One MusicFest

By Ben Cheng In its fourth year, ONE MusicFest blessed Atlanta with another incredible lineup. With headliners Snoop Dogg (aka Snoop Lion), classic hip-hop supergroup Goodie Mob, Joey Bada$$ and many more, the musicfestival did not disappoint.Conveniently located at the Masquerade Music Park and Historic Fourth Ward Park, the festival drew a sizable crowd. The combination of artists and clear, sunny weather really created the perfect environment.Early on in the afternoon, Joey Bada$$ tore up the stage by bringing out fellow Pro Era member Kirk Knight to rap favorite songs such as “Hardknock.” Following the song, Joey B proceeded to spit off the dome in a flawless freestyle.The star ended his performance with one of the original songs that catapulted him onto the big rap scene: “Survival Tactics.” By paying tribute to his fallen member and close friend Capital Steez, Joey Bada$$ finished his show on a very strong note.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWAk8-leVAArguably the face of the new young generation of hip hop, Joey Bada$$ gave one of the best performances of the day.Later on in the evening, Atlanta-based hip-hop quartet Goodie Mob began their performance on the “Do the Right Thing” stage. Drawing a large crowd, Cee Lo Green and the other members performed several fan favorites.One of the most memorable moments of Goodie Mob’s show was when the group brought out R&B icon Erykah Badu. They proceeded to perform the classic song “Liberation” by Atlanta’s legendary rap duo OutKast, which energized the crowd.[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/108894112" params="color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]While Erykah Badu’s presence during Goodie Mob’s performance might have been unexpected, she actually had a set of her own under the alter-ego DJ Low Down Loretta Brown. A very well-respected artist, Badu kept the crowd very entertained with her music.However, during the show, Ms. Badu’s sound equipment unexpectedly failed. While this might have appeared to be a big obstacle, Erykah Badu smoothly continued her show by singing a couple of her hits.The night ended with Snoop Dogg’s long-awaited performance. With his appearance at ONE being relatively close to the drop of his new reggae single, “La La La,” I was unsure whether the famous rapper would perform rap orinclude some of his newer reggae music.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ5KlZNh1WAAs it turned out, Snoop Dogg not only performed both styles of his music, but he also paid homage to two of hip-hop’s most iconic figures, Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.Rapping both Tupac’s hit “America’s Most Wanted” and Biggie’s “Hypnotize,” Snoop Dogg got the crowd incredibly hyped. I could not think of a better way to end the music festival.The combination of the crowds, artists and weather really made for a fun way to spend your Saturday. Overall, ONE MusicFest was a great event — a perfect way to not only see your favorite up-and-coming artists like Joey Bada$$ but also experience the performances of musical legends like Snoop Dogg.