Photos Of 2026 ESSENCE Festival First-Wave Performers In Mommy Mode

These ladies are part of the 2026 Essence Festival of Culture lineup. Don’t miss out—tickets here: Get Tickets

In case you missed the news (which I doubt, because it’s everywhere), the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, presented by Coca-Cola, is back with a bang. We recently rolled out our first wave of talent performing during the Evening Concert Series from July 3–5, including Cardi B (mother of four), Patti LaBelle (mother of five, including four she adopted), Kehlani (mother of one), Latto, and Brandy (mother of one) and Monica (mother of three).

With the exception of Latto (who even pranked us by shutting down pregnancy rumors with a prosthetic belly), these ladies are supermoms. They balance making Grammy-winning hits and touring the world with being the best mamas they can be. From raising grade schoolers to supporting adult children who’ve since joined their teams, everything these women do is for their family. And they encourage other moms to parent and work in ways that fit their own situations. No mommy guilt!

“I don’t want people thinking that I’m just heading back to work; this is my coping mechanism,” Cardi B said in 2025. “I don’t want everybody thinking it’s the same for them, and I don’t want the system to think because I did it, everyone should. Having your first baby really rocks your world. It is a big deal. And it is hard. And it is life-changing.”

But these artists have also spoken about the joy that comes with motherhood.

“Motherhood changed everything for me,” Brandy told ESSENCE for our 2025 Fall/Winter issue. “In everything I do, I think about Sy’rai. As much as I love my career, being a mom has taught me balance, patience, and the importance of being present. She shows me every day what unconditional love looks like. Through her eyes, I’m not ‘Brandy the artist’—I’m just her mom. That’s the most rewarding role I’ll ever have, and it pushes me to be better in everything I do.”

Her Boy Is Mine tour mate, Monica, fully agrees.

“The compassion and unconditional love I used to give the wrong people, I now pour into them—and they give it back. When I had my first son at 24, everything about how I saw life and love changed. Now, with him almost 21, I get to experience the return: our conversations, him picking me up, us sharing life together. That’s one of my greatest joys. A lot of people fear their kids getting older, but I embrace it. I keep it honest with all three of mine—good, bad, or indifferent—because if I don’t prepare them for the world, who will?”

And for some, like Patti LaBelle, the more people they can mother, the better.

“When my sister Jackie died, my husband and I adopted her two children. There were two boys who lived across the street, and when their mother died, we adopted them also,” she said in 2022. “And I have my natural son, Zuri. I always wanted a picket fence, a husband, and kids. Taking care of them never stopped my performing, and my performing never stopped my taking care of them.”

Being mothers has never been a barrier for these women. It’s been a blessing. See them in supermom mode below, and be sure to grab your tickets to see them live July 3–5 in New Orleans.