Without a doubt, Philadelphia is a music city. Some of Black music’s best talent hails from the city of brotherly love—Jill Scott, The Roots, Will Smith, and Eve, just to name a few. Beyond some of the city’s most notable Black stars, music is embedded into the fabric of the nation’s sixth largest city. It’s why it came as no surprise that through a handful of rideshare drives I was greeted with everything from gospel music to Arabic rap, or why it took less than a mile of a walk to find the nearest music haven in the city, Repo Records on South Street, a beloved vinyl shop upholding some of the city’s most popular genres including jazz, hip-hop, and Philly soul. These anecdotes make up the larger story of what makes Philly’s hometown music festival The Roots Picnic so rich in music, art, and of course, culture.
At first brush one might have preconceived notions about what Philly is, but there’s an unexpected beauty that emerges, especially during the Roots Picnic weekend. The multi-generational festival has flocks of Black people sprawled out across the park’s lawn in blankets and mats, fully prepared to take on the heat and hear some of their favorite musicians in living color.
“I always love coming to Philly because I’m always shocked at the amount of Black folks in Philly,” says St. Louis rapper, Smino. “They always pop out and show love.” The Luv 4 Rent rapper performed on the first day of The Roots Picnic, and also made an appearance at the Chase Sapphire-sponsored Roots Picnic’s kick off event at the Brooklyn Bowl, where he engaged in an intense bowling match against fellow rapper and comrade, Wale. Amidst playful banter and some trash talk, the pair’s energy primed an intimate crowd of fans of what to expect for Roots Picnic weekend: an electrifying blend of soulful performances, surprise guest appearances, and a celebration of hip-hop culture that promises unforgettable moments.
While Smino claims to have taken the victory in bowling, the real win was being able to perform at a music festival in front of fans both new and old. The Ghetto Sage co-collaborator was amongst a lineup that included acts from Sexyy Red and BLK ODYSSY to Amerie and Andre 3000, so there was an array of tastes for everyone to choose from. In addition to performing in front of a packed crowd, Smino also delighted in the two-day festival hosting two of his biggest musical influences, Lil Wayne and the aforementioned ATLien. “Those are two of the biggest influences, and Jill Scott played last night,” he says. “My mom and dad played her in the house so much.”
Fashion is also very clearly a big part of the aesthetic that we get when we think of Smino. However, at its core, he is simply remaining true to himself—today he’s wearing camouflage Amiri cargos, Timberland boots, an oversized white tee, and a Wrestlemania hat that beautifully sits atop his signature afro. “There’s so many different versions of St. Louis,” the Grammy nominee explains. “You won’t get the same [person] twice ever. We pride ourselves on not being like the next person.”
While it would be easy to compare The Roots Picnic to other popular American music festivals, the picnic exists in a lane all of its own. The picnic shares space across three stages within Fairmount Park, with the mainstage holding the title of its namesake, the Presser stage, and the Centennial stage. One can come to appreciate the small number of stages to make for easy navigation as well as more intimate performances with musicians and their fans. “There was a lot of diversity in age at this music festival. I’m not going to lie, I’d come back anytime.”
Like many who descend upon Philadelphia for the Roots Picnic (organizers said final count was around 60,000 people) there’s a draw for every one of the attendees, whether it being spending time at one of the sponsor-led activations such as the Chase Sapphire Lounge, getting your groove on at the skating rink on the grounds, embracing the diaspora at Jerk x Jollof, listening to Gille and Wallo’s Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast live, or even indulging your tastebuds with what Philadelphians call a “Hot Honey Lobstah Jawn,” you can’t miss at whatever you decide.
I mentioned unforgettable moments, and that’s precisely what The Roots Picnic offered—think of Wale making his way into the crowd during his set, Smino taking the stage wearing Topicals Eye Patches, Jill Scott lighting a blunt to commemorate her return to her hometown, Fantasia doing a rendition of Tina Turners’ “Proud Mary,” a 65-year-old Babyface bringing down the house performing some of his own hits such as “Whip Appeal,” and some of his noteworthy tracks he’s famously written, like Bobby Brown’s “Roni,” The Whispers “Rock Steady,” and Johnny Gill’s “There You Go.” New Orleans natives Trombone Shorty and Lil Wayne headlined Sunday evening, joined by the picnic’s namesake band, The Roots. In a celebration honoring the city of New Orleans, the band made a second-line entrance to the stage, coming in from the crowd, and you could see people in the crowd dancing with their white towels raised in the air. “It wouldn’t be right of Philly to pay homage to New Orleans without bringing out Lil Wayne,” said Black Thought introducing the legendary rapper.
These anecdotes highlight the diverse, multigenerational audience that Smino previously mentioned, demonstrating how music resonates across different age groups and brings together listeners from various backgrounds. For his newfound listeners he wants their takeaway to be “damn, I haven’t heard this [before]. I didn’t know I needed this.”
For Smino, the Roots Picnic was a kickoff to what he’s calling a “Smino Summer,” sharing that new music is on the horizon. His career, backed in part by major labels, is undergoing a healthy shift, as he’s now gone independent. In 2021, the “No L’s” emcee inked a deal with Motown in partnership with his label, Zero Fatigue. “This is my first real indie deal,” he explains. “A lot of people think I be capping about dropping sh-t because I always dropped years apart, but this is going to be a big summer for me.”