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Juvenile questions why he’s excluded from Essence Festival’s 50th anniversary of hip-hop celebration

Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on June 2, 2023

Juvenile feels slighted because of his exclusion from Essence Festival’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. After coming across flyers for the night-by-night lineup, he took to Twitter and asked, “How is essence doing 50 years of hip hop in New Orleans without me???”

The former Cash Money star took the opportunity to lure his real fans to another festival taking place the same weekend, one he will indeed be part of.

He wrote, “F that Donna Fest July 2nd me w my live band + Mannie Fresh +Rebirth & more & the best food venders new orleans has to offer i should know im from here! Our [tickets] are just $25!”

If Juvenile had been included in Essence‘s lineup, he’d likely be part of the segment titled “The South Got Something to Say,” but as he told a fan, the organizers “did not understand the assignment.”

That segment currently only includes artists from Atlanta representing the South, including Jermaine Dupri, Big Boi, Lil Jon, Ludacris, T.I. and Gucci Mane. Ice Cube, E-40 and Lady of Rage are among those who will be representing the West Coast.

Essence Festival takes place June 30-July 3 in Juvenile’s hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. Megan Thee Stallion, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott are headlining.