SAINT Restro-Lounge, the Black-owned premier hotspot known for its bold elegance and vibrant energy, hosted a week-long celebration to mark one incredible year of redefining dining and nightlife in the city.
Last weekend kicked off Roc Nation’s Made In America Festival held annually in Downtown Philadelphia, and this year’s star-studded lineup included Bad Bunny, Tyler, The Creator, Burna Boy, Don Toliver, Lil Uzi Vert and more. The 2-day festival featured an extensive lineup of performances, food, rides and some scorching hot weather.
To kick off their 10th year in the City of Brotherly Love, the festival teamed up with popular retail brand SHEIN to promote different organizations dedicated to various causes including fighting gun violence, social justice reform and voter rights.
Saturday brought a hype set from Detroit rapper Babyface Ray whose audience grew throughout his set once the infectious bass from his hits like “Idols” and “Sincerely Face” echoed across the festival grounds.
Photo by Shareif Ziyadat for D’USSE.
Before her set on the Freedom Stage, rapper Flo Milli stopped by the D’USSÉ Lounge to try her hand at teaching a mini cocktail class with D’USSÉ global ambassador Sullivan Doh. The finished product was a “Gold Fashioned,” a lavish spin on the traditional old fashioned but with a twist: chocolate bitters and gold dust.
While Flo was serving up tasty drinks, rapper Pusha T performed his greatest hits just a couple feet away on the Rocky Stage. Headliner Tyler the Creator ended the night with a bang and closed out the day with an hour-long set, rapping songs from his latest project Call Me If You Get Lost.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 03: Pusha T performs onstage during 2022 Made In America at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 03, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
Sunday started off hot (literally and figuratively) with a sexy performance from Victoria Monet. The R&B songstress the commanded the Rocky Stage while performing fan favorites like “Jaguar” and “Moment.” Snoh Aalegra continued to provide the vibes and delivered soulful melodies while donning bedazzled pants reminiscent of MJ’s fit in the “Rock With You” music video; crooning her early classics like “Fool For You” and her biggest song to date, “I Want You Around.”
Burna Boy brought Nigeria to Philly with a heated performance on the Liberty Stage. The crowd screamed the words to his summer hit “Last Last” while the Afrobeats artist danced around the stage, showing off his elite footwork.
The weekend ended with a show-stopping performance from Bad Bunny, showing a crowd of more than 25,000 people how Puerto Rico likes to party.
Other performers included Larry June, DIXSON, JID, Glorilla, Toro Y Moi, Jazmine Sullivan, Jenevieve, Tate McRae, KUR, Ryan Castro, Ambré, Young Nudy, Armani White and more.
It was a night to remember. On a cool, crisp summer night hundreds of guests gathered at the exquisite D’USSÉxperience.
Ryan Coogler takes the time out of his day to discuss his dad taking him to see movies as a kid, watching Spike Lee classics, and how it felt seeing a powerful black man on screen for the first time.
The D’USSE Remixer Series returned to New York for a Grammy Edition series that was hosted by 9th Wonder.
Guess who I was just in the studio with?! That’s right! 9th Wonder!