Megan Thee Stallion, Lauryn Hill to headline 2023 ESSENCE Fest

Doug E. Fresh, Jermaine Dupri, and others are included in a hip-hop-centric lineup at this year's ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans.

TheGrio Staff

Mar 30, 2023

Megan Thee Stallion and Lauryn Hill are headlining the 2023 ESSENCE Fest. The annual event takes place June 29 to July 3 in New Orleans.

This year’s ESSENCE Fest lineup illustrates the event’s focus on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Megan is among the most successful female rappers in the industry, with 11 platinum-certified singles to her name and three Grammy Awards.

Hill is one of the most respected, enigmatic artists in music since emerging in the mid-1990s. First coming into prominence as a member of The Fugees, Hill went to another level when she released her first, and so far only, solo studio album, 1998’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” The eight-time Grammy-winner will perform “Miseducation” in full at the festival in light of its 25th anniversary this year.

2022 Essence Festival Of Culture - Louisiana Superdome - Day 1 — Lauryn Hill performs onstage during the “Essence Festival of Culture” on July 1, 2022, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Essence)

“As we gear up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we couldn’t think of a better way to honor the contributions that genre has made on global culture and the impressions that these artists and their deep musical catalogs, which we all know so well, have been ingrained into the fibers of our day-to-day lives,” said Hakeem Holmes, vice president of ESSENCE Festival of culture.

“This year, we are excited to have everyone join us in celebrating 50 years of musical excellence, experiencing our diverse daytime and nighttime offerings, and highlighting the importance of Black economic inclusion,” he concluded.

Joining Megan and Hill are many other hip-hop acts on the ESSENCE Fest bill. Doug E. Fresh will curate a special performance, and Jermaine Dupri will lead a 30th-anniversary celebration of his So So Def Record label.

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Wizkid, Monica, Coco Jones, and Kizz Daniel will perform on the Culture stage. DJ Kid Capri, DJ Clark Kent, and DJ Spinderella will lead several DJ sets. Several comedians, including Spice Adams, Janelle James, Deon Cole and Affion Crockett, will host nightly activations.

ESSENCE Fest will announce additional acts at a later date.

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