New Orleans JazzFest is returning this year, with The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Killers, Queen Latifah, and Hozier set to headline the event. It will run on two different weekends: April 25 to 28 and May 2 to 5.
Vampire Weekend, Big Freedia, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Celebrating Jimmy Buffett with the Coral Reefer Band, and many more will be appearing at the festival, too.
Here’s what to know about getting tickets for those interested in going.
When Do New Orleans JazzFest 2024 Tickets Go On Sale?
Tickets for this year’s New Orleans JazzFest are currently on sale now, with Early Bird pricing available. There are several different passes. General Admission starts at $240 for the 3-Day second weekend pass. There are also 4-Day options for either festival weekend.
The GA+ passes only offer 4-Day weekend options, and these start at $499. It includes private restrooms and beverage stands.
Finally, JazzFest is offering many different VIP packages. The Big Chief VIP ticket starts at $1,700, with access to private viewing areas at the festival, and the option to upgrade for shuttle access. The Grand Marshal VIP pack starts at $1,750, which gives ticketholders access to a hospitality tent and other exclusive perks. Finally, the Krewe of JazzFest option starts at $925.
For more information, visit JazzFest’s official website.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
1st Weekend 4-Day (April 25, 26, 27, 28): Early Bird Ticket ($290) or Advance Ticket ($320)
2nd Weekend 4-Day (May 2, 3, 4, 5): Early Bird Ticket ($465) or Advance Ticket ($495)
2nd Weekend 3-Day (May 3, 4, 5): Early Bird Ticket ($240) or Advance Ticket ($270)
GA+ 4-Day 1st Weekend: Early Bird Ticket ($499) or Advance Ticket ($549)
GA+ 4-Day 2nd Weekend: Early Bird Ticket ($749) or Advance Ticket ($799)
Additionally, there are two VIP packages: Big Chief and Grand Marshal. The base price for the Big Chief VIP 1st weekend is $1,850, while Big Chief VIP 2nd Weekend starts at $2,550. There is a 2nd Weekend 3-Day option with a base price of $1,700, but VIP parking and VIP shuttles are no longer available.
Similarly, Grand Marshal VIP is separated into 1st Weekend ($1,750 base price) and 2nd Weekend ($2,350 base price).
All of those ticket packages are currently on sale, and single-day tickets are expected to become available in February.
See the lineup poster below.
New Orleans JazzFest 2024 lineup poster
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Lil Wayne has been among the top-performing artists in rap for decades, and throughout that time he’s curated all kinds of friendships. As a Libra, it makes sense that his social circle is wide-spanning, and the “Lollipop” rapper rarely involves himself in beef. Instead, he likes to pour energy into expanding his massive discography, supporting the up-and-coming Young Money artists, and spending time with his children. Most recently, Weezy brought a few of his sons to sit courtside while the Lakers were playing. Earlier this month it was Kameron and Reginae Carter supporting the team from their coveted seats, but earlier this week he brought out 15-year-old Dwayne and 13-year-old Neal to join him.
Having a famous father comes with plenty of perks (such as frequent courtside seats), including meeting his array of friends. While sitting with Wayne, his teenage boys were lucky enough to cross paths with Queen Latifah, who confidently shook both of their hands. The Hairspray actress looked comfortable but classy in her black sweatsuit, slicked-back bun, and large hoop earrings. The Carter family was looking fresh too, clearly taking after Wayne’s bold style already.
As the video is circulating online, some are calling out Neal and Dwayne for not standing up to address Latifah. “My kids would have stood up for the Queen,” one user quipped under @HipHopDX’s post. “Them kids don’t even know how historic of a hand they were shaking, smh,” another chimed in, suggesting that Weezy’s kids are lacking in their hip-hop history knowledge.
Even if Lil Wayne’s sons are ignorant of Queen Latifah’s legacy, as social media seems to suspect, she’s still been getting plenty of flowers as of late. In 2023 she became the first-ever femcee to be honoured by the Kennedy Center, at which time Missy Elliott and Rapsodyheadlined her tribute show. Read more about that iconic moment at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
On this date in 1992, Paramount Pictures presented the highly anticipated hood flick Juice, which stars a still rising rap star by the name of Tupac Shakur, who plays a crooked crimie from Uptown by the name of “Bishop”.
His co-star, Omar Epps(Higher Learning, In Too Deep), plays a local DJ with industry potential named “GQ”, alongside Jermaine “Huggy” Hopkins(Lean On Me) and Khalil Kain, who all form a loosely knit crew of truants who are headed in the wrong direction.
This movie was very instrumental in bringing Hip Hop artists onto the silver screen, with cameo appearances from Treach of Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah, EPMD’s DJ Scratch and Special Ed. Juice also helped to introduce the soundtrack as a way to market movies for larger budgets.
For those who never took notice, it wasn’t until after ‘Pac made everyone love to hate his character Bishop that Shakur’s run-ins with the law became more frequent and his “Thug Life” persona became more noticeable and for its own intent, purposeful. Many will say that it was life imitating art. Some will say that this was the real Tupac; he was just being filmed.
Earlier this week, the Kennedy Center Honors took place. The event seeks to highlight and pay tribute to some of the most significant contributors to pop culture around. This time, one of the honorees was Queen Latifah and the legendary female MC had a talented roster of artists contributing to her tribute. Generations of talented rappers came together to speak to the significance of her influence.
It began with Missy Elliott, who has some recent history with Latifah. Earlier this year Elliott was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, becoming the first-ever female rapper to join the ranks. During her induction ceremony, she received a poetic tribute from Latifah as a part of her introduction. Missy spoke to hearing some of Queen Latifah’s earliest hits and the influence they had on the music she would go on to make. MC Lyte and Monie Love took the stage next to perform one of those classic songs, “Ladies First.” Then finally Rapsody brought the house down with her rendition of Latifah’s song “Just Another Day” as a finale. Check out the full ceremony honoring the legendary rapper below.
It’s fitting that Missy Elliott would end off her 2023 honoring a legend. She spent most of the year being honored herself. The biggest moment came during her Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. Not only did numerous celebs show up to induct her in person but dozens more online expressed their admiration for her work and revealed how she influenced so many.
The praise hasn’t slowed down either. Just earlier this week Trina heralded Missy as one of the “Greats” alongside Lil Wayne. Her influence on hip-hop itself is also still pretty visible. A few months ago Lil Durk shared a teaser with fans which made prominent use of a Missy sample. What do you think of the speech Missy Elliott gave and the performance Rapsody contributed to Queen Latifah’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony? Let us know which performance was your favorite in the comment section below.
There have always been women at the forefront of hip-hop’s 50-year reign over pop culture, and perhaps none is more iconic than Queen Latifah. The “U-N-I-T-Y” rapper is widely acknowledged as one of the genre’s greatest of all time, and last night at the Kennedy Center Honors, she received loving tributes from some of her most iconic peers and proteges.
First up, Missy Elliott repaid Latifah for her touching Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction speech introduction, recalling hearing “Ladies First” for the first time as a teenager and having her life changed by Latifah’s “Queen” moniker and positive messaging.
Then, there were performances. Queen Latifah’s fellow hip-hop pioneers MC Lyte and Monie Love performed her signature hit “Ladies First,” with Lyte taking over Latifah’s verses and Monie performing her own.
Rapsody then performed one of Latifah’s best, but most underrated songs, “Just Another Day…” (Would have been cool if she performed “Hatshepsut,” the song on which they collaborated from Rap’s 2019 album Eve, but extra light being shed on the smooth Black Reign cut is never a bad thing.)
The Kennedy Center Honors simply seal a legendary legacy which includes such accolades as Grammys, Emmys, and Oscar nominations, as well as roles ranging acting to heading one of hip-hop’s first women-led labels. She is, indeed, an icon and a queen.
Last night (December 27), the 46th Kennedy Center Honors event aired on CBS, showcasing tributes to Queen Latifah, Dionne Warwick, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, Billy Crystal, and opera singer Renée Fleming. Many other fabulous musicians appeared to perform dedications for the honorees.
However, for those who might have missed being able to catch it on TV, here’s what to know about how to watch it now.
How To Stream The 2023 Kennedy Center Honors
Following the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors airing on CBS, the special is currently available to stream on Paramount+. And if you don’t have the streaming platform already, there is a current loophole to get around paying for a subscription. As Rolling Stone notes, they are currently offering a free trial for a month by using the promo code “BUTTERS” — a South Park reference.
Some key moments from the event included Chloe Bailey (“Walk On By”), Cynthia Erivo (“Alfie”), and Gladys Knight (“Say A Little Prayer”) honoring Warwick with their song choices. Missy Elliott and Rapsody appeared to support Queen Latifah. Dove Cameron, Tituss Burgess, and Christine Baranski performed selections from musicals for Fleming’s segment.
Michael Bublé, Little Big Town, Ben Platt, and Ariana DeBose treated the crowd to different Bee Gees songs. Finally, Lin-Manuel Miranda helped honor Crystal. Individual clips of some of the event can also be found on The Kennedy Center’s website.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Roots Picnic has been a staple of the band’s hometown, Philadelphia since 2008, bringing guests from across the spectrum of their collaborators and friends to Penn’s Landing. For those of us on the West Coast, though, the exciting festival has been a little difficult to attend. That all changes next year, when The Roots bring The Roots Picnic to LA, thanks to the Hollywood Bowl. Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop Is The Love Of My Life will take place on Saturday, June 29, along with special guests Arrested Development, Black Sheep, Common, Digable Planets, The Pharcyde, Queen Latifah, and more. Tickets for the event go on sale Thursday, December 14, at 10 AM PT at hollywoodbowl.com. The full Hollywood Bowl 2024 season will be announced in February 2024.
For the most part, The Roots have been busy as the house band of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (who helped keep their friendship tight), but individual members like Questlove and Black Thought have been busy with endeavors ranging from memoirs (see Uproxx’s interview with Black Thought about The Upcycled Selfhere) to planning the Grammys’ Hip-Hop 50 tribute (which he says caused him to lose some teeth). Quest is also set to direct Disney’s live-action remake of The Aristocats.
Queen Latifah, born Dana Elaine Owens, is a pioneer of the hip-hop sound, an acclaimed performer, and one of the latest Kennedy Center Honorees. Latifah was honored last week alongside Billy Crystal, Dionne Warwick, Barry Gibb, and Renée Fleming. The five artists received the award for their excellent contributions to the arts and entertainment in American culture. This makes Latifah the first female rapper, and second rapper overall to accept the honor. LL Cool J previously received Kennedy Center Honors in 2017. The gala, which took place on December 3, will be available to stream on Paramount+ on December 27.
Dozens of high-profile stars were in attendance to support Queen Latifah and company as they accepted the highly coveted award. Some attendees included Kerry Washington, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sigourney Weaver, and Whoopi Goldberg. As the first female rapper to accept the honor, the “U.N.I.T.Y.” rapper was joined in attendance by other respected femcees including M.C. Lyte, Missy Elliott, Monie Love, and Rapsody. Rapsody previously collaborated with Queen Latifah on the track “Hatshepsut” off her 2018 album Eve.
Queen Latifah Was Honored By President Joe Biden Personally
As part of the Kennedy Center festivities, sitting President Joe Biden appeared to speak on each of the honorees. While listing off Queen Latifah’s accolades, the president included references to her Grammy wins, record sales, and groundbreaking musical style. He also recognized her acting prowess, with such highlights as an Oscar nomination, a Golden Globe win, a Primetime Emmy, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Joe Biden referred to her many accolades as “a full trophy case.”
Biden also praised the Set It Off star for using her platform as an artist to share certain fundamental messages. Biden specifically praised Latifah for speaking on “the pain of losing her brother, the abuse of power, the respect that Black women deserve, and how infinite love is the only hope for unity” in her music. Kerry Washington took the stage to make similar remarks, explaining the origins of Queen Latifah’s rap moniker and her significance to hip-hop culture.
As President Biden referenced, Queen Latifah’s honor comes as we close out the 50th year of hip-hop history. The anniversary has been a staple of Queen Latifah’s outings, with the acclaimed artist performing at the Grammy Salute To To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop on December 10th. As one of the pioneers of hip hop as an art form, particularly under a female lens, Queen Latifah is a perfect honoree for this historic year.
Before Queen Latifah was given her own Kennedy Center Honors, she previously appeared at three other ceremonies. Latifah helped honor Tina Turner, Barbara Streisand, and LL Cool J in 2005, 2008, and 2017, respectively. Queen Latifah closed out her night with an acceptance speech that graciously highlighted her co-inductees. In her speech, Latifah thanked her partner, family, and fans, while offering a mission statement to continue living life in the moment.
On this date in 1989, Dana Owens aka Queen Latifah dropped her first full-length studio album All Hail The Queen on the now-defunct Tommy Boy Records.
As the first artist on N.J. based Flavor Unit collective, Latifah filled a void for female emcees with her regal appearance and her commanding rhyme style, which at that time, was only rivaled by the males. Social consciousness, African awareness, and civilization were at the forefront of Latifah’s image and music, thus, the album’s title, All Hail The Queen.
The songs that led and propelled the album’s momentum include the lead single, “Wrath Of My Madness,” which was actually released the year before the album dropped and “Ladies First,” an anthem celebrating femininity within Hip Hop culture, while introducing a British accented Monie Love spitting a verse alongside Latifah.
Salute to Queen Latifah, Shakim, Mark The 45 King(RIP) and the rest of the Flavor Unit for this timeless piece of Hip Hop history!
