Essence Fest 2018 Rundown

Ok so we leave New Orleans tomorrow afternoon but we will definitely be back. We fell in love w/New Orleans when we came last year October and Essence Fest didn’t disappoint! 

Please note…. you DO NOT have to buy concert tickets to come to Essence Fest and have a great time. Everything happening inside the convention center (except actual vendors of course) is free of charge. That includes the meet n greets, movie screenings, hair products, tshirts, makeovers, custom/designed tote bags, health/beauty/money/cooking demo sessions and even performances. If you do buy concert tickets spend the money to sit on the floor. I don’t care what anybody says lol just do it.

Truth be told… there is TOO DAMN MUCH going on at the same time. I had all these things checked off on the app that I was going to attend over the 3 days. I attended TWO of them y’all. Two.  The Boss Up segment for women entrepreneurs was excellent and ended up being standing room only after a while. I got to see a few of the other segments while I was waiting in line for different things as well.

Now for the concert run down…

Let me get this out of the way… I truly feel Teddy Riley should have closed it out! Idc
I have wanted to see Janet perform live my whole life and I was a bit let down. I dont know… I just expected more. Don’t get me wrong, she did her thing I just wasn’t wow’d. Yes I know her dad just passed and I get that it may have been a factor. 

But babyyyyyy when I tell you Teddy Riley came ALL THE WAY THROUGH! I mean his set couldn’t be touched. I didn’t even know his catalog was that massive.  Nope… I had no clue he did “The Show” either lol

Everyone he brought on stage gave 110% and omg Guy…. y’all Arron Hall sang his ass off. Ginuwine with the MJ tribute dance moves and all smh he KILLED IT! Tank did My Prerogative. Blackstreet and Dave Hollister were so dope! Kool Mo Dee, MC Lyte, Doug E Fresh, Hi 5,  SWV, Wreckx n Effect, Keith Sweat…. just crazy childhood memories for me. Teddy Riley’s set was EPIC!

Queen Latifah really impressed me! Her jazz vocals were on point and she is still a lyrical beast. The “I Wanna Be Down” set w/Brandy, Yoyo and MCLyte was LIT. I’m not even a fan but Remy Ma came all the way through. Salt n Peppa are always solid…. I love to see them perform. And y’all Missy Elliott….omg she wasn’t there to play no games…period! She tore that damn stage up. Monie Love, Nikki D and Roxanne Shante graced the stage as well.

Xscape did their thing! Tocha Scott is a beast and TRULY underrated.  

Ashanti’s voice is everything…. man that chic can BLOW! 

I’m just not a Miguel fan and I still don’t understand the hype. And yes I’m pissed tf off that his set was at least an hour and Ledisi was up there for thirty lousy minutes. I mean… da fugg?! Ledisi was so damn fly tho! Her gorgeous self. Anyway…

I wasnt pressed about seeing Snoop Dogg but he was the bomb! Truly enjoyed him.  Mad props to Snoop Dogg and the Roots for puttin a praise on it! Bringing Fred Hammond, John P Kee, the Clark Sisters and Kirk Franklin out to perform just put something in the atmosphere. Mannnnn I got my praise on.

Hubby and I have seen the Roots several times and they never disappoint! But when I tell you Ms. Jill Scott and Erykah Badu OWNED that stage! Omg… I’ve seen all of them perform separately but never together. “You Got Me” was seriously EPIC! Anthony Hamilton’s voice is timeless.

Fantasia showed her whole ass as always… literally and figuratively lol y’all she so damn fine. When she brought her little brother on stage I cried tears for days smh (if you don’t follow her on social media you probably won’t understand). And why y’all didn’t tell me KC from Jodeci was her first cousin? He came out and sang a bit then dropped the mic n left lol

Mary J still can’t dance for shit lol but when I tell you she had a frickin divorce party on that stage!!! She sang her heart out man and you knew she was talkin cash money shit to Kendu smmfh…. I didn’t know whether I should cry or what. Like… how you have a whole divorce party without informing the guests before hand?! 

Side note- Boris Kodjoe and Larenz Taye just fine for no reason smmfh 

I know I forgot something or someone so yeah next year I need y’all to meet or beat me here!