How Something In The Water Honors Its Home Region

Virginia isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of a musical hotbed. Those are places like NYC, LA, Nashville, Atlanta, and Miami. But Virginia native Pharrell Williams has been trying to change that perception for years, outrightly so with his Something In The Water Festival. Back in 2019, Pharrell described his vision for it, noting that it wasn’t just to bring artists together, but for corporations, the NCAA, and the world to understand that Virginia is here, “open for business,” and deserving its flowers for its outsized yet lesser-known impact on popular music.

To fully grasp that outsized impact, one maybe does need to quickly look back at history. Virginia, with its colonial blend of English, Scots-Irish, and African influences, was a launching pad for old-time music — the foundation for blues, bluegrass, country music, and more. Many of America’s most iconic performers, from Patsy Cline to Ella Fitzgerald, hailed from the state and drew influence from that unique sonic landscape. Popular music today, from jazz to blues to hip-hop, is a reflection of a poly-cultural makeup — and Virginia was one of the first places where those diverse perspectives and styles began to manifest into tangible works of art.

Fast-forward to more recent history, and the state’s impact on the music world is undeniable, yet still seems to fly under the radar. All one needs to do is have a look at Pharrell and his production partner, Chad Hugo, who formed The Neptunes in 1990 from their hometown of Virginia Beach, VA. The iconic duo gave the world hits like “Milkshake” by Kelis, “Beautiful” by Snoop Dogg, and “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani, with the two eventually being named the second most influential production duo of the 21st Century, only behind pop savant Max Martin. Of course, that’s not the last the world has seen of Pharrell. The multi-hyphenate musician gave us the now divisive, yet still monstrously successful “Happy” (which he himself seems to be sick of), and has contributed to recent work from Kendrick Lamar, Jack Harlow, Kehlani, ROSALÍA, Omar Apollo, Ashnikko, and Snoh Aalegra — just to name a few. He also just dropped this jam with 21 Savage and Tyler The Creator.

He’s not alone though. Surrounding Pharrell is a vortex of other successful artists and producers who also call Virginia Beach and the surrounding Hampton Roads area home, from Pharrell’s cousin Timbaland and his long-time collaborator Missy Elliott to Pusha T and his brother No Malice, otherwise known as Clipse. Each act came up together at the same time in the exact same town — a puzzling revelation that sparks a lot of intrigue. This is where the diverse cultural makeup of Virginia meets with a somewhat surprising facilitator for its melting pot feel — the US Navy. Newport News, where Missy, Pharrell, and those other VA players come from, is home to a large number of naval bases that over the years have brought families from all over the country to the region. That raises the question: could it be that all those disparate influences and regional styles made the area an easy-bake oven for totally fresh yet immediately recognizable and universally resonant music?

Other Virginian artists, from Dave Grohl and D’Angelo to Kali Uchis and Dave Matthews, may not come from Newport News specifically but their varied musical styles embody the state’s broad sensibilities. Their music showcases distinct regional flair and speaks to hotspots just outside the state’s borders, from the country twang of Tennessee to the punk rock and urban flair of Washington D.C. D.C., for instance, is where Grohl cut his teeth in the punk scene, loading him up with influences that he’d take to Seattle in the late ’80s before joining Nirvana with their mix of fast-slow-fast melodic heaviness. The end result was a mix that has made the Foo Fighters an all-time band around the world.

DC’s influence on Virginia’s music shouldn’t be understated with the Nation’s Capital housing so many different artists, from the aforementioned Kali Uchis to rapper Wale, plus a multitude of venues in such a concentrated area. Catering to all sentiments — the heart of the establishment, the spirit of rebellion — Virginia’s neighbor to the north reflects the same diverse cultural personality and output, something that could again easily be attributed to the area’s military and government outposts. As that city welcomes a refreshed version of Pharrell’s Something In The Water Festival this week, music lovers will be given a chance to re-embrace Virginia and its surrounding area’s lasting impact on culture while rejoicing in the art coming out of every under-the-radar city, state, and country across the world.

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

El-P Catches COVID, Forcing Run The Jewels To Withdraw From The Something In The Water Festival

While we have created a new sense of normal in our COVID-19-stricken world, the threat of the virus is still present. In some unfortunate news, Twitter users learned that Run The Jewels will no longer be able to perform at Something In The Water this weekend because El-P tested positive. He sent out a public notes app apology coupled with the humorous caption, “looks like i picked the wrong month to stop sniffing glue” (a reference to the 1980 movie Airplane!).

Something In The Water is a three-day festival founded in 2019, and this is the first year it is going to be held in Washington DC. The lineup includes names like Tyler The Creator, Lil Baby, Lucky Daye, Usher, Ashanti and Ja Rule, J Balvin, Pharrell, Clipse, Justin Timberlake, SZA, NORE, and many more.

With it being nearly a full year since Run The Jewels released RTJ4 (Deluxe Edition), fans will now have to a little longer for a big festival set from the group. There are over four decades of history between El-P and Killer Mike both as individuals and together, yet they are still in high demand evident in the many well wishes shared with El-P.

Check out the El-P’s announcement above.

Pharrell’s Something In The Water Festival Returns In 2022 With Lil Baby, Chloe x Halle, And More

Pharrell Williams‘ Something In The Water festival will relocate from his hometown Virginia Beach, Virginia to Washington DC this June. This year will mark the second iteration of the festival, following its inaugural festival in 2019.

The festival takes place along Independence Avenue in DC on June 17-19, coinciding with Juneteenth. On the lineup is an eclectic selection of acts, including Lil Baby, Pusha T, Chloe x Halle, Tyler The Creator, Run The Jewels, Omar Apollo, Snoh Allegra, Ozuna, Dave Matthews Band, and more.

Williams opted not to return to Virginia Beach last year, due to “toxic energy” from the city’s mayor and local government. The fallout is a result of inaction following the shooting of Williams’ cousin, Donovon Lynch, by Virginia Beach police.

Williams said in a statement:

“Something in the Water is a Black solution (LOVE) for a systemic issue, and this year we are taking our celebration to a higher platform—the nation’s Capital during Juneteenth Weekend. We want to show the world that there is Something in the Water across the whole DMV and I want to continue to bring awareness to the greatness within these communities and invite large corporations to show up for the people. DC has always been a deep inspiration to me as a person and a musician. It is the land where Go-Go Music was birthed which has provided so much for our people. Our sponsors continue to go the extra mile to show that Something in the Water is so much more than a festival. The goodwill we generate is a defining trait of who we are. We will always have the hottest artists, but to pair that energy with these brands showing up for the community is what makes this festival a vehicle for change.”

General on-sale for the festival begins this Saturday, April 30. Past festival-goers will have access to an exclusive pre-sale beginning Wednesday. Virginia residents will have access to a “Virginia Locals Only” presale taking place Friday, April 29 beginning at 10 a.m. ET through 5 p.m. ET.

“If you’re celebrating music, if you’re celebrating Black excellence, if you’re drawing attention to the people who have dedicated their lives to knocking down barriers and uplifting our communities — then there is no better place to do that than in Washington, DC,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser in a statement “We are proud to be working with Pharrell to bring Something In The Water to DC for Juneteenth weekend. DC is open and we are ready to celebrate.”

Check out the full line-up below.

Something In The Water 2022 Lineup
Courtesy of Live Nation

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

Pharrell’s Something In The Water Festival Will No Longer Be In Virginia Beach Due To Its ‘Toxic Energy’

In 2019, Pharrell invited some of today’s top stars to take the stage in his Virginia Beach hometown for his Something In The Water festival. The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021, but in 2022, things will be a little different. The musician has decided to move the festival away from Virginia Beach, citing the city’s “toxic environment” in a letter to officials.

Pharrell’s letter comes as a response to Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney’s memo to the musician dated September 26, which detailed his “immense disappointment” in learning Something In The Water would be moved from the city. In Pharrell’s response to Duhaney, the musician explained that much of his decision to move the festival is due to the city’s response to his cousin’s murder by a police officer who did not have their body camera turned on:

“I love the city of Virginia Beach. I’ve always loved the city of Virginia Beach and most importantly our people. It’s a part of my beloved 757.

When we did the festival, it was to ease racial tension, to unify the region, bring about economic development opportunities and broaden the horizons of the local business community. We achieved those things! I wish the same energy I’ve felt from Virginia Beach leadership upon losing the festival would have been similarly channeled following the loss of my relative’s life.

I love my city, but for far too long it has been run by — and with toxic energy. The toxic energy that changed the narrative several times around the homicide of my cousin, Donovan Lynch, a citizen of Virginia, is the same toxic energy that changed the narrative around the mass murder and senseless loss of life at Building Number 2.

I sang about a room without a roof, but I am tired of kindly and politely being shown the door.

Until gatekeepers and the powers-that-be consider the citizens and the consumer base, and no longer view the idea of human rights for all as a controversial idea… I don’t have any problems with the city, but I realize the city hasn’t valued my proposed solutions, either.”

Read Pharrell’s full letter here.