Essence Festival is approaching, and during July 4th weekend African-American women and their friends will descend upon New Orleans, Louisiana, for a fun-filled weekend of music, beauty, upliftment, education, and more! Whether this is your first time at Essence or you go every year with girlfriends, here are seven "must-haves" you shouldn't forget to pack!

Check out images from the first day of ComplexCon, a festival and exhibition that brings together pop culture, art, food, style, sports, music, and more.

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Each year, hundreds of thousands of people come together for giant music festivals in the summer months. And, guess what single ladies? At least a third of them are men. If you’re single and on the hunt, odds are there’s someone special in the crowd for you. At this year’s 2014 ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans, for […]

R&B singer Monica took to the stage to open the Essence Music festival and performed a series of her biggest hits including her new song, ‘Love All Over Me’. In addition to her own material, Monica once again performed a tribute to her close friend and mentor Whitney Houston.