Day two of the 2022 REVOLT Summit x AT&T made its mark in ATL on Sunday (Sept. 25) and absolutely went down as one of the best days ever for the culture. From the “Rap Radar” podcast crew making its way to the city to sit down with Gucci Mane to performances from Nardo Wick and Baby Tate, it was pretty hard to leave 787 Windsor disappointed.
So, whether you couldn’t make it out to ATL, had to leave a little early, or you simply want to relive your favorite moments from the Summit, we’ve got you covered. Check out our recap below, and catch clips via REVOLT’s YouTube channel, the official REVOLT Summit app, or right here on our website.
1. The Reparations Conversation
Van Lathan sat down with Erika Alexander, Tariq Nasheed, Tezlyn Figaro, Kamilah Moore, Rizza Islam, and Killer Mike to dive deeper into the conversation around reparations for the Black community. The discussion, of course, stems from slavery and many Black Americans feel they’re owed reparations for a multitude of reasons, including the racism they’ve faced since the inception of this nation and the fact that the country was built off of the backs of Africans and African-Americans.
2. Girls in the Game
Even though women are detrimental to the sports industry, they continue to face discrimination on all fronts — in the field and behind the scenes. Ashley Nicole Moss, host and co-creator of “Laces Out,” led an incredible panel with Te’a Cooper, Ibtihaj Muhammad, and Justin Tinsley to discuss what the future looks like for all women in sports.
Cooper talked a bit about the responsibility that comes along with being a woman in athletics versus a man, saying, “There’s so many layers to being a woman in sports, having responsibilities like being a wife, a mother — so I would like to see men take care of all that and still be at the top of their game and be professional.”
3. Keeping the Faith
Faith, spirituality, and religion are three topics that have all been present in the Black community since the beginning of time. Whether attending church on the weekends, sitting with grandma, or reciting Bible verses for Sunday school, most Black Americans have experience with religion or faith in some capacity. Phenomenal award-winning journalist and host extraordinaire Gia Peppers sat down with Pastor Dr. Dharius Daniels and Tai Beauchamp to discuss the intricate and complicated relationship between the Black community and religion.
4. Black Girls Dreaming
It was only fitting for us to have everyone’s favorite new podcast and one of the latest signees to the REVOLT Podcast Network, “Black Girl Stuff,” in the building at the 2022 REVOLT Summit. Akilah Ffriend, Brii Renee, Demetria Obilor, Tori Brixx, and Kennedy Rue were all present at 787 Windsor and brought their empowering energy to the “Dream in Black” stage. As always, you can catch “Black Girl Stuff” every Tuesday on REVOLT at 9 p.m. ET as well as every Wednesday on our website, YouTube channel, and app. Watch the latest episode here.
5. “Rap Radar” Takeover
Elliott Wilson is highly regarded as one of the greatest hip hop journalists of all time. He’s the CEO of RapRadar.com and spent years building his name as the editor-in-chief of XXL Magazine. Brian “B.Dot” Miller is a triple threat as a journalist, producer, and broadcaster. Together, the two also make up the “Rap Radar” podcast, one of hip hop’s biggest shows of all time.
Gucci Mane joined the duo on stage and took the time to answer some of fans’ most burning questions, one of them being, “What does Gucci look for in an artist?” Well, Guwop himself said: “I like to sign my artists early on and develop them. I’m not really looking for the artists already with so many followers … you know, they already got it going.”
6. We Hear You!
The Be Heard competition is the official talent competition of the REVOLT Summit and this year’s talent was incredible. Each artist brought an immense amount of energy and unique flair to the stage. Judges included industry veterans such as DJ Drama, Rapsody, Walter Tucker, and Gina Views giving detailed advice to each contestant. Even if a participant didn’t win, they still went home with knowledge and exposure they didn’t have before. The grand prize winner took home $10,000. Talk about a victory!
7. What’s Next for Hip Hop?
Wayno is the vice president of A&R at Quality Control Records and an overall staple in hip hop culture. You may recognize him from “Everyday Struggle,” a show he hosted with Nadeska Alexis and DJ Akademiks. Dallas Martin is the executive vice president of A&R at Atlantic Records and is pushing the culture forward with his every move. The two teamed up to host “The Future of Hip Hop” panel, which was all about the culture, where it stands, and where it’s headed. They exchanged gems back and forth for half an hour and left attendees with a lot to think about when it comes to the culture we all love so much.
8. Cash in, Cash out
What does it truly mean to be financially independent? Is it being able to comfortably afford your expenses and a little bit of fun every month? Is it owning a house? What about buying your mom a house? There’s a special relationship that hip hop has with ownership and finance, and Ro$$ Mac, Big Freedia, LaRussell, Guapdad 4000, and Lady London took the time to break it down for attendees. Investing is one of the biggest aspects of financial independence, and LaRussell spoke a bit about his interpretation of that, noting, “I feel like the greatest investment [of] the money [is in] yourself.”
9. Who Want Smoke With Us?
Day two of the REVOLT Summit was full of performances on the “Dream in Black” stage, including LAYA, Lakeyah, and Baby Tate, but that wasn’t it! The closing performances are always a massive highlight at the annual event — whether the artist is established or someone new and popping on the scene, REVOLT always hits it on the head. Last year’s closing performance was Meek Mill, and this year’s closing performance was none other than Nardo Wick. He popped off with his 2021 hit, “Who Want Smoke?” and has been on a roll since collaborating with artists such as Future and Lil Baby.