Coachella 2024: YG Marley brings out hip-hop icons to festival debut
YG Marley made an iconic debut at Coachella on Sunday, bringing out hiphop legends Busta Rhymes and a partial reunion of the Fugees to create an astounding performance for fans of ‘90s hip-hop and reggae to enjoy.
Marley reached stardom for his Reggae hit, “Praise Jah in the Moonlight.” But that shouldn’t be a surprise. The artist hails from some impressive lineage — his mother is the Fugees member Ms. Lauryn Hill and his grandfather was Bob Marley. He co-wrote the song with Hill, and it also features samples from Bob Marley & The Wailers’ song “Crisis.”
He played the song at Hill’s shows before releasing it, but even if you weren’t at those concerts or aren’t a Reggae fan, you’ve likely heard it as it circulates on social media platforms like TikTok. But some fans may have been confused as to how Marley would fill a whole 50-minute set on the Coachella Stage, considering “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” is his only released song.
His answer was bringing out hip-hop and rap superstars, in addition to covers of Bob Marley & The Wailers and unreleased music. Hill joined her son after he performed unreleased tracks “Marching to Freedom” and “Running to a Solution,” singing “Ex-Factor” and “Lost Ones.”
“So YG, before you were born, we used to do something like this,” Hill said, before launching into “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and welcoming fellow Fugees member Wyclef Jean. They then performed “Fu-Gee-La” together.
Busta Rhymes came to the stage to perform two songs, “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and his verse from “Look At Me Now.” He was joined by Spliff Star.
The audience cheered throughout the set, screaming when they recognized which hit song was coming next. They also performed “Ready or Not” together, and played some of Bob Marley’s songs, including “Is This Love” and “One Love/People Get Ready.”
YG Marley ended by performing “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” twice to an audience stunned by a fantastic show. The only question is how he’ll top this next week.
Desert Sun reporter Ani Gasparyan covers the communities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City, but this weekend, she’s covering the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.