The Big Easy had better stock up on some Connect Four sets. Rap icon and board game devotee Kanye West has been named as the headliner for this year’s Essence Fest, to be held July 4-6 in New Orleans. The three-day festival, which is being held in Louisiana for the second straight year after a hiatus due to Hurricane Katrina, is billed as the nation’s “largest African-American event celebrating Black music and culture.” In addition to West, Mary J. Blige, Chris Rock, Chris Brown, Jill Scott, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. Additional artists will be announced in upcoming weeks. Tickets for the festival, which last year boasted a total attendance of over two hundred thousand, are currently on sale at major outlets. [NME]