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7 Moments That Made The First REVOLT WORLD's Celebration of Black Culture Special
The inaugural REVOLT WORLD infiltrated Atlanta, Georgia on Sept. 22 – 24 and hosted an immersive three-day experience with some of the culture’s biggest stars.
Attendees were treated to performances and panels with Don Toliver, Moneybagg Yo, Queen Naija, Yung Miami, G Herbo, Ari Fletcher, and more. The event’s theme was “We Are Hip Hop” to commemorate the 50th year of the leading genre. In a statement, Sean “Diddy” Combs said, “REVOLT WORLD was created to celebrate the global impact of hip hop and introduce a new live event category that represents the highest level of entertainment, education, and opportunity.”
REVOLT WORLD took place at Pangaea Studios, allowing ample space to host multiple indoor and outdoor activations. Although it was tough to comb through, we highlighted seven moments that set the dynamic three-day bonanza a part from other events. Check them out below!
1. The First “Caresha Please” Live Featuring Ari Fletcher Was A Success
Yung Miami’s hit show “Caresha Please” has dominated the internet since its first episode. The award-winning rapper turned media personality used REVOLT WORLD to host her first-ever live taping of the series. This episode featured social media influencer and entrepreneur Ari Fletcher. Thousands watched as the dynamic duo discussed various topics ranging from Fletcher’s relationship with Moneybagg Yo, her experience with reality television, mental health, and navigating co-parenting with G Herbo. While some moments were profound, things heated up after a few shots of DeLeón. Fletcher vowed not to duck any smoke and even shared a viral kiss with Yung Miami on the lips while playing an intense game of Resha Roulette. During her taping, Sean “Diddy” Combs and his family sat in the front row to support the “Act Bad” rapper.
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2. REVOLT WORLD Performers Brought The Heat
REVOLT WORLD was heavy on live performances. Fans were treated to sets from multi-platinum acts like Moneybagg Yo, Don Toliver, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, Bryan-Michael Cox, DVSN, and many more. Up-and-coming creatives like Babyface Ray, Saucy Santana, Byron Messia, Scar Lip, and Jozzy also took the WORLD stage. While the recording artists were exciting, the DJs brought the energy too. Internationally known disc jockeys like Jae Murphy, Uncle Waffles, DJ Stormy, and more kept the energy high during their sets. When asked about spinning, Jae Murphy told Rap-Up, “It was amazing. After discussing with Puff, I knew this weekend was about bringing the frequencies. We share a common understanding about music and how it is supposed to make people feel.”
3. Lauren London Got Candid During “Assets Over Liabilities” Live
Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings of REVOLT‘s “Assets Over Liabilities” hosted a live episode of their popular show featuring actress and philanthropist Lauren London. Following the death of her life partner, Nipsey Hussle, she’s rarely conducted public interviews. Therefore, fans were excited to hear from the beloved movie star. The informative conversation covered many personal finance topics, but the purest moment came when London passionately exclaimed, “You have no idea how the collective prayer has helped me.” She continued, “When people say they prayed for me, I do not take that lightly.”
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4. Executive Chats, Office Hours, and The Career Fair To Inform Future Leaders
While REVOLT WORLD was jam-packed with live performances and convos, there were also tantalizing panels set to inform the future generation of leaders in entertainment. The various Executive Chats featured conversations led by highly touted people like Josh “J1” Radford, VP of hip hop programming at Sirius XM & Pandora; Rob Duhart, VP & deputy CISO at Walmart; Michelle Williams, VP of people & culture at Combs Global; and Naydea Davis, head of production of branded content and production management at REVOLT.
The three-day event featured one-on-one sessions with respected professionals like REVOLT’s Isha Thorpe, ASCAP’s Jason Reddick, and others. REVOLT WORLD also featured a six-hour-long career fair with hiring personnel from top companies like Walmart, Doritos, Pepsi, State Farm, Microsoft, and many more. With countless young, budding professionals from HBCUs, these growth opportunities were highly impactful.
5. R&B Was Alive & Well
Last year, Combs made waves when he mentioned that R&B needed a resurgence. Therefore, fresh off the release of his latest No. 1 R&B album, The Love Album: Off The Grid, it was only fitting the genre be celebrated at REVOLT WORLD. On each day, the Love Lounge featured an immersive listening experience for his new project. The lounge featured red accent lighting to set the mood for the occasion. Plus, on Saturday (Sept. 24), legendary producer Bryan-Michael Cox hosted Love Zone: A New Era Day Party on the World Stage. This was shortly after the New Era of R&B panel with Amber Grimes, Brandon Payano, Queen Naija, Muni Long, Tank, and Jozzy. Performances from DVSN, Jozzy and others left fans feening for more.
6. Hip Hop 50 Celebrations Were In Full Effect
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the world’s biggest genre: Hip Hop. Therefore, REVOLT WORLD’s inaugural theme was “We Are Hip Hop” to ensure that the essence of the culture was represented throughout the event. On Friday (Sept. 22), fans were treated to performances from Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, and Uncle Luke. On Saturday (Sept. 23), it featured more legendary lyricists in panels like Curren$y, Styles P, Jeezy, and Royce Da 5’9″. Even REVOLT’s “Drip Report” star Jim Jones spoke to the audience. The exciting headlining performances from Don Toliver, Moneybagg Yo and Everyday People shut the event down on their respective nights.
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7. Sports, Gaming, and Fashion Had A Presence
Early in his career, Drake famously said, “Sports and music are so synonymous ’cause we want to be them, and they want to be us.” Therefore, including sports during Black culture’s most prominent event of the year was more than necessary. On Saturday (Sept. 24), the “She Got Game” panel was conducted with Jemele Hill, Ashley Nicole Moss, and Brehanna Daniels.
Gaming is also a huge part of Black culture with the emergence of stars like Kai Cenat. REVOLT WORLD met gamers’ needs with a Business of Gaming panel as well as a Mortal Combat tournament. Lastly, versatile superstar IDK hosted a Multihyphenate Mastery: The Intersection of Music, Fashion & Cultural Relevance masterclass.
REVOLT WORLD was a considerable step above the previous REVOLT Summits. Following the event, Combs told REVOLT, “I have big dreams for REVOLT. I would say that right now, REVOLT has kind of caught up to my vision, and the whole team has done an excellent job. From Detavio [Samuels] to Deon [Graham] and the whole entire team. They have really driven toward the vision that I see, and the vision for REVOLT is endless. We will be the No. 1 platform for our people, unapologetically, in the world.” If you would like learn more about the event, follow REVOLT on all platforms.