At least 14 different acts are set to take the stage at the Cincinnati Music Festival July 20-22. We’ve compiled a little fact sheet for (almost) everything you need to know about everyone performing this year.
Let’s jump right in.
Snoop Dogg (Saturday)
Who’s that? One of the most iconic rappers of all time, Snoop Dogg, 51, is best known for his work with legendary hip-hop producer Dr. Dre, smoking copious amounts of marijuana with Wiz Khalifa and being best buds with Martha Stewart. Snoop headlined this past year’s Super Bowl halftime show where, in his signature style, he was spotted smoking a little somethin’ somethin’ before taking the biggest stage in the world.
Hit songs: “Young, Wild & Free” with Wiz Khalifa ft. Bruno Mars (2011), “Drop It Like It’s Hot” ft. Pharrell (2004), “Gin and Juice” (1993).
Latest release: “Please Take a Step Back (ft. Gary Vee)” (2023) – yes, the song features a sample from entrepreneur/internet personality Gary Vaynerchuk, aka Gary Vee.
Performance: Saturday, July 22, Paycor Stadium.
Al Green (Friday)
Who’s that? At 77, legendary R&B/soul singer Al Green holds claim to one of the most beautiful voices in the history of music. Rising to fame in the early ’70s with hits like “I’m So Tired of Being Alone” (1971) and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” (1972), Green more or less retired from R&B music in 1974 after a tragic incident and became a pastor, exclusively producing gospel records. Green’s early R&B records, however, have more than stood the test of time and rightfully earned him the headline spot in Friday’s festivities.
Hit songs: “I’m So Tired of Being Alone” (1971), “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” (1972), “Let’s Stay Together” (1972), “Take Me to the River” (1974).
Latest release: “Al Green: Soul Legend” (2022).
Performance: Friday, July 21, Paycor Stadium.
Jill Scott (Friday)
Who’s that? Rising to fame at the turn of the millennia with her debut album “Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1” (2000), the beloved Jill Scott effortlessly glides between smooth, jazzy R&B jams and powerful, empowering anthems. Scott has also taken her talents to Hollywood, acting in a host of TV series and movies, including Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married?” (2007) and the James Brown biopic, “Get on Up” (2014). She made the news most recently for performing an adapted version of the national anthem that highlighted the country’s history of racism.
Hit songs: “Golden” (2004), “Daydreamin’ (Lupe Fiasco ft. Jill Scott)” (2006), “A Long Walk” (2000), “Cross My Mind” (2004).
Latest release: “By Popular Demand” (2018).
Performance: Friday, July 21, Paycor Stadium.
Rakim (Thursday)
Who’s that? Best known for his collaborations with DJ/producer Eric B. in the late ’80s, Rakim is widely considered hip-hop’s premier emcee with the smoothest flow in its 50-year history. He is often credited with introducing multi-syllable and internal rhyming to hip-hop. It doesn’t hurt that Rakim rapped over Eric B.’s impressively mixed beats, including numerous samples of James Brown, who will be inducted to the new Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame on July 22 outside the Andrew J. Brady Music Center. Eric B. and Rakim were recently named the seventh best rap group of all time by Billboard, citing Rakim’s “Shakespearean aptitude for quotable and adaptable rhymes.”
Hit songs: “Don’t Sweat the Technique” (1992), “Paid in Full” (1987), “Know the Ledge” (1992), “Eric B. Is President” (1987).
Latest release: “Black Messiah” (2021).
Performance: Thursday, July 20, Andrew J. Brady Music Center.
Babyface (Saturday)
Who’s that? Having written and produced music for artists as wide-ranging as Madonna, Boyz II Men, Eric Clapton, Ye and Whitney Houston, Babyface is just as famous for producing his own chart-topping R&B records. He got his start with The Deele, which is set to be inducted into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame on July 22, as well. An absolute icon of the industry, Babyface’s recent Tiny Desk Concert, released last month, showcased both Babyface’s lasting performance abilities and how he lives up to his name, even at 64.
Hit songs: “Whip Appeal” (1989), “Every Time I Close My Eyes (ft. Kenny G)” (1996), “When Can I See You” (1993), “Soon as I Get Home” (1989).
Latest release: “Girls Night Out” (2022).
Performance: Saturday, July 22, Paycor Stadium.
Slick Rick (Thursday)
Who’s that? One-eyed, British-accented and philosophical rap legend Slick Rick has had a complicated relationship with the U.S. government. Born in London to Jamaican parents, Slick Rick’s family moved to The Bronx in the ’70s when he was 11. Despite producing multiple hit albums in the ’80s and ’90s with names as famous as Nas, Outkast and Snoop Dogg, the INS seized Rick in 2002 during a live performance in Florida and deported him back to England. Luckily, Slick Rick is back in the States after finally being granted citizenship in 2016, giving Cincinnati a chance to witness the legend in action.
Hit songs: “Children’s Story” (1988), “Street Talkin’ (ft. Outkast)” (1999), “Behind Bars” (1994), “Mona Lisa” (1988).
Latest release: “Metropolis” with DJ Muggs and Method Man (2022).
Performance: Thursday, July 20, Andrew J. Brady Music Center.
P-Funk Connection (Saturday)
Who’s that? P-Funk Connection is kind of like the Dead & Co. of funk. Cult-inspiring and consistently psychedelic, P-Funk has been touring and producing funk classics, always with new nomenclature and personnel, for more than 30 years. Much like The Dead, P-Funk Connection performs without its primary personality and raison d’etre, funk-legend George Clinton. Even without their shining star, P-Funk refuses to “give up the funk.”
(P-Funk Connection was previously Parliament and Funkadelic and Parliament-Funkadelic and P-Funk All-Stars and more. For the purposes of this article, I take their current form to represent all such iterations of the group.)
Hit songs: “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)” (1975), “Can You Get to That” (1971), “Flashlight” (1977), “Knee Deep” (1979).
Latest release: “Straight from #1 Bimini Road” (2020).
Performance: Saturday, July 22, Paycor Stadium.
Avery Sunshine (Friday)
Who’s that? True to her name, Avery Sunshine’s voice oozes with bright flavor and rays of positivity. Best known for her hit single, “Call My Name” (2014), which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B charts, Sunshine, 48, is a soulful singer and a self-proclaimed therapist. She famously won the adoration of the late great Aretha Franklin.
Hit songs: “I Got Sunshine” (2010), “Call My Name” (2014), “Blessin’ Me” (2010).
Latest release: “Blackity Black” (2023).
Performance: Saturday, July 22, Paycor Stadium.
Doug E. Fresh (Thursday)
Who’s that? The “Original Human Beatbox,” Doug E. Fresh, is a man of many talents. He’s a rapper, an entertainer and probably the best beatboxer of all time. Throughout the ’90s, he performed alongside Prince. His dancing chops inspired Cali Swag District’s infamous “Teach Me How to Dougie” (2009), named after the man himself. His charisma is the stuff of legend. “La-Di-Da-Di” (1986), rapped by Slick Rick, has become one of the most sampled songs in music history, including being adapted as the hook to Biggie’s “Hypnotize” (1997).
Hit songs: “Freaks” (1995), “The Show” (1986), “La-Di-Da-Di” (1986).
Latest release: “10X” with Stacey Francis and WD-HAN (2023).
Performance: Thursday, July 20, Andrew J. Brady Music Center.
Jodeci (Friday)
Who’s that? Contrary to their title, “The Bad Boys of R&B” are best known for their swooning, harmonic slow jams. They were called “bad boys” for the promiscuous lyrics behind those harmonies, which landed three of their albums in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard R&B charts. That was all in the ’90s. After a long hiatus, the group is back and ready for Cincinnati to kick off their upcoming tour.
Hit songs: “Forever My Lady” (1991), “Freak’n You” (1995), “Come & Talk to Me” (1991).
Latest release: “The Past, The Present, The Future” (2015).
Performance: Friday, July 21, Paycor Stadium.
Big Daddy Kane (Thursday)
Who’s that? One of hip-hop’s earliest and most successful sex symbols, Big Daddy Kane is much more than just a pretty face. Kane was instrumental in the success of the New York rap scene. In the mid-’80s, Kane teamed up with Biz Markie and helped him write many of his biggest hits. In the early ’90s, Kane gave Jay-Z a stage, letting Beyonce’s future husband freestyle as he changed outfits during performances and featuring him on “Show and Prove” (1994). Even though Kane essentially stopped making music in 1988 with the album “Veteranz Day,” he has continued to be an active performer, not missing a year on stage since 2004.
Hit songs: “Ain’t No Half-Steppin'” (1988), “Smooth Operator” (1989).
Latest release: “Vibe” by Arrested Development ft. Big Daddy Kane (2021).
Performance: Thursday, July 20, Andrew J. Brady Music Center.
Midnight Star (Friday)
Who’s that? It doesn’t get much more ’80s than Midnight Star. Their records are consistently disco-dancy, with bright synths, two-step beats and catchy, lovey-dovey hooks. With multiple No. 1 hits in the mid-’80s, these Kentucky natives are masters at making people dance. One could easily see their first big hit, “No Parking (On the Dance Floor)” (1983), becoming the next viral challenge: listen to this whole song without dancing!
In July of 2022, Midnight Star was inducted into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.
Hit songs: “Standing Together” (1981), “Midas Touch” (1986), “No Parking (On the Dance Floor)” (1983).
Latest release: “Black Lights” (2013).
Performance: Friday, July 21, Paycor Stadium.
Gerald Albright (Friday)
Who’s that? Jazz musician Gerald Albright is a saxophone virtuoso, his melodies hook you instantly, his solos wondrous. With consistently groovy album after album, there’s no wonder Gerald Albright has been one of R&B’s most sought-after instrumentalists of the last 30 years.
Hit songs: “Because of You” (2014), “So Amazing” (1987), Champagne Life” (2012).
Latest release: “Summer Love” (Johnny Britt ft. Gerald Albright and Kashan) (2023).
Performance: Friday, July 21, Paycor Stadium.
Norman Brown (Saturday)
Who’s that? Virtuoso guitarist Norman Brown is one of the best at what he does. With numerous hit instrumental albums, Brown seems to glide effortlessly across the neck of the guitar, producing fantastic, unrepeatable solos for over 20 years.
Hit songs: “That’s The Way Love Goes” (1994), “Just Between Us” (1992), “West Coast Coolin'” (2004).
Latest release: “Let’s Get Away” (2022).
Performance: Saturday, July 22, Paycor Stadium.
*Artist descriptions and hit songs lists are largely sourced from the artist’s websites and Spotify bios. Concert statistics are sourced from setlist.fm.
