Yessir, the biggest party with a purpose to hit any city touched down in New Orleans this weekend and ya girl was in full Essence Music Fest Mode [hence the lack of posts]... If you have never been to Essence I don't think I could properly describe the feeling in the city. Approximately 270,000 people descended on the Cresent City for music, seminars, food and partying. Three nights of more music than you can even take in. So many artists perform as well as celebrity fans come to the weekend festivities, so you catch anyone from Boris Kodjoe to Cornell West to Patti LaBelle. The nightly shows are the highlight, but you can come and not even go the concerts and still get plenty of free entertainment with seminars, events, and stages at the Convention Center. I had an absolute blast!

If you need a great Fourth of July getaway, save you pennies now because next year is the 15th anniversary and it is going to go soooo hard. I already have the one reason to go, and her name is Beyonce! She is already set to return and her show last year was FABULOUS...

Continue reading for more of my fun at the 14th Annual Essence Music Fest...

So Friday's line up was J. Holiday, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Kanye West. You know I love J. Holiday, so I caught his show which was good and long, he must have sung every song on the album until he was nekkid in the crowd!

Rihanna hit the stage next and rocked for a hot minute, her show was a bit shorter than expected, but she actually impressed me. The lace up boots are to die for and she worked the stage like a pro... She even did a medley of M.I.A., Amy Winehouse, and Lauryn Hill.

I skipped C.B. since I saw him last year, to go catch Mint Condition in the Coca-Cola Super Lounge ...FABULOUS! They have a new album out called E-Life which features the song "Baby Boy Baby Girl" featuring Anthony Hamilton that I just adore. They are an Essence regular and I look forward to them each year.

We also caught the tail end of Angie Stone's set in another Super Lounge and we caught the best part!! So back in the day, Angie Stone was "Angie B." in the rap group called The Sequence so she brought out Cheryl the Pearl and bust an oldie "Funk You Up." Then it hit another level when she brought out the Sugar Hill Gang!! Seriously the room was rocking so hard. As Ashanti would say, it was BANANAS! Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn...

By this time it was time to get ready for Kanye West who closed day one out. Boy did he!!! You know how they say "I left it all on the stage" that is exactly what Kanye did. He had the side monitors off to darken the Dome as much as possible and just wrecked it. He was sweating so hard, I was gasping for air. He is so passionate about the performance that you couldn't help but feel it in the air. "Dear Mama" was a tough moment, a bit solemn... but out side of that he just went harder and harder with each song, just leaving it all on the stage. The only down point is that he didn't have his full tour stage, but he didn't need it. Loved it...

Then it was off to First Fridays at The W with Spinderella...whew!

So after a morning of beignets at Café Du Monde, visiting Jackson Square and walking the River Walk down by the Mississippi River we headed over the Convention Center to catch Bill Cosby speak at the forum on education. The Convention Center, which is huge, was full of people and way too many things to do in one day. Vendor booths with everything from art to jewelry were in the Marketplace area, and you could visit attractions like the Army’s rock climbing wall or get your face put on the cover of Essence Mag [the line was ridiculous!].

I caught a bit of the VH1 Soul stage holding a discussion with Lyfe Jennings, Estelle, and Bryan Micheal Cox among others, then headed over to the Mc Donald’s Lounge to get a full free concert from Carl Thomas, who made my day with the second best summer anthem “Summer Rain.” On the other side you could catch Chilli from TLC hosting Karaoke at the Coca Cola stage…

By this time I was ready to go as my claustrophobia was starting get the best of me! I little shopping and dinner at Houston’s it time to get ready for day two at the Super Dome. I called this night the “Sista’s Nite Out” edition with Musiq Soulchild, LL Cool J, Jill Scott and a tribute to Icon Patti LaBelle as the night’s line up.

Musiq Soulchild, who is rocking a faux hawk these day jumped off the show, had the ladies swooning and screaming setting up the stage for the other ladies man… LL Cool J and all his lip licking glory! Yes, ladies still love the cool J…

Jill Scott the main attraction for me that night, I’ve been waiting to see her live and the wait was worth it. Jilly from Philly brought it! Her voice is so powerful and she was quite entertaining throughout her set, taking sips of her drink and dropping the side-eye! At the end she come back and says that something just hit her one night and she had to write it down, she performed this impromptu song that was just crazy! The whole dome was singing along!

VIEW VIDEO OF JILL SCOTT'S ESSENCE EXCLUSIVE!

The nights end came with a bang as Patti LaBelle hit the stage looking just regal with her short yellow dress and teal Christian Louboutins… She had no problem pointing out the fact that her pinking was hanging out as she quickly kicked them on and grabbed another pair from her collection on the piano! LOL… Patti is somebody’s grandmother, you know how they have make no quorums about telling it all! Even the fact that she had her nose done, but that was it, everything else is real honey… her words, not mine. Essence lined of a group of ladies to come out and sing with Patti including Chrisette Michelle, Angies Stone, New Orleans’ own Irma Thomas and Ledisi. Patti also brought out the original LaBelle’s to sing their last single “What a Shame” and dropped the news that they are releasing an album this fall! That Nona Hendryx was working the hell out that leather, fishnets, and hair, at 60-plus, I can’t even hate on it!

Day three came so quickly… The last night of music was the most popular with Morris Day and The Time, Keyshia Cole, Chris Rock, Mary J. Blige, and of course the weekend’s staple act Maze ft. Frankie Beverly.

Keyshia was looking very pretty, I really love the black hair on her! I’ve seen Keyshia Cole twice in the last year so I headed over to the Coca Cola Super Lounge to watch Raheem Davaughn! I need some good soul music. The line was ridiculous to get in! He definitely brought his D.C. vibe…very good live!

Chris Rock hit the main stage and I had to see his routine… HILARIOUS! Chris was absolutely on his game that night. I don’t know if it was because he hasn’t done stand up in a while, but he had us crying laughing. I’m still laughing today about some of the stuff he was saying. From Obama, to the use of the word “nigger,” to sex, he was great. I was pleasantly surprised! Maybe it’s something about watching comedy in person that makes it funnier when everyone is laughing, but we were dying…

Finally, Mary J. Blige came to show up and show out! The place was packed for Mary, it was crazy! The floor was so full, just rocking. I had to give the 'Go head girl' church wave! Even though I saw her during the Heart of City Tour, I couldn't wait to see her again, I could watch her show over and over, she goes so hard. It’s the opposite of her off stage personality which is so laid back. You can tell she is so much more comfortable in her own skin. Decked out in all white, she looked great! And if you didn’t know, white is like a requirement on the Sunday of Essence, I saw so many white linen this and white that! LOL.. I had my white shirt on too, though.

It’s not Essence until you get some Maze ft. Fankie Beverly to take it on home with “Before I Let Go!”

So before I let you go… enjoy more pics from the weekend!

Bow Wow, Chris Brown and Rihanna heading off after their sets…




Baby Daniel give mom Solange the side-eye…


…then a kiss!


Lil’ rocktar already…carrying on the Knowles dynasty I see.


New Orleans native Tyler Perry received the key to the city from Mayor Nagin