The California Roots Music and Arts Festival has become synonymous with the North American reggae and roots music scene, but for years the event has also featured some of the biggest names in hip hop. The 2015 edition had the legendary Roots headline and Cypress Hill also perform that year. Minneapolis’ Atmosphere has become a staple at the festival with 2020 being their fourth year. Cali Roots has also featured Rhymesayers labelmates Brother Ali and Dilated Peoples. 2018 included the Bay Area legend E-40, who brought his “hyphy” style to the stage and 2017 had old school revivalists Jurassic 5 getting the crowd going before the epic set from Nas blew everyone away that year.
2020 sees west coast hip hop legend Ice Cube headlining Sunday, May 24. The award-winning lyricist, producer, actor and director began his music career nearly 30 years ago with iconic rap group N.W.A. Ice Cube eventually left the group and established himself as a successful solo artist, releasing some of the most memorable rap songs of a generation including “Check Yo Self” and “It Was A Good Day.” He then became an accomplished actor with a number of starring movie roles from horror to comedy including the hilarious Friday series with Chris Tucker.
Jamaican dancehall artist Sean Paul, who makes his Cali Roots debut this year, also raps throughout his catalog including the GRAMMY award winning album Dutty Rock, that showcases his hits “”Gimme the Light,” “Like Glue” and “I’m Still in Love with You.” The album went 2 times Platinum in the U.S. cementing his place in modern music history.
“Hip hop evolved from Jamaican sound system culture and elements of reggae music, so it is so organic for me to book hip hop legends alongside our reggae & roots lineup each year,” states co-producer Dan Sheehan.” He adds, “Cali Roots fans look forward to the hip hop sets, which switches thing up a bit, while still keeping the Cali Roots vibe.”
For info and tickets for the 11th Annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival, visit their site.
Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com