ONE Musicfest arrived at Piedmont Park for the first time Saturday afternoon as day one of the popular Atlanta two-day music festival got underway.
This year’s performers include Janet Jackson, Kendrick Lamar, Megan Thee Stallion, Brent Faiyaz, Bryson Tiller, Kodak Black, Coi Leray, The-Dream and Big Daddy Kane.
The annual festival, which launched in 2010, was previously held at Central Park and drew more than 45,000 attendees last year. The festival’s growing popularity sparked the move to the larger park.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a team of reporters and photographers at the event, and we’ll be providing updates throughout both days. (Tap or click here for our Day 2 coverage.)
- DeAsia Paige
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson knew Saturday that she had to come correct if she was going to headline a concert that included hip hop OGs Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One, the next generation of rap superstars like Megan Thee Stallion or tomorrow’s songwriters such as Mariah the Scientist.
After all, those who stuck around to see her performance, which started at 9:30 p.m. — the last of the night — had better get their money’s worth.
And boy did she meet the moment.
Credit: Leon Stafford
Credit: Leon Stafford
Jackson seemed hellbent on squeezing every single she ever released into a frenetic 90-minute set that was as exhaustive as it was exhilarating.
There were the usual hits — “Escapade,” “What Have You Done For Me Lately” and “All For You.” But there were also the forgotten gems, such as her collaboration with the late great Luther Vandross on “The Best Things in Life Are Free” and her guest appearance on “Diamonds,” the 1987 Herb Albert cut that introduced the jazz fusion trumpeting legend to a whole new generation of fans.
And the crowd roared when they heard the opening guitars licks of “Scream,” Jackson’s hit with brother Michael. When Michael screamed in the track’s opening line, the audience let out a full-throated yell with him.
There was a lot riding on getting it right for the younger Jackson. This weekend’s One Musicfest is dominated by hip hop royalty, and while Jackson has flirted with the genre through guest raps from Q-Tip on “Got Til’ It’s Gone” and bestie Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott on “Burnitup!,” she’s pop and R&B through and through.
That made tougher the need to keep the attention of a crowd who had come to participate in the call-and-response that is core to rap but not as critical in pop. So what do you do?
Well, Jackson brought out J. Cole and ex-boyfriend and Atlanta producer and rapper extraordinaire Jermaine Dupri. Their surprise appearance almost stole the show from Jackson when they took the stage to perform their collaborations with the pop superstar. Fists and cell phones were quickly raised in the air to capture the moment, making it almost impossible to see the rappers.
Credit: Leon Stafford
Credit: Leon Stafford
”You know I couldn’t invite you out here without letting you get a piece for yourself,” Jackson said to Cole, whom she collaborated with on “No Sleep.”
”Atlanta, can I do one for you,” Cole asked as he took over amid rapturous applause and went into his hit “No Role Modelz.”
Credit: Leon Stafford
Credit: Leon Stafford
Dupri, who produced several of Jackson’s albums, would later follow with “Welcome to Atlanta,” the 2002 rap duet with Atlanta native Ludacris. The tune was born during former Mayor Shirley Franklin’s attempt to create a brand for the city, including a song.
But “Welcome to Atlanta” has been divisive among the rap community — many thought it was corny when it was released –—and there were indeed some groans as Dupri performed it.
But it is a good flashback of what was happening right under our noses — Atlanta was becoming the epicenter of hip-hop, especially its fun video, which featured the city’s sites and other metro area-born stars, including singer Tiny of Xcape, Monica and a baby-faced Bow Wow.
The momentum the rappers brought to Jackson’s set never ebbed after that. Jackson, still bringing the choreography that would cement the 56-year-old singer as a living legend, kept the pace at 100 with “Nasty,” “The Pleasure Principle” and Control.”
When she got to “When I Think of You,” she thanked the audience for making it her first of several No. 1 singles. The mostly Black crowd, which considers the Jackson family royalty, responded with a unanimous “you’re welcome fam.”
The evening was not all uptempo songs. Jackson turned the groove down to a slow burn with the slinky “When We Ooo” and the spicy “I Get Lonely,” complete with her infamous seduction of a man tied to a chair (she used to pull people from the audience for this section of the performance but used a backup dancer instead on Saturday).
And she didn’t have to do much singing on the sumptuous “Any Time, Any Place” as the audience sang every word, especially when she got to the line “I don’t care who’s around.”
Jackson closed, as is tradition, with “Rhythm Nation,” her take on the healing power of music. As soon as the crowd heard the “five, four, three, two, one” countdown made famous in the song’s video, the crowd — sweaty, exhausted and packed like sardines on what had become a muddy field of beaten grass — bopped in place as if life itself depended on their making every effort to stomp their feet in unison with Jackson’s.
As a bonus, Jackson came back for a quasi-encore to perform “Together Again,” her love letter to friends who have passed on. But she made it vibrant and a salient reminder that love is eternal, imploring the audience to bounce with her as she sang “Everywhere I go, every smile I see, I know you are there smiling back at me.”
- Leon Stafford
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion is a leader among contemporary rappers whose rhymes are just as exciting as their stage presence. She’s a top-tier performer who makes the audience feel like they’re top-tier performers as well.
Such was the case during 8 p.m. set on Saturday, which featured two rounds of twerking sessions on stage from people in the audience (there would’ve been a third had security obliged. That’s how much she loves her fans). The Houston rapper was as fierce as the red hair she rocked.
During her hour-long set, the bonafide hot girl coach gave a twerktastic showcase of songs like “Freak Nasty,” “Simon Says,” “Captain Hook,” “Sex Talk,” and more.
When heard live, her cadences sound even more skillful and instantly make you want new music from the rapper. Fans won’t have to wait long for that, as Megan teased “Cobra,” a new single that’s slated to drop on Friday.
She ended her set with her Grammy-winning single “Savage Remix,” which features Beyoncé. It was an appropriate closer considering her last onstage appearance was last month’s Houston stop of Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour as the pair performed the song together for the first time.
Like many other performers Saturday, she made sure to let Atlantans know how much she appreciates them.
“I remember when I was first coming up, Atlanta showed me a lot of love,” she said. “I love you Atlanta hotties.”
- DeAsia Paige
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Lil’ Kim
Prior to Saturday night’s concert, Lil’ Kim was a missing face in many of the notable celebrations of hip-hop’s 50th year. ONE Musicfest was her time to shine.
However, her show didn’t do any of that. In one of the most confounding performances of the night, Lil’ Kim didn’t relish in any of the lyrical prowess and commanding stage presence that made her hip-hop royalty.
Instead, her set was scattered with performances from other artists that didn’t elevate the show at all.
Backed by a live band, Lil’ Kim arrived on stage donning all-Black and shades as she rapped her indelible verse to The Lox’s “Money, Power & Respect.” Then she leaned on the strength of songs from her classic 1996 debut “Hard Core” with tracks like “No Time” and the Lil Cease’-assisted “Crush on You.”
The rapper appeared on stage to perform his verse and later tribute the late Biggie Smalls. However, sound issues stripped away the momentum.
Elsewhere during the set, Sukhiana, Rocko, and Slim Jxmmi — artists who don’t share a song with Lil’ Kim — took the stage and made me forget this was supposed to be a Lil’ Kim show.
In her defense, sound wasn’t on her side and it appeared like there were issues with her mic, but even in the moments when her mic was on, Lil’ Kim’s unabashed vulgarity and starpower wasn’t. She performed hits like “Ladies Night,” “Magic Stick” and “Lady Marmalade,” but even those songs couldn’t distract from her performance feeling all over the place, which was a disappointing moment for a legend who has much more offer.
- DeAsia Paige
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Bryson Tiller
“Pull up, skrrrr get in the ride.”
Bryson Tiller started off his set saying that he hadn’t performed in a while.
But the crowd didn’t seem to mind. He kept them engaged with his melodic rap sound, taking fans through his albums over the last few years. Throughout his set, Tiller performed a variety of his songs from his 2015 album “TRAPSOUL,” like “Don’t,” “Exhange,” and “Right My Wrongs,” and his 2021 album “ANNIVERSARY.” He also added in a few of his popular features from “Could’ve Been,” with H.E.R. and “Wild Thought” with DJ Khaled and Rihanna.
- Jillian Price
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
KRS-One
“Blast Master” KRS-One, one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop history, hit the stage early evening to mark the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Walking on stage wearing all black with a white hat, he hit the crowd with the essence of hip-hop, the freestyle.
Coming “off the top,” the South Bronx rapper teased the crowd with a spontaneous introduction of himself, that reflected his style and legacy.
He said he was “still in sound check,” before he promised “strictly classics.”
And he didn’t disappoint, launching into “South Bronx,” and “The Bridge is Over.”
But he reminded the crowd, who grew up on him and the late Scott La Rock and Boogie Down Productions, that he was still “The Teacher.”
”I’m not a rapper,” he said. “I’m an emcee. I’m here to dig into your soul.”
The teacher then started preaching, rapping about divinity and understanding oneself. He put an African beat on his classic “Why is That,” where he famously uses Genesis to trace the origin of the Black man.
”The original comes in all shapes and sizes,” he said later.
After he finished teaching, he rocked the crowd again. ”I’m Still No. 1.“”Outta Here.“ ”Criminal Minded.“ ”Jimmy.”
After every song, which he did in full and with a guest spot with DJ Red Alert, KRS-One cautioned that he only had “a minute left.” Finally, when the music went down, KRS-One made the sound of a siren. He did it again before the crowd joined in for a rousing version of his “Sound of Da Police.”
Class dismissed.
- Ernie Suggs
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Mariah the Scientist
Fresh off the release of her new album “To Be Eaten Alive” (which dropped Friday night), alternative R&B singer Mariah the Scientist graced the P&G stage wearing a 2-piece red leather suit and black heels.
“I don’t know if there are any Scorpios out there, but my birthday was yesterday,” she said at the beginning of her set.
The Atlanta artist’s brand of R&B balladry centers chaotic romance that embraces her yearning for deep intimacy. During her set, she performed her throwback songs like “Beetlejuice,” “Note to Self,” “Church” and more. The singer, born Mariah Amani Buckles, also performed “Different Pages,” a track from her new album.
Twice during the performance, Mariah the Scientist was very cognizant of the crowd’s safety, urging event staff to help those who were dehydrated (“someone has fainted, and you’re still standing there doing nothing,” she warned).
Before she performed “Walked In,” she made sure to shoutout her boyfriend and rapper Young Thug, who’s featured on the track. Young Thug is currently in Cobb County Jail and faces RICO charges.
”This is the part that I do for my man, so I when I say, ‘free,’ you say, ‘Thug.’”
Mariah the Scientist ended her set with her hit song “Spread Thin” as she traded verses with the crowd.
”Atlanta, I love you, and I’ll see you really soon. Y’all know I’m local.”
- DeAsia Paige
Ed Lover’s all-star set
There was a moment during the Ed Lover all-star hip-hop set when the legendary ‘90s group Black Sheep asked the crowd to sing along.
”Engine, Engine, number 9,” they shouted at the considerably old school crowd from their hit, “The Choice is Yours.”
They were loud and boisterous, but when Ed Lover, who emceed the event came back out, he noticed that many of the “over 45″ crowd couldn’t do the Dance associated with it.
”Y’all getting old,” he barked.
But that was perfectly fine. Ed Lover’s hip-hop set was a wonderful throwback to the late 1980s and 1990s, featuring to the oft-forgotten Positive K, who hit stardom in the 1980s with his fun duets with MC Lyte, to the political and cultural throwbacks of Dead Prez, with their aptly titled “Hip-Hop.
”The New York-heavy set, celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, also featured the Lost Boys and Nice & Smooth. New Rochelle’s Brand Nubian closed out their set with their classic, “Slow Down.” For the 45-year-old plus crowd, it might have been a subtle hint to where they are now compared to when they first heard the song over 30 years ago. But no one seemed to mind.
At the end of his set, Ed Lover was surprised by Atlanta City Councilman Byron Amos, who presented him with a commendation from the city.
An emotional Ed Lover, paraphrasing Atlanta’s Andre 3000, thanked the city, adding, “Atlanta’s got something to say.”
- Ernie Suggs
Brand Nubian, Nice & Smooth
New York hip-hop royalty Brand Nubian brought the hits from way back to Piedmont Park, bopping with “All For One,” “Slow Down” and “Drop the Bomb.”
Part of Ed Lover’s revue, the group had fans jumping up and down, even if some of them were bouncing on knees that had seen better days (I’m talking about you original fans who are now in your 50s, and there were many of us out there).
Credit: Leon Stafford
Credit: Leon Stafford
And from Bronx rappers Nice & Smooth, what is hip-hop without some beat box. They brought it on “Ooh Child,” with the crowd favorite line “oooooh and I like it.”
”This is what 55 looks like,” Greg Nice said.
- Leon Stafford
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Coco Jones
The crowd for Coco Jones, who just took the stage, is the biggest so far of the day. Excitement is high, even while waiting for acts to begin, with the crowd enjoying the extra space of the park.
The 25-year-old, riding the waves of her hit “ICU,” wowed the audiences with a well choreographed 30-or-so minute set.
Gone was the Disney star on cuts such as “Spend It,” “Put On You” and Double Back.” That kid was replaced with a young woman singing about navigating relationships and misbehaving men and the audience was here for it. Wearing a lighting-jeweled pink two piece outfit, Jones cooed when the music was sultry and sang with vibrancy on the more danceable tunes.
She also showed her versatility, sprinkling SWV’s “Rain On Me” in the set as well as Beyoncé's “Crazy In Love” into her own “Crazy For Me.”
Credit: Leon Stafford
Credit: Leon Stafford
But it was “ICU” that got fans who packed the stage to show their greatest love for the singer. They matched her verse for verse and gave her rapturous applause at the song’s end.
“I want to thank you guys for being here and supporting me,” she said. “Some of you have been rocking with me since I was a kid.”
- Leon Stafford
More space for vendors too
Reka Reek is the owner of Kroonz Wear, a clothing store located in Ponce City Market. Kroonz Wear specializes in custom-made hats designed to make customers feel regal. This is the company’s sixth year being a vendor at ONE Musicfest. The store has regularly served as a vendor at festivals throughout the city. She said ONE Musicfest is her favorite.
Credit: DeAsia Sutgrey
Credit: DeAsia Sutgrey
“The entertainment is always top-tier. You know you’re going to get the best of the best ... so far the traction here has been good. There’s more space. In the past years, we’ve been kind of been ducked off, but it’s better now.”
- DeAsia Paige
Credit: Leon Stafford
Credit: Leon Stafford
Big Daddy Kane
One of the OG’s of hip-hop, Big Daddy Kane, took the stage and showed the younguns how to rap, running through hits “Warm It Up, Kane,” “Smooth Operator,” a tribute to the late Biz Markie on “Nobody Beats the Biz.”
He also laughed at himself as he sweated in a powder blue Louis Vuitton outfit in Altanta’s late October heat.
“I made a terrible wardrobe decision,” he laughed. “It’s hot as fish grease out here. I’m hot and I’m tired.”
- Leon Stafford
Danielle Ponder helps get the music going
Kani Maddox, from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, fanned herself while standing in the shade. This is her first time attending ONE MusicFest.
“I’ve never been to a festival before, and I didn’t know how it works so I was just curious to come, and the lineup looked cool,” Maddox, 22, said. “I’m just really excited to see Janet.”
Credit: Leon Stafford
Credit: Leon Stafford
Singer Danielle Ponder thanked the early ONE Musicfest fans for coming to hear her. She said she’s 41 and she wants to blow up. “And I’m not going to TikTok my way to that,” she said, eliciting a laugh from the crowd.
-DeAsia Paige and Leon Stafford
Let the festival begin
Gates opened around 12:53, roughly an hour after they were expected to open.
Most of the fans appeared to be in good humor, however, with the weather sunny and nice.
Credit: Leon Stafford
Credit: Leon Stafford
A roar went up through the crowd around 12:45 p.m. as word spread that fans were finally going to be let in. That was good news — and a good move as the line kept growing.
The festival began at 1 p.m. with an ATL DJ collective at the Sprite Hip-Hop 50 Stage that featured legendary Atlanta tastemakers DJ Toomp, DJ Jelly and DJ Smurf aka Mr. Collipark.
-DeAsia Paige and Leon Stafford
