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Roots Picnic 2018 schedule announced

The 11th annual festival happens at Festival Pier on Saturday.

Dave Chappelle performs onstage at the Hollywood Palladium on March 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Chappelle will host a Roots Jam Session at the Roots Picnic at the Festival Pier at Penn's Landing on Saturday.
Dave Chappelle performs onstage at the Hollywood Palladium on March 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Chappelle will host a Roots Jam Session at the Roots Picnic at the Festival Pier at Penn's Landing on Saturday. Read moreAssociated Press
    by Dan DeLuca
    Published 

The 11th annual Roots Picnic is happening at the Festival Pier on Saturday.

This year's tantalizing headliner is comedian Dave Chappelle, a long time friend of the band, going back to his Comedy Central show and the 2005 concert film Chappelle's Block Party.

Chappelle will host a Jam Session with the Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson-led hip-hop band that will feature rapper 2 Chainz and R&B singer Brandy, plus unnamed guests.

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Philly mumble rapper Lil Uzi Vert headlines the second stage at 8:15 p.m., where Philly teenage rapper Zahsosaa is first up bright and early at Noon. (Well maybe not so bright: the forecast calls for rain.) 

Other early attractions: Fabulously Afro-Futuristic jazz travelers Sun Ra Arkestra at 1:30, North Philly rapper Tierra Whack at 2 which is the same time slot as North Carolina rapper Rapsody (putting the festival's two rising female emcees up against each other – that's poor planning), Black Thought and J. Period's Mixtape at 4:30 and Brooklyn indie band Dirty Projectors at 5:15.

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There are a total of five stages at this year's Picnic, including one for podcast and another for panel discussions. the winning alcohol and hip-hop Drink Champs pod happens at 6:45, simultaneous to the Barrier Breakers panel featuring ESPN commentator Jemele Hill.

The full schedule is below, and ticket info is on the Roots Picnic web site.