The Roots Announce “A Roots Picnic Experience: Class of ’95” at Hollywood Bowl: Lil’ Kim, Method Man & Redman, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Raekwon and More

The Roots have officially announced their return to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, with A Roots Picnic Experience: Class of ’95. The one-night-only event, hosted by co-founders Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, will stage at the iconic outdoor amphitheater on June 8, 2025 in a celebration of the unforgettable sounds that defined 1995. The festival will see performances from a dream team of hip-hop trailblazers, including Method Man & Redman, Lil’ Kim, E-40, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Raekwon, DJ Quik, Goodie Mob, Havoc of Mobb Deep and more; The Roots will deliver a jam-packed headline performance and serve as the backing band for the broader event. 

The forthcoming festivities follow the triumphant success of this summer’s Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop is the Love of My Life at the Hollywood Bowl. For the very first time, The Roots transported their celebrated festival experience–traditionally staged in the band’s hometown of Philadelphia–to the West Coast, selling out the LA amphitheater with a cast of legends like Queen Latifah, Common, Digable Planets, Arrested Development, The Pharcyde, Black Sheep and The Jungle Brothers.

“Hip-hop was an entirely new ballgame back then, on an entirely new playing field,” Questlove recalled of ‘95 in a press release for the new event. “Those were the days when there were still things like mainstream terrestrial radio, bloated video budgets, and creativity at both the regional and the global levels. Those were the days that produced classic album after classic album, unleashing countless new ideas about art. Those were the days when the world was our oyster. This is the story of those days.”

Since 2008, Roots Picnic has earned a reputation as the summer’s can’t-miss event for fans of hip-hop and its countless genre-crossings. The 16-year-old festival has hosted a wide orbit of stars through the years, including memorable performances from Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, The War On Drugs, Jill Scott, TV On The Radio, The Black Keys and More. A Roots Picnic Experience: Class of ’95 will add another historic lineup in the City of Angels, with a full list of additional performers coming soon.

Tickets will go on sale this Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. PT at hollywoodbowl.com. Read on for the initial artist lineup.

A Roots Picnic Experience: Class of ’95 Lineup:

The Roots

Method Man & Redman

Lil’ Kim

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

E-40

Raekwon

DJ Quik

Goodie Mob

Havoc of Mobb Deep