl album itself, which contains a foldout picture of her breasts.

Last night (June 30), at Essence Festival in New Orleans, Monae gave a performance of all of her hits from over the years, including her 2015 Jidenna collaboration, “Yoga.”

The song contains the line “You cannot police me, so get off my areola,” which has become one of Monáe’s signature lyrics. During this particular portion of the song, Monáe lifted up the right side of her bikini top, flashing her breast to the audience. Her nipple was covered with a pink sticker, but nevertheless, stirred up fans throughout the festival.

This exuberant move was met with cheers and support from the audience, who were all on board with the sense of liberation she’s tapped into during this album era.

You can see a clip from Monáe’s Essence Festival performance above.

Janelle Monáe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Janelle Monae Flashes Her Chest During Essence Festival Performance

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Janelle Monae’s extremely sensual The Age of Pleasure album has had a few weeks to settle in now, and many music lovers still can’t get enough of the genre-bending release. “Phenomenal” with Doechii, “Champagne S**t,” and “Only Have Eyes 42” are surfacing as immediate favourites from the project, though there’s not a single title on the tracklist that isn’t steadily amassing streams. The singer-songwriter has a handful of live performances scheduled for this summer, the most recent one taking place on Friday (June 30) at Essence Festival.

As we previously saw her do during The Age of Pleasure‘s rollout, Monae didn’t hesitate to entice the audience with her salacious antics. A black and white bra top left little to the imagination during a portion of the show, with underboob notably hanging out. Ever the free spirit, the “I Like That” hitmaker lifted up a portion of the top at one point, fully exposing her breast which was partially covered with a pasty for modesty. Obviously, no one complained about that moment, but it was really Monae’s beautiful vocals that kept the crowd watching.

Read More: Janelle Monae Celebrates “The Age of Pleasure” Album By Flashing Her “Chest” For The Camera

Janelle Monae is Vocal Bible at Essence Fest 2023

@deez_blue

#essencefest #neworleans #essencefest2023 #hiphop50thanniversary janellemonae@Janelle Monáe

♬ original sound – Delilah Blue

The 37-year-old performed tracks from her latest release for the most part, though we also heard throwbacks from Dirty Computer and beyond. Others who have taken the stage at Essence Fest so far include Ari Lennox and Lauryn Hill, who made up for being later after Monae’s set with a legendary show of her own.

Seeing as she previously told Rolling Stone that she’s “much happier when [her] t**tes are out,” it’s not surprising to see the creative embracing her body in all its glory. We won’t share the NSFW images directly with you here, however, you can let your curiosity get the better of you at this link. Have you given Janelle Monae’s The Age of Pleasure album a listen yet? Let us know in the comments, and tap into our review of the groovy new project at the link below.

Read More: Janelle Monae “The Age of Pleasure” Review

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Here Is The Essence Festival Performance Schedule For 2023

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Juvenile stopped by NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series to give them a taste of New Orleans’ musical gumbo, but this weekend’s Essense Festival is where you go for a whole serving of what the Crescent City has to offer. With R&B fixtures such as Ari Lennox will grace the Caesars Superdome stage, this year’s three-day live performances will heavily pay tribute to 50 years in hip-hop.

To celebrate the monumental moment for the genre, Essence will feature performances by the “Back That Azz Up” rapper, Megan Thee Stallion, Missy Elliott, and more. Here is the Essence Festival performance schedule for 2023.

Today (June 30), Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts star Tobe Nwigwe, Ari Lennox, Juvenile, Jagged Edge, Janelle Monáe, and Ms. Lauryn Hill will perform. The hip-hop tribute set will feature Doug E Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, KRS-One, and Slick Rick.

Tomorrow (July 1), BET’s Best New Artist, Coco Jones, Monica, Jill Scott, Missy Elliott, Ice Cube, E-40, Ice-T, Lady Of Rage, and Yo-Yo will perform. The hip-hop tribute set will feature Jermaine Dupri, Big Boi, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and T.I. on Saturday.

Closing out the festival on Sunday (July 2), Muni Long, Tems, Wizkid, and Megan Thee Stallion will perform. The hip-hop tribute will feature Angie Martinez, Eve, Mia X, Remy Ma, Salt-N-Pepa, and Trina.

Essence Festival 2023 will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, between June 30 and July 2. Find more information here.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Juvenile Will Be Playing At Essence Festival After All

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It looks like the drama between Juvenile and Essence Fest may have just been swept under the rug. The artist recently announced his upcoming performance at Essence Fest on social media. He expressed excitement after previously criticizing the festival for excluding him. Taking to Twitter on June 7, the renowned New Orleans artist shared the news that he will be taking the stage on June 30. He also shared a custom-designed flyer. Along with the announcement, Juvenile encouraged fans to visit the festival’s official website to learn more and purchase tickets. In the tweet, he cheekily wrote, “Hip-Hop 50 without Juvie? Not a chance. June 30th, NOLA we live!”

It wasn’t always positive sentiments for the former Hot Boy regarding the festival, however. Essence Fest previously got into some hot water with Juvenile. They had excluded him from their lineup for “The South Got Something To Say” set. It was curated by Jermaine Dupri and pays tribute to OutKast’s iconic 1995 Source Awards speech. Notable artists such as Big Boi, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and T.I. were listed as being part of the segment. However, Juvenile was noticeably absent, leading to his dissatisfaction.

Juvenile Is A New Orleans Staple

Last week, a bit of drama ensued online following Juvenile’s exclusion from Essence Fest. The former Cash Money artist expressed his displeasure about the perceived slight on Twitter. “How is Essence doing 50 years of hip hop in New Orleans without me???” he asked. It was definitely an awkward oversight on the part of the festival. While it likely was not done on purpose, it called into question how they could forget to include a New Orleans staple like Juvie.

Following the exclusion from Essence Fest, Juvenile decided to promote another festival he will be participating in alongside Mannie Fresh, called Donna Fest. “F that Donna Fest July 2nd, me with my live band + Mannie Fresh + Rebirth & more,” the rapper wrote enthusiastically. “And the best food vendors New Orleans has to offer. I should know, I’m from here! Our [tickets] are just $25!” Now it looks like Juvenile has his hands pretty full with two performances. What do you think of Essence Fest changing their tune? Sound off in the comments below!

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Juvenile Feels Slighted By His Exclusion From Essence Festival

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Juvenile is disappointed with Essence Festival. They have excluded him from the lineup commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop in New Orleans, his hometown. The festival shared flyers representing the performers for each day. Juvenile noticed his absence from the “The South Got Something To Say” set curated by Jermaine Dupri. Other artists like Big Boi, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and T.I. were listed. However, Juvenile questioned how Essence Fest could overlook his significant contributions to the city’s hip-hop scene.

When a fan pointed out that “The South Has Something To Say” featured many Atlanta rappers, Juvenile expressed his disappointment. He then stated that the festival organizers had failed to understand the significance of his omission. In response, Juvenile took to promoting another festival called “Donna Fest.” There, he and Mannie Fresh will be performing. He emphasized his deep connection to the city and its culture. He also highlighted the presence of a live band, including Rebirth, and an array of diverse food vendors. Juvenile urged his followers to attend, emphasizing the affordable ticket price of $25.

Juvenile’s Legacy In New Orleans And Beyond

Juvenile and Mannie Fresh launch the New Reebok Workout Low Sneaker with Sneaker Politics and Humidity Skate Shop at Sneaker Politics powered by Reebok Classic and Mitchell & Ness on February 17, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ryan Theriot/Getty Images for Reebok)

Juvenile is a legendary figure in New Orleans rap. The rapper rose to fame during his time with Cash Money Records in the ’90s. He was involved with the Hot Boys alongside Lil Wayne, Turk, and B.G. He had a number of hugely successful hit songs. Included among those are “Back That Azz Up,” “Set It Off,” and “Slow Motion.” With such instantly recognizable songs, he has clearly made a lasting impact on the hip-hop genre.

During an interview at the 2023 Lovers and Friends Festival, Mannie Fresh expressed his belief that Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” is the greatest love song ever. He made this declaration while emphasizing the decline of dance music and fun in contemporary artists’ focus on toughness and gangsterism. Mannie Fresh expressed his love for seeing people smile and have a good time, advocating for the importance of embracing joy and fun in music. While calling “Back That Azz Up” the greatest love song ever is debatable, it is certainly a classic. What do you think of Juvenile’s exclusion from Essence Fest? Let us know in the comments!

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