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FLY Events Last Night in NYC

Last Night In NYC: Spotify Hosts Exclusive Preview of “Stay Scary” Halloween Pop-Up in NYC with Jameela Jamil

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 24: An outside view of the Spotify Halloween Costume Pop-up Event on Mercer Street in New York City on October 24, 2019. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Spotify)

Last week, Spotify celebrated the opening of its immersive Halloween Costume Pop-Up with an event in New York featuring Jameela Jamil as guest DJ. The pop-up features costumes inspired by artists who have dared to push boundaries and challenge us, often with their iconic style, and will be open to the public for one day only on Saturday, October 26th.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 24: Jameela Jamil DJs during the Spotify Halloween Costume Pop-up Event on Mercer Street in New York City on October 24, 2019. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Spotify)

Jamil played tracks from artists like Cardi B, Kanye West and TLC while wearing one of the sparkliest items available at Spotify’s pop-up – a replica of the Billie Eilish spider-covered crown featured in the singer-songwriter’s “you should see me in a crown” music video.

A self-confessed fan of Eilish, Jamil later posted a photo of herself in the crown on Instagram Stories, saying “I am Silly Eilish. The less cool third sibling.” Eilish reposted, “OMG NO.”

A highlight of the event was a presentation by Spotify’s VP, Global Executive Creative Director, Alex Bodman, who explained to guests the inspiration behind each costume accessory on display, including a replica of the live python Britney Spears famously draped around her shoulders during her 2001 MTV VMA’s performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U.” Also, featured is nail art from popular Latin artist Bad Bunnythe Lil Nas X rhinestone-accented jacket patch you see in his “Old Town Road” music video and a replica of Trippie Redd’s diamond-crusted fang grillz.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 24: A view of atmosphere during the Spotify Halloween Costume Pop-up Event on Mercer Street in New York City on October 24, 2019. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Spotify)

The overall theme of the pop-up is “Stay Scary,” and Spotify worked closely with all 12 artists involved in curating the approach to Halloween.

“Halloween is about celebrating the best in pop culture,” says Bodman. “We wanted to highlight some of the iconic artists who have thrilled, challenged and even shocked us, by inviting consumers to a pop-up they can truly immerse themselves in. It’s a celebration of iconic moments in music history and connects fans and artists in a way that only Spotify can.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 24: Guests attend the Spotify Halloween Costume Pop-up Event on Mercer Street in New York City on October 24, 2019. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Spotify)

The pop-up opened to the public on Saturday, October 26th and as well as scoring a free costume (on a first come, first-served basis) visitors were able to interact with a “dare to listen” playlist station, see Spotify-produced short films highlighting musicians who have stepped outside comfort zones for the sake of their art, as well as take some pretty awesome photos with.

More photos below by Theo Warden, Getty Images / Courtesy of Spotify. 

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FLY Events Last Night in NYC

Last Night In NYC: Lil’ Kim, Wale, LaQuan Smith, Jonathan Mannion Celebrate Moët & Chandon ‘Nectar of the Culture’

Last night in NYC (Oct. 22), Moët & Chandon joined forces with iconic cultural photographer, Jonathan Mannion, and renowned fashion designer, LaQuan Smith to launch its new Nectar of the Culture campaign, which celebrates the people, places and moments that continue to push our culture forward.

The exclusive launch drew a cross-section of creative luminaries, including Lil’ Kim, Wale, BJ The Chicago Kid, Mack Wilds, SFPL & iOne Digital‘s own Gabriel Williams and Danielle Herrington, who arrived wearing custom LaQuan Smith attire. These notables and more all gathered for a multi-course pairing dinner prepared by CLEO TV’s own, Celebrity Chef JJ Johnson.

A pillar within culture for over 25 years, Mannion is infamous for having documented “The Golden Era” of hip hop and is now capturing the next generation of pioneers, in what has been dubbed the “Rose Gold Era.”  Debuting with New York’s pioneer – Queens-born designer LaQuan Smith – Moët and Mannion will continue to celebrate various pioneers in key cities across the U.S including Atlanta, Miami, LA and Chicago.

Check out more photos below by Lewis Mirrett for Moët & Chandon.

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FLY Events Last Night in NYC

CULTURE CREATORS C2 SUMMIT PROGRAMMING AND PANELISTS ANNOUNCED

 

Culture Creators officially reveals the programming slate and key speakers for the first-ever C2 Summit, presented by Hilton, scheduled for October 21, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The summit takes over the Hilton Washington D.C. National Mall in front of an audience of 250-selected HBCU students from the Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland areas.
Among an impressive list of panelists, speakers include NBA Hall of Famer, Isaiah Thomas, who will offer his perspective on the business of sports and entertainment. Gary Coichy [Founder of Pod Digital Media Podcast] and Jackie Wilson [Founder of Nova Fitness] will be on-hand discussing the digital age and utilizing technology as a platform. John Gibson [VP of External and Multicultural Affairs, The Motion Picture Association] and Keesha Boyd [Executive Director, Comcast/NBC Universal] will provide their points of view on how to navigate careers as TV/Film content creators. Discussing festivals and the world of live music, Shawn Gee [Pres. Live Nation Urban] and Marcus Allen [Founder of Broccoli City] will share their experiences and journeys, while Phylicia Fant [Head of Urban Music, Columbia Records], Marc Byers [General Manager of Motown Records] and Jeriel Johnson [The Recording Academy] will lead a talk regarding the entertainment business. Executives from sponsors Hilton, Morgan Stanley, PEPSI, JBL Audio and WME will also be in attendance and on various panels.
Additional panelists hold top positions at FOSSIL, Players Tribune, Alamo Records, Atlantic Records, Epic Records, Warner Records, Under Armour, NBA, HITCO and more. The speaker lineup also includes Chris Atlas [Warner Records], Lori Hall [TV One], Datwon Thomas [Vibe], Brittany Ireland [Howard University], Steve Canal [The Brand Executive], Cyrene Lovette, and Jason Johnson [Audiomack].
The C2 Summit will be comprised of fireside chats and breakout sessions with a range of topics including:The Business of Sports and Entertainment, Defining the Culture of Your Brand, Financial Literacy in the Black Community and Creating Festivals and Careers in the Live Music Industry. Additionally, THE WHETHER will be on-site to administer professional resume services. Students will have the opportunity to take professional headshots and participate in one-on-one mentorship rounds with summit speakers.
For complete programming details, including the full list of panelists, please visit The Culture Creators website!
Culture Creators upholds its ongoing mission to elevate and empower tomorrow’s thought leaders and creatives with the C2 Summit.
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SFPL's New Music Videos

SFPL Premiere: Cincinnati’s Dash Gwoppovelli Drops His New Visual “100k”

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With a new project coming early Fall, Dash Gwoppovelli teams up with SFPL to premiere his Marty McFly-directed visual for “100k”.

The song was produced by M-80 and is available now via Big Coin / New Wave here:  https://lnk.site/1/100k

Dash says:

“Money solves and creates all problems. At one point in time, 100k meant you were hood rich, so I wanted to voice how far things have shifted. Now we view 100k like play money.
Personally, it’s never enough. I feel I’m making movement, but it’s continuous work.”
Check out the full video above.
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FLY Events Last Night in NYC

Fly Events: McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Experience at 25th Essence Fest

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McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden movement was lit at the 25th Essence Festival! The (em)power-packed weekend was full of activities to uplift and inspire up-and-coming entrepreneurs everywhere. With appearances by actress/businesswoman La La Anthony, entertainer Luke James, reality television starsCynthia Bailey, Tamar Braxton and Trina Braxton, vocal powerhouses Jazmine Sullivan and Kierra Sheard, the always-suave actor/host Terrence J and more, some of the culture’s brightest stars came out to support the Black & Positively Golden movement, which celebrates Black excellence through empowerment, entrepreneurship and education.

BLACK & POSITIVELY GOLDEN WELCOME BREAKFAST: McDonald’s kicked off the explosive weekend with an exclusive Black & Positively Golden Welcome Breakfast. The intimate event was hosted by McDonald’s Head of Cultural Engagement and Experiences Lizette Williams — the spearhead behind the brand’s largest African American-focused campaign in 16 years — and New Orleans franchisee Henry Coaxum.

WE SHINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PANEL: Actress and self-made businesswoman La La Anthony moderated McDonald’s We Shine Entrepreneurship Panel before a crowd of thousands. She interviewed rising moguls, Dana Chanel (Sprinkle of Jesus, Founder), Nicole Walters (The Monetized Life, Founder & CEO)and Jewel Burks-Solomon (Part Pic, Founder), alongside McDonald’s franchisees Jade Colin and Tanya Hill-Holliday. At 29, Colin is McDonald’s youngest owner/operator, while Hill-Holliday is the brand’s first female owner/operator in Philadelphia.

EMPOWERING MUSIC PERFORMANCES: R&B songstress Jazmine Sullivan brought down the house Saturday with some of her classics. Gospel music vocalist/actress Kierra Sheard left it all on the stage Sunday afternoon. Thousands of fans gathered at the Black & Positively Golden Booth for both performances to rock out to some of their favorite tunes.

BLACK & POSITIVELY GOLDEN LATE NIGHT PARTY: After a long day of empowerment, McDonald’s hosted its Black & Positively Golden Late Night Party — the official Essence After Party. Celebs, such as actor/singer Luke James; reality television stars Cynthia Bailey, Tamar Braxton and Trina Braxton; actorTyler Lepley; and social media star Karlton “@notkarltonbanks” Humes, sparkled at Club XLIV as attendees and Hiplet-style dancers showed off their best moves to the sounds of DJ Rashida and DJ B-Hen.

BLACK & POSITIVELY GOLDEN SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATIONS: To close out the weekend, McDonald’s empowered the next generation of leaders by supporting college education. In partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the organization’s national ambassador and HBCU alum Terrence J, McDonald’s presented two, $10,000 Black & Positively Golden Scholarships to well-deserving incoming HBCU freshmen.

Photos Courtesy of McDonald’s 

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Music

SFPL Music: Common Reveals Release Date For New Album ‘Let Love’, Drops Visual “Hercules” Co-Starring Vince Staples

GRAMMY® Award-winning rapper COMMON will release his new album Let Love on August 30, 2019, his debut for Loma Vista Recordings.

Pre-order it HERE.

In tandem with this announcement, he shared his latest single and music video entitled “Hercules” [feat. Swizz Beatz]. On the track, he serves up his sharp signature wordplay between soulful backing vocals from Swizz Beatz. Meanwhile, the music video directed by Carrick [Weezer] sees Common thwart a convenience store robbery caught on surveillance camera—in between rapping into his iPhone. Vince Staples makes a cameo as the cashier.

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“Hercules” follows on the heels of the recent single “HER Love” featuring Daniel Caesar, special guest Dwele, and an unreleased beat from J Dilla. Not only did the song amass over 1 million cumulative streams and 339K views on the Savanah Leaf-directed music video within a week, but it also received widespread critical acclaim. VIBE called the song “a State of the Rap Union as he addresses the rise and expansion of hip-hop throughout the past 25 years.” Rolling Stone added that it was “Common’s homage to hip-hop”, and OkayPlayer professed that it’s “his most impactful body of work yet.”
Download “Hercules” HERE.
About the album, he shared, “This album is inspired by the book, “Let Love Have The Last Word” which gave me a path to write about things I had never written about before. It forced me to go deeper and because I opened up about so many things in the book, I was charged to go to raw, personal and spiritual places in the music. Production-wise, I knew that the music had to have depth, soul and dimension to it. I wanted the musicianship and the spirit of what live music brings, but it also had to have something raw and basement about it. When my team said, “You should do some music revolving around the book,” I just took that energy and went running into my artistry without focusing on anything else. No movies, no commercials, no parties (well, I don’t do that too much anyway) and I just worked on music. So this album is the culmination of this journey, this passion and this Divine Love that I have for one of GOD’s greatest gifts – MUSIC.”
COMMON will kick off his Let Love Tour, which starts in Denver, Colorado at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom tonight, and continues through marquee venues in the US and Canada before touring Europe for the first time since 2014. Special guests include Nicole Bus, July 11 –July 26, and Maimouna Youssef aka Mumu Fresh, August 7 – August 29. Each pair of tickets on the second leg of tour dates will come with new music—details to be emailed to ticket holders.
Get tickets HERE.
Be on the lookout for more soon!
The official digital and CD release date is August 30, 2019, with vinyl to follow on October 11, 2019.
Let Love Track List:
1. Good Morning Love feat. Samora Pinderhughes
2. HER Love feat. Daniel Caesar w/special guest Dwele
3. Dwele’s Interlude
4. Hercules feat. Swizz Beatz
5. Fifth Story feat. Leikeli47
6. Forever Your Love feat. BJ The Chicago Kid
7. Leaders (Crib Love) feat. A-Trak
8. Memories of Home feat. BJ The Chicago Kid and Samora Pinderhughes
9. Show Me That You Love feat. Jill Scott and Samora Pinderhughes
10. My Fancy Free Future Love
11. God Is Love feat. Leon Bridges and Jonathan McReynolds
Let Love First Leg Tour Dates:
7/11 – Denver, CO – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
7/12 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Gallivan Center
7/14 – Seattle, WA – The Moore
7/16 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
7/17 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield
7/18 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery
7/20 – Las Vegas, NV – Reynolds Hall at the Smith Center
7/21 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
7/24 – Los Angeles, CA – The Theatre at Ace Hotel
7/26 – Newport Beach, CA – The Hyatt Regency Newport Beach
Let Love Second Leg Tour Dates:
8/7 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
8/8 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
8/9 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
8/10 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater*
8/11 – McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theater
8/14 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
8/15 – Mashantucket, CT – Fox Theatre
8/16 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia
8/20 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
8/21 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium
8/22 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
8/23 – Charlotte, NC – Belk Theater
8/27 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater*
8/28 – Dallas, TX – Bomb Factory
8/29 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
*No Maimouna Youssef aka Fresh
9/7 – Oslo Norway – Sentrum Scene
9/8 – Copenhagen, Denmark – VEGA
9/10 – London, England – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
9/12 – Manchester, England – O2 Ritz
9/14 – Paris, France – Elysée Montmartre
9/15 – Cologne, Germany – Carlswerk
9/16 – Berlin, Germany – Astra
9/18 – Utrecht, Holland – Ronda
9/19 – Belgium, Gent – Vooriut
Categories
Music SFPL's New Music

Fly Visual: Mustard “100 Bands” feat. YG, Meek Mill & Quavo

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Fresh off the release of his new album Perfect Ten, Grammy Award-winning producer Mustard returns with a new visual for his latest single “100 Bands” which features Quavo, YG and Meek Mill. Check out the Colin Tilley-directed-video.

Mustard will be joining Meek Mill, Future, YG and Megan Thee Stallion on the Legendary Nights tour, which kicks off August 28th in St. Louis, MO.

Perfect Ten is available at all digital retailers via 10 Summers/Interscope Records.

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Fly Cars Review Fly Reviews

Ford Ride & Drive: Why The New Orleans African American Museum Is An Important Staple of NOLA And Should Not Be Ignored

The 2019 Ford Media Ride & Drive during 25th Anniversary of the Essence Festival was in full force this year yet again! Running with this year’s theme “Paint the Future Proud”, the well-known motor company spotlighted visual artists Shantell Martin, Sydney G. James and Melissa Mitchell. Art installations were displayed all weekend to showcase their work, while test drives
were being offered of Ford’s current vehicle lineup; paired with panel discussions and giveaways also featured, plus so much more.

During the Ford Media Ride & Drive, journalists, influencers and more got a chance to attend a special brunch (prepared by Chef Gary Netter, Culinary Ambassador of New Orleans) at The New Orleans African American Museum of Art, History and Culture powered by Ford. Attendees received a special tour of the museum which was founded in 1996 under the guidance and extensive support of the City of New Orleans Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development.

Courtesy of NOAAM

The tour led by Gia A. Hamilton, Executive Director & Chief Curator of NOAAM, gave an extensive background story and history of the land which is located in the Tremé section of New Orleans, a neighborhood that was home to the nation’s largest, most prosperous and politically progressive community of Black people by the mid-1850s.

More about NOAAM:

In the 18th century, the land was occupied by the Morand Plantation and brickyard, which was later acquired by hat maker and real estate developer Claude Tremé. In 1810, Tremé sold the land to the city of New Orleans, and it became home to many free persons of color. Congo Square, was a gathering place for free persons and slaves to gather, play music, and sell goods.

Tremé is unique in its architecture, it’s streets are a gumbo of double shotgun houses, Creole cottages and townhouses. An excellent example of Creole architecture is the Meilleur-Goldthwaire House, a villa built in 1828 which makes up part of the NOAAM campus. The New Orleans African American Museum is situated near the St. Augustine Church, one of the oldest African-American Catholic parishes in the nation, and two other museums that center black culture and contribution: the Backstreet Cultural Museum and Tremé’s Petit Jazz Museum.

On site, local artists also display their work showcasing the importance of the NOLA’s heritage and what it means to them, with an addition of political and racism issues that is going on to this very day.

Visiting NOAAM was the perfect segue way into learning about the progression within their community and how someone like the media, and more could be involved. The work starts in your own communities first, and just simply should not be ignored. Invest. Create. Lead By Example. Stand for what your ancestors stood for. Fight for what they fought for.

Thanks to Ford for staying on top of what’s important to the culture! New Orleans is so rich in history and culture, so this was a very much-needed visit and collaboration during this year’s 2019 Essence Festival.

If you’re ever in NOLA, please be sure to stop by!

Be sure to visit their website at http://www.noaam.org.
Contact: info@noaam.org

More pics below!

Photos by Gabriel Williams & Nigel Degaff

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FLY Events Last Night in NYC

Fly Events: SPOTIFY HOUSE OF ARE & BE in New Orleans – U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, Lena Waithe, Raphael Saadiq, Jemele Hill, Omari Hardwick, & more

Photo Credit: Getty Images for Spotify

On Saturday, July 6, Spotify celebrated a community of Black voices, female creators and thought leaders in New Orleans at the multi-storied Spotify House of Are & Be at Kingsway Studio, featuring live performances, a high-profile podcast recording, DJ sets, a curated art gallery, and personalized Are & Be playlist (5MM followers), spotlighting these visionaries up close and personal.

On the first floor, Spotify House displayed 6 rooms of iconic artists and influential R&B albums, whose work of art speaks to our soul and tells the story of our times. Featured artists included:  Patti LaBelle, Erykah Badu, Sade, Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige, Destiny’s Child, H.E.R, and more.  The Bar Room incorporated The Classics such as Jill Scott and Anita Baker, among others. Moving into the Red Room was Neo Soul, with the music sensibilities of Solange and D’Angelo, to name a few. Contemporary R&B was highlighted in the White Room, featuring Musiq Soulchild and Janet Jackson. Lastly, the Pool Room paid tribute to the many ladies of 90’s R&B, followed by R&B Excellence in the Dining Room and New R&B in the Backyard.

Extending the narrative beyond music, Spotify House showcased 6 Black women-led podcasts and installations on the 2nd floor, where Jemele Hill is Unbothered did a live taping with U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The episode premieres on Spotify on Monday, July 15 at 6PM ET. Other podcast spotlights included: Dope Labs, The Nod, Still Processing, and Therapy for Black Girls.

Keeping the party going, Spotify hosted a Black Girl Magic Day Party that included a performance by R&B artist Ari Lennox, followed by an evening Are & Be Jam Session curated by Neo-Soul Artist and R&B/Hip-Hop Super Producer Raphael Saadiq, featuring JoJoVanJessLucky DayePJ Morton, Luke JamesLedisi, and DJ set by Angel+Dren.

Also spotted at the event: Power’s Omari Hardwick, Lena Waithe, Monica, Wale, Mario, Elle Varner and BJ The Chicago Kid, among others.

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FLY Events Last Night in NYC

Brandy Performs at Coca-Cola Stage during Essence Festival 2019 [Photos]

Check out photos of Brandy performing a medley of her hits at Coca-Cola’s stage during the 2019 Essence Festival! 

Photo Credit: The Coca-Cola Company

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