Pharrell’s Something in the Water festival took place this past weekend in Washington, DC. For three days, 70 of music’s biggest acts descended upon DC’s National Mall for performances in front of over 50,000 attendees. Pharrell moved the show to DC from his native Virginia after the police killing of his cousin Donovan Lynch. He told USA Today, “Why not take this Black solution to a systemic issue to a higher platform? Why not take Virginia with me to D.C. so we can take our message of unity, diversity and equity to our nation’s capital?”
It was the festival’s first year on DC’s Independence Avenue, which means there are some kinks to work out for the future, but it was still an enjoyable time. Here are some of our biggest takeaways from the weekend.
Pharrell is universally revered
View this video on YouTube
Most fans have no idea who runs the festivals they attend or who they’re giving their money to, but that’s not the case with Something in the Water. Pharrell’s fingerprints were all over his summer showcase this year, from the bill of affiliated artists to the attendees’ BBC and NERD apparel. He was a gracious host on all three nights, coming out at the end of Usher’s Day closing set, where Usher lauded him for The Neptunes entering the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. During Day 2’s Pharrell and Phriends set, N.O.R.E. called him the greatest producer ever, and Tyler concurred in a way only he could, telling the “little lightskin midget” to stay onstage after “Cash in Cash Out” so the NERD stan could tell Pharrell that he was the “greatest” in his eyes, and that he’s “forever indebted” to him. They were harrowing ”have your flowers” moments that we don’t often get to see in person. It feels good to have at least one major festival that’s artist-run, where the bill takes cues from the artist’s tastes and influences.
The Clipse reunion was a moment
View this video on YouTube
One of the biggest highlights of Saturday night’s Pharrell and Phriends set was The Clipse’s return to the stage. The beloved duo went on hiatus in 2010, with both rappers pursuing solo careers. No Malice, fka Malice, said in 2014 that there wouldn’t be another Clipse album, but in 2016 he reopened the door to the possibility of them making “clown soup” of the game on a future project. His ominous closing bars on It’s Almost Dry standout “I Pray For You,” including “put the ring back on her finger, marry it again” stirred intrigue for new Clipse music, and the visual of the two onstage at SITW has the anticipatory flame fully lit amongst Clipse devotees. Was Saturday’s medley of hits their grand hurrah, or a harbinger of a return to SITW 2023 with new music? Whatever the case, it was one of the weekend’s most riveting moments.
Tyler, the Creator might have the best live show in rap
View this video on YouTube
I didn’t see every single set at this year’s festival, but most acts didn’t prioritize set design. Push had a pile of prop bricks on a table during his performance, but the majority of the other sets were barebones and relied on jumbotron animations for character (21 Savage’s animations were my favorite). Tyler, the Creator, as usual, pushed past his SITW peers with an elaborate set design that underscores why he may have the best live show in rap right now. It’s not just the energy he pours into every bar, his sense of humor, or his inspiring monologues in between songs—the power of his live show is in the meticulousness of bringing a grassy hill set and integrating it with a screen that changes color and atmosphere based on the tone of each song he’s performing. From beginning to end, Tyler thrilled the crowd as one of the last sets of the weekend (with J Balvin), so much so that a lot of people stayed past the 11:30 last train call. (I hope they got home safe.) There are too many active OGs, like Busta Rhymes, Big Daddy Kane, and (a motivated) Kanye, to definitely say Tyler has the best live show in rap, but the overall package he offers puts him in the conversation.
On white squares and square consumers
View this video on YouTube
During Pusha-T’s “Games We Play” performance he rapped, ‘If you ain’t energized like the bunny for drug money/ Or been paralyzed by the sight of a drug mummy/ This ain’t really for you,” and the hordes of attendees, who fit neither category, stood unexpressively. The appeal of Push’s brand of coke rap isn’t neat narratives or otherwise seeking mass appeal; it’s the slickness and insular references that make you feel like you’re watching an HBO show consulted on by actual drug dealers. He’s clear that his music is intended to be an exclusive experience. But nonetheless, there are people who eagerly tap into it, or condemn it, without actually knowing enough about the content to say why it resonates. That’s hardly a new dynamic, but festivals are always an interesting glimpse of the incongruity of violent rap lyrics and its consumers. There’s nothing like walking from one stage to another and crossing a gaggle of teenage girls gleefully reciting lyrics about gang violence while looking like they’re in an American Eagle ad. Or people who can’t decipher “the scale never lies, I’m two-point-two incentivised” but make declarative tweets about Push’s music. I don’t have a major moral to draw from this observation, but it was an interesting moment. As much as music brings us together, it can simultaneously amplify the disconnect between artists their and consumers.
DC’s monuments created a troubling symbolism
Go-go was well-represented—for the most part
View this video on YouTube
Pharrell made it a point to shine a light on go-go music, the sound of DC, throughout SITW. Esteemed go-go acts Backyard Band, Rare Essence, and TOB both played long sets on Day 2 and 3 of the festival, treating the crowd to anthemic choruses and intricate percussion breakdowns that could make the most tame person dance. It felt good to see both acts get such a large platform, especially in light of the way the city establishment has shut down so many venues where go-go artists have historically played.
At the end of Backyard’s set, Big G (also known for playing Slim Charles on The Wire) urged the city to put the guns down, and for leaders in the community to give young people “hugs” and help steer them away from violence. The speech ended up being more poignant in hindsight, because elsewhere in DC on Day 3, there was a mass shooting that people clumsily tried to attach to the Moechella go-go event that had ended right before the shooting. A 15-year-old was killed, while two cops and two other adults were shot. Just like with rap, critics have tried to attach go-go to violence in the city, but at SITW, just like at Moechella, Backyard, TOB, and Rare Essence showed the real spirit of go-go: letting loose, celebrating your area, and having a good time.
On a lighter note, there was a moment during Pharrell and Phriends where Justin Timberlake urged the crowd to “beat their feet” during a live rendition of “Sexy Back.” Beating your feet is a dance that’s typically done over go-go beats that looks something like breakdancing to the untrained eye, but with a DC twist. JT apparently felt the spirit and started doing something with his legs, but he certainly wasn’t beating his feet. We appreciate the enthusiasm, but get it right if you’re gonna go there.
There’s room for improvement
View this video on YouTube
Something in the Water 2022 was enjoyable for me, but it wasn’t perfect, and there were problems caused by how many people were in attendance. There were reports of people who tried to re-enter the venue to see Pharell and Phriends, but ended up being denied because the event was apparently at capacity. It’s understandable that Pharrell wanted his set to be the only one going at the end of Day 2, but at the same time, the decision created an environment where thousands of people were in the back of the crowd clamoring to get a glimpse of the sun stage or the screen that organizers smartly erected 100 yards away from the actual stage. Those screens were a nice addition for people who had no chance of getting to the front of the stage, but hopefully next year there will be even more accommodations with such a large crowd in mind. The media and other VIPs had sections where they could sit and watch performances unimpeded, but the general admission didn’t have those luxuries. The festival was laid out along Independence Avenue, which means the grounds were pretty much a strip with stages on either end (and a third, smaller stage in the cut). Attendees made impromptu sitting areas along the edges of the festival grounds, but there was no astroturf, seats, or other features that signified designated areas for people to sit. It’s their first festival in D.C. so they’re understandably still learning the space, but those improvements would create a better experience for everyone.
