Essence Festival

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

by

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.

[Via]

The post Megan Thee Stallion’s Essence Festival Twerk Session Proves She’s Been Putting In Work At The Gym appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Lauryn Hill Trends After Late Arrival To 2023 Essence Festival

by

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

[Via]

The post Lauryn Hill Trends After Late Arrival To 2023 Essence Festival appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

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

by
janelle monae essence festival 2023
Getty Image

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

by

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

[Via]

The post Janelle Monae Flashes Her Chest During Essence Festival Performance appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Here Is The Essence Festival Performance Schedule For 2023

by
janelle monae age of pleasure
Getty Image

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

by

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!

The post Juvenile Will Be Playing At Essence Festival After All appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Juvenile Feels Slighted By His Exclusion From Essence Festival

by

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!

The post Juvenile Feels Slighted By His Exclusion From Essence Festival appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Lauryn Hill And Megan Thee Stallion Announced As 2023 Essence Festival Headliners

by

Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion have been tapped to headline the 2023 Essence Festival in New Orleans. The pair will perform alongside artists like Monica, Wizkid, and Coco Jones. They are in good company, as previous headliners have been iconic artists like Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, and Pharrell. Both Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion are iconic in their own right, so they should feel right at home among the previous headliners. It’s a cause for celebration for both artists, albeit for very different reasons.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the release of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, a legendary debut album. It sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone, earning it a diamond certification. Rolling Stone called it the best rap album ever. It also debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. For those who don’t follow Lauryn Hill, it may come as a bit of a surprise that she has never released another studio album. Professional and personal troubles led her to shy away from the limelight, but her debut album is still considered by many to be one of the best of all time. To commemorate the 25 years since its release, Hill will be performing the album in full at the festival.

Another Headlining Gig For Megan Thee Stallion

The announcement of Megan Thee Stallion as a headliner is another win for the artist, who has also been announced as a headliner for LA’s 2023 Pride In The Park Festival. In December, her trial against Tory Lanez wrapped up when he was found guilty of shooting her in 2020. The pair had been leaving a party at Kylie Jenner’s house when they got into an argument, which resulted in the shooting. So, although Megan hasn’t necessarily disappeared from the public eye, much of the news surrounding recently has been related to the Tory Lanez incident. Earlier today, Lanez filed for a retrial. If the previous verdict is upheld, he could be facing more than 20 years in prison; Megan, however, is moving forward with her life. In addition to her headlining gigs, she also announced recently that she is working on new music.

The Essence Festival began in 1995 and has since become a New Orleans staple. The list of esteemed artists that have been hosted at the festival since its inception is intimidating, with performances by everyone from Destiny’s Child to Aretha Franklin. The 2023 lineup is already shaping up to be a good one, but it seems that Essence has more even announcements to come. In an Instagram post announcing the headliners, they told followers to “keep [their] notifications on, as this is the FIRST of many announcements.” Will you be at the 2023 Essence Festival? Who do you hope to see join the roster? Let us know in the comments.

Ne-Yo and Jacquees Give R&B Singers Tips on How To Prepare for a Performance

by
Ne Yo

Ne-yo and Jacquees both made their presence felt during Essence Festival weekend. Jacquees performed a number of fan-favorite hits at the McDonald’s stage as the crowd danced and sung along. Ne-Yo on the other hand took time off from his many appearances to stop by the festival and chop it up with everyone.

While discussing the last VERZUZ battle that brought Mario, Omarion, Ray J, Bobby Valentino, Sammie and Jeremih to the stage, Ne-Yo offered some tips for singers to get ready to perform. Although the VERZUZ was very “entertaining,” Ne-Yo says he’s unsure as to what exactly happened.

“Tea is a very, very, very large and important part of my singing career. I use green tea and honey. That normally works for me,” said the 3-time Grammy winner. That and pineapple juice.”

For Jacquees he adheres to Ne-Yo’s recommendation, but suggests his own methods as well.

“When it’s time (to perform) I like to take a hot shower, to get all the mucus out (of my system),” said the ATL crooner. “I drink throat coat with honey and lemon and chew gum to keep my voice on point. I’m always singing. Whether I’m humming, I always keep my voice ready. I don’t try to yell a lot too. Getting your rest as a singer is like the number one thing, so for all the singers make sure y’all get sleep.”

Both R&B singers are gearing up to drop an album this Summer.

Ne-Yo is set to drop his 8th studio album, Self-Explanatory on July 15th, while Jacquees is gearing up to release an album executive produced by Future.

“It’ll be a cool tutorial for you on what R&B is supposed to sound like,” says Ne-Yo about his album.

Jacquees is calling his project his best album so far as fans await a release date.

The post Ne-Yo and Jacquees Give R&B Singers Tips on How To Prepare for a Performance appeared first on The Source.

Jacquees’ Upcoming Album Will Be Executive Prod. By Future

by
Jacquees Believes he Was Snubbed for BET Award Nomination

Jacquees reminded fans at Essence Festival why he’s the self-proclaimed King of R&B when he performed on Day 2 of Essence Fest on the McDonald’s state.

As fans watched the Georgia singer take over the stage, they sung along to a number of his hits songs including, “At the Club,” “My Peace,” “B.E.D,” “You” and more.

“I felt good because my fans showed up,” he says. I know the city of New Orleans loves me, but people travel from all over to come to Essence. The love they showed me got me ready to do more.”

The Cash Money crooner dropped his latest single, “Say Yeah” back in May in preparation for his 3rd album, which he announced he executive produced by Future.

“I got some crazy heavy hitters on the album. I can’t wait for everybody to hear it,” he says. “This is the best Jacquees. People always say, ‘this is my best album,’ but this is really my best album.”

As of now there is no release date, but the 28-year-old singer says the album is slated to drop this Summer.

Until then he plans to keep fans occupied with the release of “Say Yeah,” and some guest appearances. He recently collaborated with Enchanting for her latest release, “What I Want.”

Peep the “Say Yeah,” video below.

The post Jacquees’ Upcoming Album Will Be Executive Prod. By Future appeared first on The Source.