The 147th Preakness Stakes horse race will draw at least one winning stallion: Grammy Award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
Megan Thee Stallion and fellow Grammy Award-winning musical artist Ms. Lauryn Hill will headline Preakness Live, a culinary, art and music festival on May 20, leading up to the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown on May 21.
There will also be performances by country singer–songwriter Brittney Spencer, DJ D-Nice, the Morgan State University Marching Band, and composer Darin Atwater with Soulful Symphony, an all Black symphony orchestra.
Preakness Live will feature Derrick Adams’ “The Last Resort” art garden pop-up show. There will also be food from chef Marcus Samuelsson, who often appears as a judge on Chopped; and chefs Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, who have served as judges on Top Chef since the cooking competition show premiered in 2006.
Tickets are available for purchase on the Preakness website.
Preakness Live will be held in addition to this year’s Preakness InfieldFest on May 21, another live music event featuring performances by Marshmello, The Chainsmokers, Moneybagg Yo and Frank Walker.
Last year’s Preakness Live event featured performances by Jack Harlow, 2 Chainz and DJ D-Nice. The 2021 event, which was held in place of Preakness InfieldFest that year, had attendees enjoy the show in socially distanced pods.
Megan Pete, known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, told Hustonia magazine in 2017 that she adopted her “stallion” name after older men commented on her physical stature. She turned those comments into a performing name and has gone on to top charts and win numerous awards for her music, including Grammy Awards for “Best New Artist” as well as “Best Rap Song” and “Best Rap Performance” for her song “Savage.”
Stallion was also featured on rapper Cardi B’s song “WAP,” which featured a sample from a beat by Baltimore club artist Frank Ski.
Hill is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, including in 1999 when she became the first female hip hop artist to win “Best New Artist.” She and Stallion are the only two female hip hop artists to receive that award.
Hill was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in February 2022.
