In rain and shine, concert-goers stood on the small, grassy hills of the Los Angeles State Historic Park on March 19 to jam out to their favorite neo-soul artists at Smokin’ Grooves Fest.
The festival consisted of bringing together fans of soul and R&B music, from upcoming to legendary artists, to enjoy a weekend of groovy music, tasty food options, fun artwork and good vibes.
Smokin’ Grooves headliners included Erykah Badu, Nas, Miguel, The Roots and Jhené Aiko. The lineup featured artists like Macy Gray, Musiq Soulchild, SiR, Smino, Thundercat, The Internet, Charlotte Day Wilson, Free Nationals, Slum Village, Talib Kweli, Flying Lotus, Toro Y Moi, Kamasi Washington and many more.
Slauson’s own Jhené Aiko graced the stage with her angelic vocals for the first time in three years to perform a mixture of songs from her albums Sail Out, Souled Out, Trip and her most recent, Chilombo. She even had the crowd in awe by her freestyling Kendrick Lamar’s verse for “Stay Ready.”
The legendary, The Roots followed with naturally talented instrument players as they jammed out and dropped bars with songs like “You Got Me,” which had fans rapping and singing along. Miguel then took the stage to perform his hit records “Sky Walker,” “Sure Thing,” “Adore,” which had fans singing at the top of their lungs. However, the San Pedro native ended his performance with a heartfelt message of promoting peace over war then performed “Candles In The Sun” from his 2012 album Kaleidoscope Dream.
To close out the festival, Grammy-Winning and influential rapper Nas brought us down “Memory Lane” on the Smokin’ Grooves Stage by performing his classic tracks from “One Mic,” “Hate Me Now,” to “If I Ruled The World.” He even tapped into his new music and shouted out L.A. for an “L.A. state of mind.”
Last but not least, the soul queen herself, Erykah Badu blessed the neo-soul music lovers with her presence on stage and gave us a short yet sweet performance. In her unmatchable, iconic voice, the soul singer had the crowd groovin’ to “On & On,” “Didn’t Cha Know,” and “You Got Me.”
The Smokin’ Grooves Fest was a full day of memorable moments, and each of the acts brought their greatness to the stage.