Okayplayer's Top 20 Musical Moments Of Summer 2014

The summer seems to be finally winding down, but oh what a season it was. Thanks to the hard work and generosity of some of the best photographers in the business, Okayplayer has acquired dazzling imagery of the likes of Snoop Dogg, Janelle Monáe, D'Angelo and (yes) Mick Jagger--images that tell the story of a music-packed summer that was one for the ages. Here for you is our roundup, unranked, of what became our favorite musical moments that have transpired from May to now. Click the arrows and follow us on a trip down memory lane...

#1: Janelle Monae blows the sky off Roots Picnic

Janelle Monae, music's most captivating 31st Century heroine, blew us all away at this year's annual Roots Picnic in Philly. Ms. Monae paused beneath an embroidered cape mid-set before launching back into her sky-high live set. With cuts like "Q.U.E.E.N." and the Prince-tinged "Givin' Em What They Love," JM regally ruled as the afternoon's most awe-inspiring all-around performer. We're sure James Brown was grooving and approving from on high.

(Photos by Seher Sikandar)

#2: Black Coffee celebrates 20 years of South African democracy by delivering unto Central Park a house explosion

If you missed out on Okayplayer's run of Summerstage concerts in Central Park, you better have had a damn good reason. Some of the wildest parties that NYChas ever known took place under our namesake banner, perhaps none wilder than Okayafrica's showcase of Black Coffee, DJ Spoko, and Electrafrique in June. South African master DJ Black Coffee made the night into a historic tribute, dedicating his set to 20 years of democracy in his home nation. "It's a very great honor and privilege for me to welcome you to this very auspicious occasion. To celebrate 20 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa," George Monyemangene of the South African consulate said as the music began. By the end of the night, Coffee had pushed the crowd to its very limit--all in the name of equal rights and open government.

(Photos by Jake Salyers)

#3: FKA Twigs turns out Pitchfork festival in Chicago

This year's Pitchfork festival was a hip-hop head's sweet dream, with SZA, Pusha T, Schoolboy Q, Danny Brown, Isiah Rashad, DJ Spinn and Kendrick Lamar all making the trip out to Chicago's Union Park. The whole show was stolen, though by FKA Twigs, who turned out a seething, seductively transcendent performance that served as prelude for her monumental debut LP. Backed by a stripped-down band crooned and writhed in a haze of blue light, bringing the afternoon crowd to its knees.

(Photos by Gretchen V. Baria)

#4: Jay day at the Brooklyn Hip-hop Festival

As we've learned at past Brooklyn Hip-hop Festivals, anything that we might dream can very likely come true. Jay Electronica surpassed all expectations in the middle of his 2014 set, bringing out Bk's own Jay-Z and, later, J. Cole to form a triple-J threat on the festival's main stage. Even if he never drops that long-awaited full length, Jay Elec will always have our hearts after such a high-wattage affair. The Roc boys were in the building that night, oh what a feeling we're feeling light...

(Photos by Tyrone z McCants)

#5: Bonobo closes the North American chapter of the best live show in electronic music.

It was glory from the word "go" at the Okayfuture Central Park showcase, as Bonobo painted the summer sky with brand new strange and lovely colors. His herculean North Borders tour finally said goodbye to North America on that warm midsummer night, and what a send-off it was. Vocalists Andreya Triana, Grey Reverend and Szjerdene all shared microphone duties while Simon Green kept things fluid from his digital roost at center stage.

(Photo by Leah Runyon)

#6: L'infamous Mobb Deep invades Paris

Mobb Deep shook the Parisians down to their suave, shiny boots when they took over the French capital for a run of guerrilla shows. The Queensbridge duo wrecked multiple venues on their four-day path of deconstruction, proving that French are well and capable of getting hype for classic hip-hop.

(Photos by Mr. Mass)

#7: The Roots chop &TYSYC into mixed media live art

If there were any worries about this summer's prospects, The Roots put them all to rest when they announced the May release of ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin, a sparse and tormented art piece of a record that once again proved their status as some of hip-hop's leading minds. To give the LP a proper unveiling, Questlove, Black Thought and co. took to NYC's Public Theater for a sprawling avant-garde performance that melded dance, music, video and more than a few balloons into a dazzling representation of the album's tortured tone.

(Photos by Mel D. Cole)

#8: Lykke Li emerges from the San Francisco fog

Perennially underrated, underpriced and underexposed, Outside Lands has become one of the best festivals on earth. This year a hoary fog swept over the Bay Area in the middle of headliners' sets, adding a hint of misty intrigue to the sonic offerings of Kanye West, Run the Jewels, Chromeo and Lykke Li. It was the latter who benefited most from the cloud cover; Li's captivating brand of synthetic indie pop grew vivid, like a laser shot across a nature-made smoke machine.

(Photos by Ashleigh Reddy)

#9: DJ Spoko hits NYC with Bacardi House on his first-ever day on American soil

History was heavy in the air at Okayafrica's Central Park Summerstage fête. In large part a celebration of South African democracy, the night also marked the American debut of DJ Spoko. With his blend of traditional electro dance beats and even more traditional African percussion, Spoko's "Bacardi House" set was an hour of ten-stories-tall Soweto fire. You can hear Spoko's brilliance for yourself over at the wonderland known as Okayafrica.

(Photo by Jake Salyers)

#10: Snoop, Doug E Fresh + The Roots perform the most legendary version of "Lodi Dodi" ever

The title pretty much says it all, and if you ain't heard you then you've got a real problem. The Doggfather Snoop Dogg headlined this year's Roots Picnic and made sure we never forget who's Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. Snoop brought out none other than Doug E Fresh, and what began as a beatbox session for the ages grew into a full-on rendition of "Lodi Dodi," with Fresh's boom-bap taking over drums duty from Questlove.

(Photos by Mel D. Cole)

#11: Dev Hynes and Samantha Urbani open up onstage about f**ked-up policing and their brushes with brutality

Our celebratory string of Central Park showcases closed with Blood Orange's Dev Hynes and Samantha Urbani standing up for peace and justice--and turning out an absolutely mesmerizing set. Betwixt cuts from the scintillating Cupid Deluxe, the couple paused to reflect on the state of police brutality in the wake of Eric Garner's chokehold death, Michael Brown's tragic gunning down in Ferguson, Missouri, and their own brush with abusive security at Lollapalooza earlier this summer. "I think in our culture it’s a real shock that that doesn’t add up in everything. Just because the Civil Rights Act was like 50 years ago, doesn’t mean that we’re 50 times past it," Hynes said before a loud and supportive capacity crowd.

(Photo by Eddie Pearson)

#12: Big Freedia teaches the bay to NOLA bounce 

Once the fog cleared at Outside Lands it was time to bounce. Big Freedia, undisputed queen of Nawlins booty movin' taught the West Coast a thing or two about NOLA bounce dancing during a performance that went from 0 to Duffy in no time flat.

(Photos by Ashleigh Reddy)

#13: Action Bronson conquers the Roots Picnic crowd with a single superman leap of faith

Known for being a tough-as-nails MC, a showstopping performer and a globetrotting gourmand, Action Bronson can now add parkour practitioner to his resume after this year's Roots Picnic turn of events. Bronson made his way from the stage through the crowd, onto the front of house platform, and bounded up onto a nearby beer truck, keeping the mic in hand and stiff arming OKP Editor-in-Chief Eddie "Salmon Shirt" Stats in the process.

(Photo by Seher Sikandar)

#14: Schoolboy Q makes believers out of the French youth

Making the transatlantic trip all the way from LAX, Schoolboy Q gave the people of Paris a hell-raising hello. With Isaiah Rashad at his side, Q proved that the bucket hat isn't just an American fashion movement.

(Photos by Mr. Mass)

#15: Dave Chappelle & The Roots make history at Radio City Music Hall

After a long--too long--time away from the spotlight, Dave Chappelle returned in full force to NYC. Recapturing the magic not only his legendary Block Party, but his timeless television series, Chappelle brought out Erykah Badu, Nas, Janelle Monáe, Busta Rhymes and more for a mammoth run of performances atop the Radio City Music Hall stage. None was greater, in our humble and might-biased own opinions, than his evening with The Roots as special guest, which brought the magic of that long ago Bed-Stuy block party back to one of the finest venues on earth.

(Photos by Mel D. Cole)

#16: Mick Jagger looks on as Chronixx and ZincFence Redemption rock "Here Comes Trouble" in Central Park

Worlds collide when Okayplayer takes the reins and plans a party. Our bruddahs at LargeUp upped their rock n roll cache when reggae aficionado (and Rolling Stones frontman) Mick Jagger (along with almost his entire family) dropped by at Central Park to take in Chronixx and ZincFence Redemption commanding the crowd with their nu-school island vibes.

(Photos by Sherwin Dyer)

#17: D'angelo calls up The Roots and Fishbone's Angelo Moore at Afropunk 

The world's will-he-or-won't-he romance with D'Angelo found solid ground under the Brooklyn night sky as the soultronic one banged out a dynamite, cover-heavy set that some seemed to think might never happen. With Questlove at the drum throne and a bevy of keyboards before him, D did more than just pay tribute. Fishbone's Angelo (can we call this moment Angelo Squared?) was called into action, providing theremin touches over the already outrageous occasion.

(Photos by Seher Sikandar)

#18: Moses Sumney's self-sampled hand-claps echo through the trees at Central Park

With a calm and confident air Moses Sumneytook the mic in Central Park and worked his magic. The young LA-based singer deployed looped claps and layered vocals to create an aural orchestra of his own design, and by the time the heart-rending melody of "Replaceable" came in we were all living deep inside his soundscape

(Photo by Okayplayer's own Dan "Dantana" Petruzzi)

#19: Machel Montano kicks off Labor Day Weekend in NYC with the LargeUp crew

As it happened, the last-ever LargeUp Session for RadioLily.com turned out to be its very most raucous. The freestyle-filled, two-year run of hybrid radio shows/in-store events which challenged the limits of live radio and Machel Montano gave the jam-packed crowd an unforgettable send-off.

(Photos by Sherwin Dyer)

#20: Gregory Porter celebrates 75 years of Blue Note Records

Last, but not least, and definitely classiest of all, Gregory Porter's tribute to the legacy of Blue Note Records will live forever in our big band-loving memories. Porter's Central Park shindig brought out Robert Glasper, Chris Turner, Gretchen Parlato and more for an all-star revue of modern jazz vitality.

(Photo by Deneka Peniston)