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Home · Entertainment

Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night

After a year of no official live shows, these powerhouses picked up where things left off with a night full of soul and love.
Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan
By Antoinette Isama · Updated August 2, 2021

Saturday marked the start of the 43rd annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival at the newly renamed Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, featuring headliner Ari Lennox and a line-up that brought the energy we missed after a year of no in-person shows.

The festival continued its tradition of convening the Brooklyn community together by celebrating the culture, music and people that make the borough so special, by gracing over 9,000 attendees with entertaining openers who represented the ever-burgeoning Black talent coming out of New York City.

Queens’ own Nesta started off the evening sharing a fusion of R&B and his Jamaican heritage. Performing his smooth cover of Pharrell’s “Frontin’,” he engaged revelers with a call and response while singing his lead single “Already There,” and introduced new ears to “Str8 From The Heart,” “Why Not Love,” and more.

Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 31: A view of the audience as Nesta performs during the 43rd Annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival Opening Night at the Prospect Park Lena Horne Bandshell on July 31, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

KAMAUU followed, placing a small area rug for him to be grounded on stage barefoot, while the audience began to stand on their feet, singing along to “Purl,” “Bamboo,” his unique cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” and swayed along to unreleased music. The Brooklynite closed out his set by bringing out the stunning bassist and vocalist Adeline, where they performed their collab track, “Mango.”

Ari Lennox took the stage with her backing band, donning a flesh-toned dress that glistened against the stage lights. The energy in the bandshell swelled as she sang pitch-perfect renditions of “Whipped Cream,” “Broke,” “New Apt,” “Facetime,” “BMO,” and more. She was all about the music and engaging her fans, with some making sure to throw her gifts and shower her with love and due props for her gift. Ari made sure not to leave without performing her hit “Shea Butter Baby,” surprising the audience with J. Cole, who rapped his verse on the track and continued to  praise Ari before hopping off the stage.

Ari Lennox brought out J. Cole in Brooklyn tonight 👀🔥⚡️pic.twitter.com/kvPzR49xyW

— Team DREAMVILLE (@TeamDreamville) August 1, 2021

Opening night at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival was an evening we didn’t know we needed and was an indicator of what’s to come. The party continues at the bandshell through September, featuring the likes of The Roots, Wizkid, DJ D-Nice with special guests, Skip Marley, Mr. Eazi, Trombone Shorty, Junglepussy and more.
Dig into the photos from Saturday below, and find more information about upcoming performances here.

01
Adeline
Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan
02
Nesta
Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan
03
Kamauu
Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan
04
Ari Lennox
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan
Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan
05
J. Cole
Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan
06
Ari Lennox and J. Cole
Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and More Shut Down BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival’s Opening Night
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan
TOPICS:  ari lennox
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