Jay-Z & The Roots — The Roots Picnic, Philadelphia, 2026

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Why this recording

Shot from the crowd by an audience member and posted the day after the show, the video runs close to 1 h 34, covering most of a set that setlist.fm times at 1 h 35. What makes it worth watching is the running order: midway through, the stage turns into a ROC reunion, with Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk and Young Gunz on their own songs. Jazmine Sullivan joins Jay-Z for Feelin' It and then sings her own Need U Bad, while Meek Mill comes out for Dreams and Nightmares. The Hovi Baby opener leads straight into a freestyle.

— Simon Janvier, live-sound professional and editor of the catalogue

Recording technical sheet

Rights-holding channelThe FrontStoop: Where the concrete speaks...
Uploaded
Exact runtime
ResolutionHD (720p+)
Mix formatAmbient sound (room mics)
Source qualityAmateur (from the audience)

Metadata checked on YouTube on 29 September 2026; direction, camera setup and sound documented by the editors.

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Published on September 28, 2026 by Simon Janvier

In 2026, Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic hosted a much-anticipated reunion between Jay-Z, one of the most influential rappers in history, and The Roots, the band that redefined live instrumental hip-hop. This filmed concert extends a long-standing rapport, The Roots having previously backed Jay-Z for his legendary MTV Unplugged. Before the crowd at their home festival, the collective led by Questlove and Black Thought gives the New York rapper an organic setting, where drums, brass and keyboards reinvent his classics in real time. This full set illustrates the richness of hip-hop played by a real band, between soul, funk and rap, far from mere backing tracks. The capture conveys the energy of a reunion moment and the virtuosity of an ensemble hailed as one of the best live acts in the genre. A prime document for fans of hip-hop, live rap and band performances, recorded at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia in 2026.

Setlist

  1. Hovi Baby
  2. Freestyle
  3. U Don't Know
  4. Beach Is Better
  5. Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit
  6. Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)
  7. Run This Town
  8. Jigga My Nigga
  9. No Church in the Wild / Grammy Family (avec Bilal)
  10. Where I'm From / Marcy Me
  11. Dirt Off Your Shoulder
  12. I Know
  13. Never Change
  14. Empire State of Mind
  15. Picasso Baby
  16. Feelin' It (avec Jazmine Sullivan)
  17. Need U Bad (titre de Jazmine Sullivan, par Jazmine Sullivan)
  18. Can I Live
  19. The Story of O.J.
  20. Dead Presidents / Dead Presidents II
  21. Excuse Me Miss / La-La-La
  22. You, Me, Him and Her (avec Memphis Bleek et Beanie Sigel)
  23. Gotta Have It (titre de Beanie Sigel, avec Beanie Sigel et Peedi Crakk)
  24. Roc the Mic (titre de Beanie Sigel, avec Beanie Sigel et Freeway)
  25. Flipside (titre de Freeway, avec Freeway et Peedi Crakk)
  26. Can't Stop, Won't Stop (titre de Young Gunz, avec Young Gunz)
  27. What We Do (titre de Freeway, avec Freeway)
  28. Roc Boys (And the Winner Is ...)
  29. I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)
  30. Dreams and Nightmares (titre de Meek Mill, par Meek Mill)
  31. Niggas in Paris / Big Pimpin'
  32. Public Service Announcement

Personnel & credits

  • Jay-Z — vocals
  • Black Thought — vocals
  • Questlove — drums
Category

What to watch next

Neither Jay-Z & The Roots nor The Roots Picnic, Philadelphie appears elsewhere in the catalogue: what follows rests on the ground itself, Hip-hop from the 2020s.

Same ground: Hip-hop, the 2020s

The whole Hip-hop catalogue