The One Music Festival Kicks Off With A Blast

The One Music Fest is one day in and hosted a series of incredible moments for music lovers. From 1 am to 11 pm, four stages balanced some of the hottest artists in the culture, ranging from neo-soul to trap to dance hall.

On the Slutty Vegan Stage, one of the principal sponsors, artists like Dear Callie, Kenneth Whalum, Alex Vaughn, Phony PPL, and Sevyn Streeter took to the stage and had fans rocking.

On the Toyota Stage Lady Wray, Bleu, DVSN, Sean Paul, Rick Ross, and Gucci Mane performed, while Lil Mo, Amerie, CKay, and others rocked the Freedom Stage.

The OMF mainstage jumped off the day with Algebra Basset & Anthony David, who embodied the 21st-century incarnation of Tammy Terrell and Marvin Gaye.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nicole Yvonne Duncan- Smith (@nikkiduncansmith)

R&B Diva Mya took the stage and danced through her catalog singing hits that carried many in the audience through much of their teens and young adult lives. Body still banging and voice still on point, she represented for the younger side of Gen X and older Millennials.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nicole Yvonne Duncan- Smith (@nikkiduncansmith)

After Mya, Atlanta legends Jagged Edge jumped to the stage to sing their hits. People were overwhelmed not just by how many joints the quartet has, but that they also wrote some of the biggest songs for other artists. “Nice and Slow” was penned by a member, further solidifying them as a force to be reckoned with.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nicole Yvonne Duncan- Smith (@nikkiduncansmith)

Another force to be reckoned with (during their set) was Lil Duval, who made his first performance since his horrible accident months ago. He came on stage in a wheelchair but jumped up with his cane and sang his hit song, “Smile (Living My Best Life).” After dancing up a storm and giving a performance of his life, he shared with the fans that doctors said it would take years for him to walk again. But here he was in the flex doing what he was placed on the earth to do.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by AllHipHop (@allhiphopcom)

The next set on the main stage was Jeezy, who was at home in the peach city. He did all of his big hits with ease, showing that despite him being a married man with four children (one a brand new one with his wife), he still knows how to give the streets “the real.”

Joining Jeezy was Stacey Abrams, the Georgia gubernatorial candidate in the highly contested governor’s race, and Andre Dickens, the mayor of Atlanta. Abrams took the mic and shared a plea to be the next governor, promising to legalize cannabis in the purple state.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nicole Yvonne Duncan- Smith (@nikkiduncansmith)

The last to take the stage was Ms. Lauryn Hill, who took the stage and wowed the thousands of people who came to see her.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nicole Yvonne Duncan- Smith (@nikkiduncansmith)

Four of her six children were there supporting her, including Zion who came out to surprise her after she sang the song on her “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” album titled for him.

Lauryn Hill and Zion Marley’s Family One Music Fest (NDS Original)

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nicole Yvonne Duncan- Smith (@nikkiduncansmith)

The first day of One Music Fest solidified it as one of the most well-rounded and beautifully executed festivals dedicated to music from the African diaspora, celebrating the breadth of Hip-Hop, Soul, Gospel, Dance Hall, and R&B.