New Orleans own Cash Money Records artists to reunite; headlining Essence Fest Friday night

AWAY, AND THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL IS FEST IS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS, MAKING IT THE LARGEST AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE AND MUSIC FESTIVAL IN THE UNITED STATES. CERTAINLY SOME BIG ACTS ARE SET TO TAKE THE STAGE. ORGANIZERS SAY THEY’LL BE AT LEAST 20 BIG NAME PERFORMANCES OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEKEND. WDSU REPORTER SHAY O’CONNOR SPOTLIGHTS SOME OF THE ARTISTS YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE THE HEADLINERS EACH NIGHT, RANGING FROM USHER TO JANET JACKSON TO THE REUNION OF CASH MONEY RECORDS, WHICH KICKS OFF THE FIRST NIGHT. THE NEW ORLEANS NATIVES SAY THEY CAN’T WAIT. YOU KNOW, WE ALL LOOKED UP TO ESSENCE. ESSENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF OUR LIFE AND OUR CULTURE IN NEW ORLEANS. AS ESSENCE FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 30 YEARS, FESTIVAL GOERS WILL ALSO GET TO EXPERIENCE THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PERFORMANCES. HOLD ON WHEN CASH MONEY RECORDS REUNITES, PRESENTED BY UPTOWN NATIVE BRYAN BIRDMAN WILLIAMS, IT JUST SO HAPPENS THE LABEL IS ALSO CELEBRATING 30 YEARS AS A RECORD LABEL. IT’S JUST EXCITEMENT TO US, UM, TO HAVE ALL OF US COME TOGETHER FOR ONE PART IN OUR LIFE. I CAN IMAGINE THAT YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT S. CLAIBORNE CREDIT CARD. ABSOLUTELY. BABY GANGSTA AKA CHRISTOPHER BJ DORSEY SAYS HE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PERFORMANCE IN LATE 2023. HE WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON AFTER SERVING ABOUT 12 YEARS. SINCE THEN, HE’S BEEN DONATING A LOT OF TIME TO ENCOURAGING LOCAL YOUTH TO TRY THEIR BEST TO SUCCEED, INCLUDING HERE AT THE ORLEANS JUSTICE CENTER. IT’S A RIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, BE SMART, BE EDUCATED, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST WALK A STRAIGHT LINE. SEVERAL CASH MONEY ARTISTS MADE A HUGE SPLASH IN HIP HOP IN THE LATE 90S. IN EARLY 2000, THE HOT BOYZ, RELEASING BIG HITS LIKE BLING BLING, WE ON FIRE AND I NEED A HOT GIRL. ALL THREE ALBUMS RELEASED AS A GROUP ACHIEVING HUGE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. ANOTHER BIG HIT BACK THAT THANG UP, CREATED BY JUVENILE AND THE LOVE FOR THE SONG STILL FELT ALL AROUND THE WORLD EVEN TODAY. WHEN I SEE THE REACTION I GET FROM PEOPLE FROM AFRICA, FROM CHINA AND DIFFERENT PLACES AROUND THE WORLD, I THINK THAT THAT RESONATES WITH ME THE MOST. THE GROUP MEMBERS ALL CONTINUE TO ENJOY THEIR SUCCESSES WHILE IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS. BABY SAYS CASH MONEY’S BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT COMING TOGETHER TO SEE THEIR IMPACT ON THE FACES OF THEIR FANS. ESSENCE FESTIVAL WILL BE NO DIFFERENT. ESSENCE MEANS A LOT TO OUR CULTURE AS PEOPLE AND NEW ORLEANS AND I LOVE ESSENCE AND WE’RE SUPER EXCITED. BABY ALSO GOT THE CHANCE TO BE HONORED DURING A STREET RENAMING CEREMONY. AS WE GO INTO ESSENCE FESTIVAL WEEKEND TOMORROW NIGHT ON WDSU NEWS AT SIX, I’LL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT A NATIVE FILMMAKER WHO GOT THE CHANCE TO CAPTURE A LOVE