Roots Picnic 2026: Erykah Badu, Kehlani, De La Soul, and T.I. Deliver Memorable Performances

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Jun 1, 2026 6:00am PT

Roots Picnic 2026 Delivers Knockout Performances From Erykah Badu, Kehlani, De La Soul and T.I.

By Steven J. Horowitz

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Steven J. Horowitz

Senior Music Writer

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Another year, another Roots Picnic on the books . This year, the legendary Roots crew staged the almost decades-old festival at Philadelphia’s Belmont Plateau, assembling a lineup that offered the best of both hip-hop and R&B across a seamless two days.

It’s no small undertaking what Questlove, Black Thought and the rest of the hometown heroes accomplish with the annual event, and 2026 was no exception. Jay-Z delivered a historic return to the stage as a headliner on Saturday night, backed by the Roots , bringing New York flair to Philly while honoring some of its most viable artists. ( Read Variety ‘s review here .) As he traipsed through his greatest hits, “Empire State of Mind” and “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” among them, he also showcased the breadth of talent borne out of Philly, with guests including Jazmine Sullivan, Bilal, Meek Mill and the lot of his Roc-A-Fella crew: Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Memphis Bleek and Young Gunz.

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_Originally reported by [Variety Music](https://variety.com/2026/music/news/roots-picnic-2026-recap-erykah-badu-kehlani-de-la-soul-ti-1236763694/)._