The final day of the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture was one not to miss — and one full of hits. After Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Jazmine Sullivan, and Summer Walker put on for the ladies in a major way on Friday and Saturday, New Edition and the Isley Brothers were two of the many acts to bring the nostalgia on Sunday night.
The throwback celebration began with Black Thought and Questlove getting their Okayplayer on for the Roots & Friends portion of Day 3. One of those friends, Ashanti — a seemingly ageless talent — was breathtakingly gorgeous on stage while celebrating the 20th anniversary of her self-titled first album. Having already ran through her hit song, "Happy (Remix)," she really got into her bag with "Rock With You (Aww Baby)."
The time she spent next to the illest band from Illadelph was short, but she stayed on to introduce the next guest, Method Man, as they sang his unforgettable 1995 smash, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By." Jogging from left to right, he gave the audience a literal run for their money as he segued right into his titular track from Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
The Wu, who are commemorating the 25th anniversary of their second album, Wu-Tang Forever, weren't ready to let the crowd go. Hot Nikkel opened the guillotine for Ghostface Killah and Raekwon to come and do their thing as they played "Cherchez LaGhost," and playfully ad-libbed while the Roots got busy as the backing band.
Seeing Quest and Co. add some N'Awlins Bounce to Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band's "Cherchez La Femme" immediately had a few fans swinging beads — with one adventurous person really getting into the New Orleans spirit by attempting to flash Mef and Ghost as they left the stage.\
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The next performers, the Lox, would later find their MVP rhymesayer, Jadakiss, remarking on how tough it is to keep up with a live band. "It may look easy on TV," he told host Angela Yee, "but it takes a lot of rehearsal, a lot of timing to stay in step with a band like the Roots."
During their portion of the set, 'Kiss and Styles P jumped feet first into "We Gon' Make It." Later, Jadakiss rapped his "Who Shot Ya (Freestyle)" verse (which became one of last year's most indelible moments from the Verzuz battle between his crew and Harlem's Dipset). \
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When Lil' Kim popped out for her show-stealing verse on "It's All About the Benjamins" — which also turns 25 this year — the crowd joined in, welcoming her with all the praise and flowers of a returning rap conqueror. From there she would stay in the pocket, spitting her bars from "Money, Power, Respect," "Put Your Lighters Up," her Foxy Brown diss from Mobb Deep's "Quiet Storm (Remix)," and closing with the always-relevant "Crush On You."
The Roots & Friends performance brought a special sauce that will surely make hip-hop aficionados look forward to the genre's 50th anniversary in 2023.
New Edition continued bringing the classics with their set, which had Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph, and Johnny showing why they're collectively one of the best groups to ever do it. While the Isley Brothers — with their unmistakable vocals and guitar playing — gave evocative vibes throughout the Caesars Superdome, New Edition held us all in the palm of their collective hands.
Not too far removed from their own outing, The Culture Tour, the iconic group have gone from boys to men to elder statesmen who still feel fresh today. Decked out in their finest wares, New Edition delivered pure joy instead of heartbreak as they moved in sync to songs like "Candy Girl" and "Mr. Telephone Man," which showcased how years of dedication can keep an artist forever young.\
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As a de facto blueprint for how the modern boy-band phenomenon came into frame, the group's founder, Bobby Brown, raised the roof with his solo performance. Highlighting just how much he truly was the "King of R&B" at one point, the 53-year-old danced and sweated happily through "Roni" and "Don't Be Cruel," making everyone in the crowd excited to see him do his thing.\
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Everyone in the group was on point, to be frank. It felt like New Edition was really blessed and thankful to be together at that moment. Whether those in attendance had seen all of Sunday's acts in their prime or were part of a new generation experiencing the magic, there was pure Black joy ringing throughout New Edition's entire set — and the night as a whole.
You can watch New Edition's full performance here, and head to GRAMMY.com for more coverage of Essence Fest 2022.