Method Man represented hip-hop at the Juneteenth concert on the White House’s South Lawn Tuesday, June 13. He performed at the inaugural event, and shared some words about the federal holiday and its ties to the genre, which is celebrating its milestone 50th year.
“During Black Music Month, the concert is a fitting way to recognize Juneteenth and express this part of our shared American history,” Meth said, per a video that made its way to TikTok. “For it is through music that African Americans found community and sought solace. Music has the power to uplift us, to enrich our minds and nourish the souls. From spirituals to gospel, R&B, jazz, rock, soul, and yes y’all, 50 years of hip-hop, ya heard?! Each generation of Black musicians, artists and thought leaders have channeled the struggles of their lifetime into the American soundtrack.”
Method Man was one of many tapped to perform at the Juneteenth concert. Also on the lineup were Jennifer Hudson, Audra McDonald, Ledisi, and marching bands from historically Black colleges and universities like Morgan State University and Hampton University.
The event came two years after President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday. He said the decision to do so was more than a symbolic gesture.
“It was a statement of fact for this country to acknowledge the origin of the original sin of slavery, to understand the war was never fought over it,” he said. “It, it wasn’t just about a union, but it was most fundamentally about the country and freedom.”
Method Man’s Wu-Tang Clan will also celebrate hip-hop’s 50th at a concert taking place September 15 at Madison Square Garden.
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