The Roots have once again secured a high-profile lineup for the group’s annual Roots Picnic extravaganza at the Mann in Fairmount Park in the group’s native Philadelphia. Diddy (backed by the Roots) and Ms. Lauryn Hill will headline the June 2-4 event, with the latter act performing her iconic album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in its entirety in honor of its 25th anniversary.
Comedian and longtime Roots associate Dave Chappelle will also perform with the group in what’s described as “a seismic, first-ever comedy set of this magnitude.” Tickets will be available through a fan club presale starting tomorrow (Feb. 21) and via general public on-sale the following day.
The Roots Picnic lineup also features a headline set from Lil Uzi Vert, a reunion of Philadelphia hip-hop collective State Property (with Beanie Sigel and Freeway), Roots member Black Thought’s Live Mixtape set with Eve, Busta Rhymes, DVSN, and Kindred the Family Soul, Little Brother, DJ Drama, Ari Lenox, City Girls, and “Soulquarians Icons sets” with the Isley Brothers and Roy Ayers.
Beyond the music, the event will feature a podcast stage with live tapings from Charlamagne Tha God and Off the Record with DJ Akademiks, Questlove’s Questlove Supreme, People’s Party with Talib Kweli and Lip Service with Angela Yee.
Launched in 2007, the Roots Picnic has previously featured Pharrell Williams, the Weekend, Nas, A$AP Rocky, Future, the War on Drugs, Vampire Weekend, and Snoop Dogg.
As previously reported, Black Thought is continuing a prolific run of collaborations outside of the Roots this spring with Leon Michels’ soul project El Michels Affair. Their new album, Glorious Game, will be released on April 14 through Big Crown Records.
