Questlove defends decision to include Sexyy Red in 2024 Roots Picnic lineup

On Monday (Feb. 19), the lineup for the 2024 Roots Picnic was revealed with Victoria Monét, Nas, Jill Scott, Gunna, and Lil Wayne as the headliners. Plenty of other big names, including Fantasia, Wale, Scarface, Babyface, and Tyga, were also confirmed to make appearances.

One of the more surprising additions to the Roots Picnic was Sexyy Red, which provoked criticism from peers and supporters of the Philadelphia event. Questlove, who executive produced the festival as part of the iconic band The Roots, received much of the vitriol after celebrating the St. Louis talent’s upcoming performance on Instagram.

“Wow this is where we are in Hip Hop?! There is nothing positive about her message. [What the h**l is going on in music?” wrote April Hernandez-Castillo, while Amanda Seales simply replied with “Yikes” in the comments section. It didn’t take long before Questlove decided to address the issue.

“There is always that one [act] on the show everyone hates because it serves as a reminder the Hip Hop they like is from 30 years ago,” he wrote under Mel D. Cole’s more positive reaction. “I mean, I get it, but look: We gotta round and balance the day out. There are other stages, podcasts, and events to see.”

The Grammy and Oscar winner continued, “When have you seen a festival in which every act is the act you love? I mean, the way I see it, cats in here [are] bringing a certain energy; meanwhile, there is a whole entire [Jill Scott] post, Amerie post, Black Thought post, and a [Method Man and Redman] post. I see/hear nary a ‘I love real music’ person supporting that… It’s almost worth it just for this engagement, and trolling was the last thing on my mind. Roots Picnic is well-rounded, and that’s why it works.”

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