Remember where you were when you first heard Nelly’s, “Hot in Herre” in 2002? Or who you pretended your boo was in your head when you sang your heart out to Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” in 2005? Some of us were too young to be singing a lot of the songs from that era. And we definitely were too young to be in the parties or clubs like we saw in the music videos. Yet, they managed to feel so good to sing and dance along to.
Over time, we eventually got old enough to experience the party life, love, and heartbreak. And throughout time, Hip-Hop and R&B evolved along with us. By the time we made it to adulthood between 2010-2015 (depending on where one falls in the millennial year), we had the likes of Drake, Future, and SZA be the voice for our generation. Even so, no other song got the message across better than The Diplomats’, “Hey Ma”, Jagged Edge’s “Let’s Get Married”, or Soulja Boy’s “Kiss Me Through The Phone”. Furthermore, no one has been able to do it like Usher, Jon, or Luda with, “Lovers and Friends”. And although we were too young to truly understand the depth of those songs at the time, those records have carried out throughout our childhood into adulthood. In no time, however, we’ve been given the opportunity to properly enjoy these songs in one setting at our “big ol age”. Finally, we can experience the nostalgia through the Lovers and Friends Festival.
Lovers and Friends is a festival dedicated to the millennials. Dedicated strictly to the fans of the 90s/early 2000s (the aughts) Hip-Hop and R&B era. Curated by Usher, who is arguable the king of R&B, Lovers and Friends is a festival jam packed with a lineup of artists. These artists have created timeless Hip-Hop & R&B music over their careers. The festival gave fans the opportunity to unlock and relive those feel-good moments from our childhood. Memories of recording our favorite song on our phones for a ringtone; battle-dancing at the school dance; and choosing the perfect MySpace profile song (mine was Fantasia’s, “When I See You”). Lovers and Friends was definitely the place to be for millennials who needed that feeling of nostalgia. And this millennial was there to catch all the vibes for Remixd Mag.
The artists hit the stage to perform some of their biggest throwback hits on the stage, and as a millennial, this was a special gift. Lovers and Friends provided a platform for millennials to get to stompin’ in our air force ones with Nelly; crank dat Soulja Boy with the first rapper to ever crank dat; Harlem shake with Bow Wow; and lose control with Missy Elliot. Everyone in the crowd seemed to be overjoyed with each throwback hit, and it was overall a great time for millennials to get together and share that feeling of nostalgia.
Artists like Mariah Carey, Missy Elliot, 50 Cent, Ginuwine, Jagged Edge, Soulja Boy, Yung Joc, and many others not only dominated the 90s and early 2000s Hip-Hop and R&B era, but their music still holds a special place in our hearts and music library to this day. With their soulful love ballads, or hype and catchy dances, these artists really had the music game on lock. This festival, however, further proved that they always will too.
Although the festival was filled with popular 90s/early 2000s Hip-Hop and R&B artists, the festival also included the new-age artists who have revived and are keeping the authentic sound of the genre alive. The Hip-Hop and R&B genre has definitely evolved over the years, but artists like Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker, Bryson Tiller, Miguel, and PartyNextDoor continue to keep the original soul of the genre alive, but in their own unique way.
For those who had the privilege of attending the Lovers and Friends Festival, I think we can all agree that the experience satisfied the nostalgic feels.
