00:00Hey, I'm Janelle Snowden, and in case you hadn't heard, the Essence Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this 4th of July weekend.
00:08And with such a rich history of artists who braced those stages, we thought it only right to grab a few of them and talk about how it all goes down in New Orleans and why you need to be there.
00:18I gotta talk to you about your Essence Festival experience. We're coming up on the 25th anniversary, and I know you've been at the Essence Festival many times. Do you know how many?
00:25No. I just remember the first time I went, I opened it. That was my first.
00:33No pressure.
00:34Right.
00:34It was a lot of pressure. And then I was able to see, you know, Jill Scott and Maxwell and then Beyonce. I was like, oh my God, I couldn't believe I've shared the stage with those people and that great talent. So I'll never forget that. And then Queen Latifah invited me to be a part of hers. I was like, oh my God, I don't want to wrap.
00:51When you know that your peers are in the audience. Tell me about the pressure that that adds.
00:56Well, see, I have codes. I have processes, meaning I don't know who's performing before me. I don't know who's performing after me. I just know to get on that stage and do my very best.
01:06And then after, I'll see, oh my God, they were there. Oh my God. Oh my God. And so I can look back at my show and say, you did all right because you didn't know they were there.
01:13Brandi is one of my favorite singers.
01:14Who has been your favorite Essence Festival performer?
01:19Oh my God, that's hard. But I remember when Mary did it and I saw her dance as opposed to personal. And then when she said, I'm going down. I was singing at the top of my lungs.
01:29If they had a mic right there, I would have just said, Mary, let me do an alto note with you because it was so good.
01:34And I was just so happy.
01:36You're coming back this year, so you coming?
01:38I've got to come. And I know you know Mary, so hook me up.
01:40Look, we can make that.
01:42Hook me up. I could just be up there and just.
01:44Just do her dance.
01:45I don't even got to say that.
01:46Let me see her. Let me see her Mary. You see her best Mary.
01:52You got it. Wait, you really got it. That was good. You practiced that.
01:56I love her. I met her and I was like.
01:58And I'm sure she said the same thing.
02:00She was more swag about it, but she definitely gave me love.
02:02She's coming. They're doing a tribute to Frankie, Beverly and Mays.
02:06Missy Elliott is coming. Timbaland is coming.
02:09Teddy Riley is coming. Pharrell is coming.
02:11Is it set? Can I still audition for it or what?
02:15Yeah, why don't you audition right now?
02:18I can't stand the rain.
02:22If the rain was off, it's because Lionel's really loud in the back.
02:26We'll be back to you on that one. No, I'm just kidding.
02:28I'm totally kidding.
02:28You know what? We'll call you. Thank you, but we'll call you.
02:30No, but seriously. So if you could tell people who have never experienced the Essence Festival,
02:34who are thinking of coming down as the 25th anniversary, tell them what they'd be in store for.
02:39Let me tell y'all something. When y'all go to the Essence Festival, y'all don't got to go to a not-nan of the festival.
02:44Tell them I said it. I'm not going to name names of the other festivals.
02:47But Essence Festival makes you feel like you're at home. As many people as it is, it makes it feel like everybody that's there, you know them.
02:54It makes it feel like we're all one. And that's different.
02:58And I so enjoyed your performance. So I think we got to get you back.
03:02One of my dreams is to be a headliner at Essence. I'm going to work really hard, but until then, I just want to come.
03:08I want to go back. So Essence, what's up?
03:10We got you, girl. Brandi has joined the 25th anniversary Essence Festival lineup.
03:15Catch her July 5th at the Superdome on the main stage.
03:19For more info, go to EssenceFestible.com.
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