When Martell throws a party in celebration of its new Blue Swift—a new, unique eau de vie de vin made with VSOP cognac and finished in Kentucky Bourbon casks—it goes all out. What was a three-day event culminated with performances by the Roots and Jidenna on Saturday at Washington, D.C.'s Dock 5 stage at Union Market. From the vast array of complimentary food and cognac tasting, the event appealed not only to cognac aficionados but also to those who love hip-hop.
Opening the show was the "Classic Man" himself, Jidenna, who not only came prepared in his signature suit but also had the crowd screaming for more:
Closing out the night were Philly's own, the Roots. If you need to know why the Roots are referred to as "legendary," just take a look at two snippets of their performance below:
At the end of the event, The Root had a chance to sit down with Jidenna and discuss the importance of Tuesday's election, and he dropped a few gems.
"I have a candidate who I think is very qualified; she happens to be the most qualified. And even more qualified than our current president, in terms of years spent in the White House. If she was a man, we wouldn't be asking as many questions as far as her qualifications. If Trump wins, it'll unite citizens, because sometimes you need a common enemy to fight," Jidenna said.
As Jidenna was sipping on his Martell, he delved further into politics, especially when it came to people questioning Hillary Clinton's qualifications and what changes need to be made in the world.
"We're in a time and era of the Renaissance woman; it's not just a madam president that we need. It's not just equal pay that we need, which should have … happened. What we need is a new world, redesigned, repurposed and redistributed for all people who have been marginalized by gender and race," the Stanford grad said.
"This is an age beyond the potential of a candidate that is a woman. The first thing is that she's qualified. We're in the age of where the era of a woman who can do it all is commonplace," he continued. "In an age where there are a few men of honor, there will come amidst them many women with the honor of many people."
It's safe to say, Jidenna is #WithHer.