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Hip-hop and country artists to headline Wawa Welcome America! concert

The Roots, Jennifer Nettles and Miguel will perform at the July 4 show.

Mayor Nutter, with Wawa's Howard Stoeckel and Welcome America's Desiree Peterkin-Bell looking on, announces the July Fourth lineup. (Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)
Mayor Nutter, with Wawa's Howard Stoeckel and Welcome America's Desiree Peterkin-Bell looking on, announces the July Fourth lineup. (Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)Read more

SURPRISE! The Roots are performing again at the Wawa Welcome America! Festival's Philly Fourth of July Jam.

The Roots, performing at the festival for the seventh straight year, will be joined by co-headliners Miguel and Jennifer Nettles.

With past performers who include high-profile names like Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and John Mayer, some observers have questioned the uniqueness of this year's acts.

"In an incredibly diverse city like Philadelphia with a wide range of tastes in music, on the one hand it's probably virtually impossible to make everyone happy," Mayor Nutter said at a news conference yesterday at the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

He added, "On the other hand, it is a big, free, outdoor concert."

The Roots feature Philadelphia natives Black Thought and Questlove, who has served as the festival's music director in past years.

"Sometimes . . . talented people who folks might want to hear are not necessarily available on the Fourth of July," Nutter said, praising this year's acts as "stellar."

Nettles, a member of the group Sugarland, is the first country artist to perform at the show since Sheryl Crow took the stage in 2009.

"Jennifer Nettles is new to me," Nutter admitted, later saying, "I like a little country music. I just haven't heard her."

Miguel, a hip-hop and R&B artist, is more to Nutter's liking.

"I am quite familiar with Miguel," he said.

The eight-day festival will run from June 27 to July 4, combining live music and free food with commemorations of historical events such as the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amendment - which outlawed slavery in the U.S.

Visit welcomeamerica.com for more details.