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https://www.blackenterprise.com/embargo-one-music-fest-is-celebrating-15-years-of-black-cultural-excellence/

One Music Fest is celebrating its 15th year of bringing urban culture and joy to Atlanta. The festival takes place on Saturday, Oct. 26–27.

The festival has evolved from its meager beginnings in King’s Plow parking lot, now hosting 100,000 plus attendees at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with One Music Fest Founder J. Carter to discuss 15 years of Black cultural excellence.

Carter’s passion for One Music Fest is palpable. His vision led him to financial loss for many years, yet he was undeterred. The visionary founder credits his wife with encouraging him to take the glass half-full approach and see the venture as a long-term investment.

He recalls, “It was my wife who said, ‘You can look at it as one of two ways: losing money or investing money.”

This advice and his belief in the marketability of Black culture paid off—the Harlem native invested in his dream, Atlanta, and hip-hop culture. Peep what Carter had to say about his 15-year journey and 2024 OMF.

***

Congratulations on reaching the 15-year mark with One Music Fest. How are you feeling about it?

Excited. It doesn’t feel like 15 years. I’m super, super excited to release the lineup. One Music Fest hit a record 100,000-plus attendees at Piedmont Park last year.

Do you think you’ve reached a plateau, or do you think there’s more to climb as far as numbers are concerned?

I definitely think there are higher numbers, too, to achieve. But, we don’t solely base achievement on attendance. From day one, it’s been about how do we impact culture. How do we present Black culture in a different light to build a safe playground for us to celebrate each other, celebrate our music, celebrate our food, and celebrate our differences? Our motto and battle cry was and still is unity through music.

Are you concerned that more attendees will compromise the authenticity of the space? Or will more attendees aid in OMF’s evolution?

So, we can never be stagnant. I do believe we always need to evolve. A key thing we do is try to keep young energy around us. We like to incorporate how Gen Z or Gen Alpha moves into our growth and evolution. We want to thrive, right? Everybody deserves joy, right? So, what does your joy look like? I think we do a very good job of reaching back.

There’s a younger generation that’s progressive enough and gets it. My job is to be able to tap into and reach them. Ten years ago, we celebrated Nas’s 20th anniversary of Illmatic. Kendrick Lamar was a little bigger at that time, and yet he said Nas should headline. So, I do believe that there’s the younger generation that has a level of respect and understanding, and nostalgic stuff is cool to them. Young cats are buying vinyl now. 

You’ve said that your first five years were unsuccessful. How did you get sponsors and investors to hop on board for a” failing venture?”

On the outside looking in, we weren’t failing. We were growing financially on the books. We were experiencing 80% to 100% growth. Attendance and sponsors were increasing as well.

The budgets we were given, however . . . there comes a point where you have to stop and say, you know what, I know my value. We stopped undercutting ourselves and said, ‘Nah, brands, this is how y’all gotta show up if you want to talk to the culture.’

What can we look forward to for OMF’s 15th year?

Women are just carrying the torch in politics, at the Olympics, especially Black women, when you look at what’s charting, women, even in hardcore hip-hop. So, as we were booking, there are a lot of incredible women on this lineup.

The 15th year is almost an ode to incredible women doing incredible work and music over the years. It’s a range of talent if you can even imagine, from a Cardi B to a Jill Scott, Glorilla to a Fantasia.

One Music Fest, line up, J Carter, Piedmont park, Atlanta
Courtesy Of One Music Fest

The city of Atlanta gets fed from this event. If you had to ballpark the amount of money they get from your event through tourism and commerce, what number would you imagine?

It could be around the $50 million mark. We bring in 5,000 people to work the event. When you think about vendors, food vendors, and tourism, 50% of our audience is not from the greater Atlanta area.

You’ve said OMF will never leave Atlanta. Are you standing on business about that statement?

1000%.

I don’t think One Music Fest could have happened in any other city. This is Atlanta. We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, bridge builders, and bricklayers who have done the work. I don’t know many places like Atlanta that give you the opportunity to be, to exist, to thrive. Where you can dream and go for that dream safely. Everything you need is about 2-3 calls away in Atlanta.

***

One Music Fest’s tickets are in high demand. According to Carter, VIP sells out within the first two weeks of the event. So, if you are that person who likes plush seating and “white glove” treatment, grab those tickets ASAP.

Tickets are on sale at the official website.

RELATED CONTENT: Exclusive: J. Carter, Creator Of ONE Musicfest, Takes His Talents To Dallas For TwoGether Land

August 30, 2024

One Music Fest Is Celebrating 15 Years Of Black Cultural Excellence

https://www.blackenterprise.com/embargo-one-music-fest-is-celebrating-15-years-of-black-cultural-excellence/

One Music Fest is celebrating its 15th year of bringing urban culture and joy to Atlanta. The festival takes place on Saturday, Oct. 26–27.

The festival has evolved from its meager beginnings in King’s Plow parking lot, now hosting 100,000 plus attendees at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with One Music Fest Founder J. Carter to discuss 15 years of Black cultural excellence.

Carter’s passion for One Music Fest is palpable. His vision led him to financial loss for many years, yet he was undeterred. The visionary founder credits his wife with encouraging him to take the glass half-full approach and see the venture as a long-term investment.

He recalls, “It was my wife who said, ‘You can look at it as one of two ways: losing money or investing money.”

This advice and his belief in the marketability of Black culture paid off—the Harlem native invested in his dream, Atlanta, and hip-hop culture. Peep what Carter had to say about his 15-year journey and 2024 OMF.

***

Congratulations on reaching the 15-year mark with One Music Fest. How are you feeling about it?

Excited. It doesn’t feel like 15 years. I’m super, super excited to release the lineup. One Music Fest hit a record 100,000-plus attendees at Piedmont Park last year.

Do you think you’ve reached a plateau, or do you think there’s more to climb as far as numbers are concerned?

I definitely think there are higher numbers, too, to achieve. But, we don’t solely base achievement on attendance. From day one, it’s been about how do we impact culture. How do we present Black culture in a different light to build a safe playground for us to celebrate each other, celebrate our music, celebrate our food, and celebrate our differences? Our motto and battle cry was and still is unity through music.

Are you concerned that more attendees will compromise the authenticity of the space? Or will more attendees aid in OMF’s evolution?

So, we can never be stagnant. I do believe we always need to evolve. A key thing we do is try to keep young energy around us. We like to incorporate how Gen Z or Gen Alpha moves into our growth and evolution. We want to thrive, right? Everybody deserves joy, right? So, what does your joy look like? I think we do a very good job of reaching back.

There’s a younger generation that’s progressive enough and gets it. My job is to be able to tap into and reach them. Ten years ago, we celebrated Nas’s 20th anniversary of Illmatic. Kendrick Lamar was a little bigger at that time, and yet he said Nas should headline. So, I do believe that there’s the younger generation that has a level of respect and understanding, and nostalgic stuff is cool to them. Young cats are buying vinyl now. 

You’ve said that your first five years were unsuccessful. How did you get sponsors and investors to hop on board for a” failing venture?”

On the outside looking in, we weren’t failing. We were growing financially on the books. We were experiencing 80% to 100% growth. Attendance and sponsors were increasing as well.

The budgets we were given, however . . . there comes a point where you have to stop and say, you know what, I know my value. We stopped undercutting ourselves and said, ‘Nah, brands, this is how y’all gotta show up if you want to talk to the culture.’

What can we look forward to for OMF’s 15th year?

Women are just carrying the torch in politics, at the Olympics, especially Black women, when you look at what’s charting, women, even in hardcore hip-hop. So, as we were booking, there are a lot of incredible women on this lineup.

The 15th year is almost an ode to incredible women doing incredible work and music over the years. It’s a range of talent if you can even imagine, from a Cardi B to a Jill Scott, Glorilla to a Fantasia.

One Music Fest, line up, J Carter, Piedmont park, Atlanta
Courtesy Of One Music Fest

The city of Atlanta gets fed from this event. If you had to ballpark the amount of money they get from your event through tourism and commerce, what number would you imagine?

It could be around the $50 million mark. We bring in 5,000 people to work the event. When you think about vendors, food vendors, and tourism, 50% of our audience is not from the greater Atlanta area.

You’ve said OMF will never leave Atlanta. Are you standing on business about that statement?

1000%.

I don’t think One Music Fest could have happened in any other city. This is Atlanta. We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, bridge builders, and bricklayers who have done the work. I don’t know many places like Atlanta that give you the opportunity to be, to exist, to thrive. Where you can dream and go for that dream safely. Everything you need is about 2-3 calls away in Atlanta.

***

One Music Fest’s tickets are in high demand. According to Carter, VIP sells out within the first two weeks of the event. So, if you are that person who likes plush seating and “white glove” treatment, grab those tickets ASAP.

Tickets are on sale at the official website.

RELATED CONTENT: Exclusive: J. Carter, Creator Of ONE Musicfest, Takes His Talents To Dallas For TwoGether Land


August 30, 2024

Noel Gallagher’s daughter won’t take you being sexist about Oasis

https://www.themarysue.com/noel-gallaghers-daughter-wont-take-you-being-sexist-about-oasis/

The band Oasis is finally back together now that Noel Gallagher and his brother Liam Gallagher have stopped fighting. Anyone who cares at all about music has, at some point in their lives, heard their song “Wonderwall.” If you watched Lost, you 100% heard it.

That isn’t stopping guys online from being weird about who can and cannot get tickets to see Oasis back in action. I have seen multiple versions of this same bad joke. Men on social media are so upset over the idea of a young woman getting a ticket to go see Oasis when they can’t. Oh no, how will you survive? In the words of the younger generation, “Cope.”

The post Noel Gallagher’s daughter won’t take you being sexist about Oasis appeared first on The Mary Sue.


August 30, 2024

New York Restaurant Irie Jerk Receives Much-Needed Boost From Popular Tik-Tok Star

https://www.blackenterprise.com/new-york-irie-jerk-restaraunt-tik-tok/

Niki Gordon runs Irie Jerk, a small “hole in the wall” Jamaican restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, that sells an average of 400 pounds of jerk chicken daily. Gordon’s restaurant was not always as vibrant as it is now before a Tik-Tok star helped give her restaurant a boost to its popularity. 

According to NBC News, Nicolas Nuvan and his videographer, Jaime, spotlighted Gordon’s establishment as part of Nuvan’s focus on New York’s boroughs, which he told the outlet is often wholly spontaneous. 

“It’s just me and my filmer Jaime, and we almost never have a plan,” Nuvan said. “Sometimes we’ll walk like 30 blocks, and nothing will happen. And sometimes we’ll go out, and we’ll walk around, and something will happen. I’m just somebody that’s interested in cultures and communities and sharing with people.”

Gordon and her establishment felt the result of Nuvan’s focus on Caribbean communities in New York to his 2.3 million followers on TikTok, which she relayed to NBC News. Gordon also discussed her family’s influence on her and her work ethic. 

“I think about my grandmother, born 1915,” Gordon said. “I have two nieces who graduated from Howard University. The younger one is summa cum laude, just got her nanotechnology degree from Johns Hopkins. They are descendants of a lady that used to sign her name with the red X because she couldn’t read.”

Gordon continued, “Giving up is not an option. Had she given up, I wouldn’t be here to tell you her story of how much sugarcane she used to chop. So, they have to persevere. She chopped sugarcane so I wouldn’t.” 

Nuvan, meanwhile, said that instead of idolizing famous people, more people should look to community institutions like Gordon and her restaurant for inspiration. 

“Growing up, we idolize famous people,” Nuvan told NBC News. He added that he believes that Gordon and other people in the community do extraordinary things and “are the people that we should be learning from.”

For her part, Gordon looks at the community, particularly the Caribbean community in New York, as one family that always comes together when they face challenges. 

“We have every nation you can think of — everyone,” Gordon said. “And the good thing is we all come together. One thing affects the Jamaican. It affects a Guyanese. It affects a Bajan. It affects a Trini. We just all come together. You know what I mean? Because it’s one Caribbean, and that’s what we have here in Brooklyn.”

Gordon also marveled at the fact that she has customers from every corner of the world who come to her shop to eat her chicken, telling NBC News, “I have customers from Singapore, California, London,” Gordon said. “I mean, these people flew here just to get my chicken. Miracles happen every day. And they do exist.”


August 29, 2024

The Rings of Power: Season 1 (Recap)

https://nerdist.com/watch/video/the-rings-of-power-season-1-recap/

Need a refresher on Middle-earth’s Second Age before The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two? Join our resident hobbithead Matt Caron as he breaks down everything that happened in this The Rings of Power season one recap.

Thank you to Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws for sponsoring today’s video! Available on Xbox X|S, PS5, and PC on August 30. Learn more: https://bit.ly/SWOutlaws

Read more about The Rings of Power on Nerdist: https://bit.ly/3MoXGjE

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Image: Prime Video

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The post The Rings of Power: Season 1 (Recap) appeared first on Nerdist.


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