Every Photo You Need To See From The 10th Annual Roots Picnic

Photo by Mel D. Cole for Okayplayer

The 10th Annual Roots Picnic as told through two of our favorite lenses.

Let's not pretend for a moment that the 10th Roots Picnic run in Philly was worthy of anything less than royalty. For a decade now, The Roots' hometown throwdown has been the stuff of music myth, often realizing those Disney-perfect fantasies we conjure up in live and direct spectacles of spontaneity and proven excellence.

READ:Shayan Asgharnia Shares His Most Memorable Roots Picnic Portrait Stories

This year, perhaps more than any other, the Illa Fifth bridged generations of hip-hop and r&b lovers, summoning era-defining talents; curators, producers, musicians, wordsmiths and even some that manage to wear all of the hats with remarkable aptitude.

For some performers, it was an introduction. For others, a long-overdue reunion, both with the city of Philadelphia and old kin. But our eyes and ruminations, no matter how life-affirming or emotionally-exhausting, can hardly speak to the weight of a day-long affair with music's most eccentric and influential titans and upstarts sharing a bill (Pharrell & The Roots, Solange, Thundercat, Pete Rock, Playboi Carti, 21 Savage and Jeezy, never to forget the moment Tyler The Creator leaped out the wings during the headlining set, a retrospective of Skateboard P's unfuckwitable career.) There's so few of us, so many of them. The math simply wasn't in our favor. However, two photographers that beat the numbers every damn time-- Vickey "Sneakshot" Ford and Mel D. Cole -- were on the scene to capture the legend-making in real-time. Don't ask us how, but between the two of them, the gallery below is basically a storyboard on the day.

READ: The Secret History Behind Every Roots Picnic Poster Ever Made

Relive the 10th Annual Roots Picnic in Philly below. And don't you fret, we'll be back in NYC before you know it.