Hip Hop Stars and Black Leaders Arrived in Atlanta for the REVOLT Summit

The REVOLT Summit x AT&T marked its in-person comeback earlier this month in Atlanta, Georgia, with a host of panels, workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions aimed at empowering the next generation of artists and leaders. black. A number of artists, activists, athletes and financial experts spoke at the three-day music conference, including Offset, Allen Iverson, Chance the Rapper, Angela Yee and 2 Chainz. In addition, attendees were treated to performances from top hip hop groups like the City Girls and Meek Mill.

Day 1

The summit kicked off on November 11 with a “Welcome to Atlanta” ceremony that included appearances by rapper and entrepreneur Jeezy and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who warned attendees to practice COVID-safety protocols. 19.

“I hope you all have a good summit,” said the elected official known as Mayor Keisha. “And remember, we are still in the middle of a pandemic. So if you are not vaccinated, please keep your mask on. [on]. “

The summit continued with the Dream in Black Pitch competition, where tech entrepreneurs of color pitched business ideas in a high-energy competition. Media personality and entrepreneur Angela Yee and digital architect Iddris Sandu were judges during the competition and awarded Donald Boone the top spot for his innovative equipment rental company BoxedUp.

“You always have to remember where you are from,” Sandu said. BLACK COMPANY after the competition. “I was originally a Compton kid. And I always represent Compton no matter where I go and it’s important that people see it and don’t forget where we’re from because where we’re from is basically the cornerstone of our future.

The evening ended with a comedy show led by Wild n ‘out stars DC Young Fly, Karlous Miller and Chico Bean, followed by performances by Lil Yachty and City girls.

Day 2

On the second day of the summit, the city of Atlanta declared November 11 “REVOLT Day” and awarded REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels an official proclamation. Samuels, who was promoted from COO to CEO of REVOLT earlier this year, stressed the importance of supporting black-owned media as a source to inform and empower the black community.

“As a media company, we have firmly created a business model that is rooted and invested in black-owned businesses. As REVOLT generates income and [moves towards becoming] a billion dollar company… we measure ourselves by what we put back into our community, ”said Samuels TO BE.

Other day two highlights included the live recording of the new REVOLT “Assets Over Liabilities” series hosted by Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, the founders of the popular Earn Your Leisure podcast. During the session, Chance the Rapper spoke about the benefits of being a freelance music artist, saying it allows him to generate more income than if he signed a deal with a record company.

“You don’t really need a boss,” said the 28-year-old hip hop star. “When you work for a label, they decide… a lot of things. “

The day continued with a conversation on wealth creation, cryptocurrency, NFTs and blockchain, with Derek Ferguson, acting CEO of Robin Hood, investment expert Ian Dunlap, rapper and entrepreneur Waka. Flocka Flame and REVOLT TV host Ross Mac.

“Crypto is a tool of liberation,” said Dunlap. “I know everyone thinks it’s decentralized – it’s right now, but in a few years it won’t be anymore,” he said, urging participants to invest and educate themselves on the digital currency. “When I came in in 2013, it was very cheap compared to what it is now. So the longer you wait – and I’m not making any money for you to join in anything crypto related – I’m just telling you that you’re going to miss out on hundreds of hundreds of millions of dollars. And when they clean up this fucking labor market in 2024 [or] In 2025, when we have our next crash, they won’t care about the recovery and they won’t be able to print as much money as before. “

During the “The Power of the Black Dollar” session, The Breakfast Club DJ Envy was joined by a panel of entrepreneurs including beauty entrepreneur Melissa Butler, founder of The Lip Bar, influencer Jayda Chaves and artist Lecrae who spoke about the importance of supporting black businesses like way to strengthen the black community.

In a fireside chat, sports reporter Taylor Rooks spoke to legendary NBA star Allen Iverson about maintaining good mental health while dealing with the pressure of being yourself – even, regardless of the price.

Media personality Van Lathan also moderated a panel titled ‘I’MA Do Me’ which included top creators and artists like Lil Yachty, Amine, Alonzo Arnold and Big Bank Keisha on shamelessly living their truth and exploiting their inner selves to advocate for their profession.

The second day of the Summit ended with live performances by Yung Bleu, Rubi Rose and Nyla Symone, which received standing ovations from the crowd.

Day 3

The REVOLT Summit ended on November 13 with a panel discussion featuring headliners Offset and Killer Mike as well as rapper 2 Chainz who moderated a discussion on how young leaders can use their voices to bring real change in Atlanta and beyond.

Additional panels throughout the day included a heated discussion between Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, artist and activist David Banner, Justin Moore and three black police officers in a multi-level discussion on black safety, which has was moderated by REVOLT Black News host Eboni K. Williams. Additionally, the cast of the reboot of “The Game” spoke about their new series on the main stage.

The last day of the summit also included a few surprises. Young Thug surprised longtime friend Gunna on stage during his insightful panel on growth and career milestones. Meanwhile, the conference ended with a surprise performance by Meek Mill.