Essence Music Festival has announced its incredibly stacked lineup for 2019. Set to take place July 5-7 at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, the three-day festival will include headlining performances from Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. Other acts on the lineup feature new and old school artists in Hip-Hop and R&B, including H.E.R., Nas, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Lil Jon, and Pharrell Williams. Passes for the festival are on sale now and can be purchased here. Check out the full lineup below.
Last year’s lineup included headlining sets from Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg, The Roots, and Erykah Badu. Previous lineups have included Chance the Rapper, John Legend, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Solange, and Beyonce. This year’s edition will celebrate the festivals 25th anniversary, providing music, conferences featuring keynote speakers and podcasts, and exhibitions, including a beauty carnival, a wellness house, and a marketplace with black-owned businesses, celebrating black culture.
Mary J. Blige recently announced a co-headlining tour with Nas that is slated to begin this summer as well as their new song “Thriving.” Blige’s last solo effort was 2017’s Strength of a Woman, with Nas’ last release being the Kanye West-produced album Nasir. A music video for the song “Cop Shot the Kid” was released earlier this year delivering a powerful message and a cameo appearance from Slick Rick, which his song “Children’s Story” is sampled on the song.
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