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The annual Governors Ball in New York City is around the corner once again, a festival that turns Randall’s Island into a floating jukebox full of musical variety. Both hip-hop and R&B have seen their fair share of re-defining in 2013 and the Governors Ball is taking notice, bumping the number of hip-hop/R&B acts from the seven at last year’s festival to 11 artists/groups this year. Let’s take a look at who’s going to be blowing speakers and minds at the Governors Ball 2014 and how they compare to last year’s list.

Kanye West (2013)/Outkast (2014)

Both hip-hop heavyweights from Chicago and Atlanta respectively serve as headliners their respective years. West performed the festival last year on the heels of the release of his sixth studio album ‘Yeezus,’ while the supergroup consisting of MCs André “3000″ Benjamin and Antwon “Big Boi” Patton are embarking on a festival tour in honor of the 20th anniversary of their debut record “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.”

Erykah Badu/Janelle Monae 

The Queen of Neo-Soul brought her Afrocentric flair and R&B/hip-hop/soul sound to the festival last year, and Monae is looking to bring a similar energy and musical variety to this year’s ball. Considering that they both collaborated on a single for Monae’s album ‘The Electric Lady’ last year, is this a coincidence of just crazy good timing on their part?

Nas/Ratking

NasRatking

Both considered by many to be walking embodiments of hard-hitting grim and gritty New York hip-hop, the Brooklyn-born Nas brought that flavor to GB last year. Ratking, a three-piece Harlem group consisting of wily MCs Wiki and Hak, backed by sample-based production by producer Sporting Life, will bring their New York hip-hop with a post-punk edge to the stage this year and do hip-hop’s birth spot proud.

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