Words by Jesse Serwer, Photo by Terrence Jennings—
Amidst all the rappity rap and R&B madness at this summer’s Roots Picnic, the electro-dancehall carnival known as Major Lazer turned what would come to be dubbed “Diplo-tent” into a rain-soaked rave of legend. Major Lazer being family (yuh dun no Jillionaire and Walshy Fire are LargeUp contributors), we linked with our Afro-wearing overlords at Okayplayer for a behind-the-scenes peek inside the madness that is Major Lazer, covering everything from Diplo’s Philly roots to the influence of Machel Montano and carnival culture on the crew’s live attack. Watch the webisode below, head over to Okayplayer for more highlights from this year’s momentous (and two-day long) edition of the Roots picnic, and be sure to check our LargeUp TV episode with Diplo in Jamaica for more Philly-JA connectivity.