Questlove, the drummer for The Roots, has defended the inclusion of Sexyy Red in the lineup for the Roots Picnic 2024, after backlash from some fans. The annual festival will take place on June 1-2, and will include performances from Lil Wayne, Jill Scott, Nas, André 3000 and others. The announcement that Sexyy Red would be performing was met with criticism because of her support for Donald Trump and some derogatory comments about her. However, Questlove has hit back against the criticism, saying, “We gotta round and balance the day out: there are other stages and podcasts and events to see”.
Questlove took to the comments section of an online post to address the issue. “I’m still shocked y’all got energy for ‘oh hell no isms’ like it’s 16 years folks–when have you seen a festival in which EVERY ACT is the act you love?” he said. “Roots Picnic is well-rounded and that’s why it works”.
The Roots Picnic will also feature joint performances from artists, including Black Thought with Method Man and Redman, and Fantasia and Muni Long with Adam Blackstone and Scarface. Amerie will also play with the Backyard Band at the festival. General ticket sales will begin on February 23 at 10am local time.
In other news, Questlove has recently expressed his thoughts on a forthcoming comeback album from André 3000. In an Instagram post, he wrote that he considered the album to be “good medicine”, and praised its avant-garde qualities. Critics have praised the album, which marks a departure from André 3000’s previous work, for its creative approach and daring musical choices.
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