LA Soul Fest 2017 Celebrates Classic R&B & Hip Hop

By: Miaira Jennings ( @miairajennings )
Jul 19, 2017
2 min read

(WWETV LA) The second annual L.A. Soul Music Festival took place this past weekend at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, and WWETV correspondent Miaira Jennings was on site to cover all the Day 2 action on Saturday, July 15th. The incredible artist lineup, crowd of passionate R&B/Hip Hop lovers and variety of unique vendors made the event one for the books.

The 88º weather and beaming sunshine at the start of the day didn’t stop fans from arriving in droves to watch some of their favorite Soul artists perform live. The day’s lineup featured Kindred the Family Soul, Avant, Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick, and Anthony Hamilton. Originally, the roster also included BJ the Chicago Kid and Tyrese, who both canceled last minute. While it remains unclear why BJ the Chicago Kid did not show up, Tyrese took to Instagram to give fans all the tea as to why he would sadly be skipping the event. 􀈡☕

In the post, Tyrese explained, “the promoter said the 60k he owes me has came up missing.” He then went on to reveal that Anthony Hamilton was also not paid what was owed to him, though Anthony did still appear and perform at the event.

A number of other inside sources reported that there were other artists who did not get paid correctly, including K. Michelle who actually mentioned it on stage during her set Friday night.

Mere moments before the official start time of LA Soul Fest’s Day 3 on Sunday, it was announced that the festival was canceled and would no longer be opening its gates, leaving many fans furious and disappointed to say the least. It is unclear whether or not issues regarding artists and proper pay were the cause, but it seems more likely than not.

Regardless of this disappointing set of circumstances, the rest of the festival’s Day 2 was a success. Dynamic duo, Kindred the Family Soul, kicked off the show and gave fans a taste of that real-deal soulful flare. Speaking on how it felt to open up the evening’s concert, Aja shared, “It felt great.

Our audience was definitely out there. The people had wonderful energy and it’s a blessing always to see people enjoy your music, discover it for the first time and come out to hear you because you might be their favorite.” After such an impressive performance, it’s safe to say that the pair left LA with many new super-fans to add to their dedicated fanbase.

Avant followed with his signature sultry slow jams, including his hit song and fan favorite, Read Your Mind . Hip Hop legend Doug E. Fresh a.k.a. the Original Human Beatbox absolutely shut it down with his skills on the mic, and Slick Rick reminded everyone why he’s one of the best storytelling rappers to ever do it. Finally, Anthony Hamilton closed out the show with his effortless vocals and smooth moves.

Despite the last minute cancellations and confusion surrounding the event, LA Soul Fest 2017 surely created some soulful summertime memories for hundreds who attended. Check out the full WWETV video featuring artist interviews, performance clips, jam sessions with fans and more!