LISTEN: 2018 ESSENCE Fest Performer Ro James Releases New EP, 'Smoke'...And We're Already Wanting More

Every year, ESSENCE Festival is excited to welcome some of the most extraordinary trailblazers in entertainment to the New Orleans Superdome for a weekend full of musical magic, and R&B crooner Ro James is certainly one in the number.

ESSENCE Festival 2018 ticket packages are on sale now! For more info and the latest news, visit our Festival page HERE.

Hailing from New York by way of Germany, the multi-talented musician is no stranger to the ESSENCE Fest stage and his electrifying performances have become a fan-favorite among attendees who can’t seem to get enough of his authentically soulful sound.

Following the success of his 2016 album, Eldorado, which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts, Ro is back with a new EP titled, Smoke. The release is the first of a two-part project, which he described as a “warm-up” for his forthcoming album in an Instagram post shared earlier this week.

In addition to the EP’s lead single, “Lost My Mind,” which was released on March 12 and samples a line from Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa,” the project includes 3 additional tracks titled “Special,” “Devotion,” and “Outside the Box (How Bout That).” 

Check out the video above to get a taste of the Smoke EP, and then be sure to grab your tickets to see Ro James live at ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans this July