Meek Mill joins the July 4 ‘One Philly: Unity Concert for America’ lineup
The rapper will join the star-studded bill that includes headliners Christina Aguilera, Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jill Scott, and Kathy Sledge. Wanda Sykes will host.
The nation’s largest free concert and biggest celebration of America’s 250th anniversary just got bigger.
Meek Mill will join headliners Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, and The Roots to perform at the “One Philly: Unity Concert for America” celebrating America’s 250th birthday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
ESM Productions and Live Nation Urban announced the “Dreams and Nightmare” rapper’s addition to the Parkway bill on Tuesday morning, hot off his Saturday night performance at “Lit in AC,” a hip-hop festival featuring early 2000s bling era rappers T.I. Eve, Shyne, Havoc, and Ms. Jade.
Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff; Kathy Sledge, the lead singer of 70s R&B girl group Sister Sledge; and State Property, the Philly hip-hop collective that includes Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk, and Chris and Neef, are also scheduled to perform on July 4.
And while the bill includes mostly Philadelphia area musicians — Aguilera grew up outside Pittsburgh — performers also include Seal, the Brit whose hit “Kiss From a Rose” still stops music fans in their tracks; Infinity Song, the Detroit-born soft rock and soul family; and Jordan Davis, the Louisiana-born country music singer.
Comedian and part-time Media resident Wanda Sykes is hosting. Gillie da Kid and Wallo267 are also slated to make an appearance.
The nearly seven-hour show will start at 5 p.m. and end just before midnight, with a fireworks finale to follow. Admission to the concert is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
The “One Philly: Unity Concert for America” is presented by the City of Philadelphia and produced by Center City-based ESM Productions with executive producers Scott Mirkin, Shawn Gee, the Roots’ manager and head of Live Nation Urban; and Roots frontman Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
Wawa is a sponsor of the concert, but the show is not part of Wawa Welcome America, the weekslong series of events leading up to the July 4 holiday, which this year will include concerts with Queen Latifah, Eve, Idina Menzel, and Pink Sweat$, among others.
The “One Philly: Unity Concert for America,” according to the news release announcing the event, is “designed as a non-partisan celebration of unity, diversity, and democracy” that brings together “voices, perspectives, and performances that reflect the richness of the American experience across generations and genres.”
