Okayplayer Holiday Party pics (Roots, Big Daddy Kane, Shaggy, Big Freedia, Gary Clark Jr, Angelique Kidjo & many more)
photos by Eric M. Townsend
Santa Questlove
Rahzel + Shaggy tearing it up, free apple cider shots for the ENTIRE club from our main man + Brooklyn Bowl owner Pete Shapiro, and Big Freedia and her “Azz Everywhere” – you know, just another legendary Okayplayer Holiday Jam with The Roots. What else was amazing? Free dranks thanks to Heineken, aerialists doing the splits above The Roots, and opening DJ sets from OKP Editor at large, Eddie “STATS” and OKA’s own Chief Boima, along with LargeUp’s own DJ Gravy and so much more. Warming up the stage, the Music Unites Youth Choir opened the show, followed by Black Thought co-signees The Wurx who brought fresh Philly-style raps.
Next up, godfathers The Roots took the stage for an extended jam with a laundry list of Okay family and friends. Throughout the night special guests included Gary Clark Jr. who graced the stage and flexed his guitar chops, Big Daddy Kane who spit classics alongside Black Thought, and Rahzel who showed why he’s the human beat box extraordinaire. Angelique Kidjo and Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew tore it up, repping Okayafrica all the way. And LargeUp kept shit bombastic with Shaggy and Patra the Dancehall Queen, along with Mr. Eazy, Red Fox, and Rayvon. We also got some instrumental goodness thanks to Ray Angry and Robert Glasper on keys, repping for Revivalist. And after all that, DJ ?uestlove brought it home on the 1s and 2s with a Bowl Train after-party. [OkayAfrica]
The Roots played their 5th annual Okayplayer Holiday Jam at Brooklyn Bowl on 12/15. As quoted above, there were tons of special guests, including Big Freedia who will return to the Brooklyn venue for her own show on 1/21.
Gary Clark Jr., who also guested at the show, played his own show at Mercury Lounge two days earlier (12/13). You can check out a review of that show on Bowery’s website.
Questlove DJs Brooklyn Bowl again tonight (12/22). He tweeted, “Tonight at @brooklynbowl. We celebrate the 5th Anniversary of James Brown’s exodus. All James All Jams. #BowlTrain.” Tickets are still avilable. He also gives Manhattan some love and DJs at S.O.B.’s on January 3. Tickets are available for that too.
More pictures and a video from the Okayplayer show below…
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