The 2008 Essence Music Festival took place July 4-6, 2008 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Among the participating artists were Rihanna, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Jill Scott, Patti LaBelle, Keyshia Cole, Ledisi, Lyfe Jennings, Raheem DeVaughn, J. Holiday and Mary J. Blige (pictured above).
Rihanna took to the stage on opening night with a strong set that included heavy BET-rotation hits such as Take a Bow.
Rihanna
[Chris] Brown prompted audience sing-alongs on ballads such as No Air. At this sultry tempo Brown often engaged in call-response with his deejay, as luxurious vocal phrases elicited equally elegant sonic samples. Hip-hop was never far away, however. “OK, that’s enough of the slow ones!” Brown shouted before launching into Shawty Get Loose. Only 19 himself, Brown passed the torch by bringing out a 12-year-old rapper named Scooter, who took the stage with the confidence of a seasoned adult.
Chris Brown
The old-school acts: On one of Essence’s smaller stages, Grandmaster Flash demonstrated the turn-table technique that he made famous years ago. “Without DJs,” he said, “there would be no hip-hop.” As his assistant served up a succession of much-scratched LPs, Grandmaster Flash unleashed such seminal classics as The Message. In comparison to Brown’s elaborate stage setup, Grandmaster Flash’s turntables looked like an acoustic guitar in the hands of a Delta blues singer — but his sound was equally powerful.
Kanye West
The fireworks: Ferocious power and fierce commitment pulsed through West’s set from Note One on Friday night. The melody instruments of his tight band occupied one huge stage riser, while another was filled with a battery of various drums, including tympanis. West’s band was clearly playing live, rather than providing tracks for the singer. He paced the stage in constant, frenetic motion, amid swirling smoke that suggested a cinematic scene from Apocalypse Now. The set included crowd favorites such as Diamonds From Sierra Leone, Can’t Tell Me Nothin’ and his 2005 hit Gold Digger, which samples from Ray Charles’ hit I Got a Woman.
Patti LaBelle
The ladies: On Saturday night, Patti LaBelle was chatty. But at 64, her magnificent voice is undiminished. The same applies to her longtime compatriots Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, who joined her to reprise the 1974 hit Lady Marmalade, which was recorded in New Orleans. “I’m glad we’re reuniting here,” LaBelle said from her makeup chair, “especially if we can help heal some of the devastation that went on during Katrina at the Superdome.” The threesome, known collectively as Labelle, disbanded in 1977 but has an album due in September and plans for a tour. “It’s time to do this,” Hendryx said. Dash added, “We never officially said ‘goodbye’ in ‘77.” The set, billed as “Essence Icons Honor LaBelle,” also featured New Orleans soul diva Irma Thomas, Angie Stone and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, among others.
Morris Day and The Time
The wind-down: Morris Day and The Time took the stage Sunday night with renditions of their songs, including Gigolos Get Lonely Too and The Bird.
Source: New, old meet in Big Easy for Essence music fest
Photo credit: Getty Images
LL Cool J
Keyshia Cole
Jill Scott
