Questlove Roots Picnic 2019
Photo Credit: Vickey Ford of Sneakshot for Okayplayer
The Roots, Michelle Obama Hosting Virtual Roots Picnic 2020
SZA, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, and more will perform on the YouTube livestream.
On Tuesday, The Roots and Michelle Obama announced their plans for June 27th's Roots Picnic. The former First Lady's When We All Vote initiative teamed up with the crew to create a virtual festival.
"If you know the legendary," Questlove wrote on Instagram, "You know the show must always go on NO MATTER WHAT. So with that said...proud to be partnering with forever our lady Michelle Obama and her When We All Vote organization to present the 13th annual #RootsPicnic virtual experience. on Saturday 6PM EST on June 27th!"
Artists will perform over YouTube livestream, while a plethora of non-musical guests will also make appearances. The musical lineup features The Roots, SZA, H.E.R., G. Herbo, Earthgang, Polo G, Snoh Aalegra, and Musiq Soulchild. DJ D-Nice will also play a special set during the festivities. Kirk Franklin, Janelle Monae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tom Hanks, Liza Koshy, Chris Paul and Lin Manuel-Miranda will make appearances as well. Tune in to The Roots' YouTube page to watch the show.
DaBaby, Burna Boy, Thundercat, and more were among the festival's original lineup. Hometown hero Meek Mill was an original headliner. Originally set for May 30, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the date back to August 1 before organizers decided to officially cancel the festival altogether.
The festival was set to feature live podcast recordings from Kid Fury and Crissle's The Read, Elliot Wilson's CRWN, and The Joe Budden Podcast. Stay tuned for further updates on Roots Picnic 2020.
