Day two of the REVOLT Summit x AT&T kicked off on Friday (Nov. 12) and it embodied Black excellence in every way. From Terrence J to Allen Iverson and Chance the Rapper, attendees were privy to a multitude of impactful conversations stemming from ALL areas of the entertainment industry.
Couldn’t make it out to ATL? Don’t worry! The event is available to watch for free via REVOLT’s YouTube, website, Facebook, Twitch, and the official REVOLT Summit app. And we’ve got you with the daily recaps over below!
Moguls In The Making
The first panel of the day was brought to attendees by Ally Financial. The panel consisting of Terrence J and Gia Peppers brought attention to a group of college students from North Carolina AT&T who recently competed in the “Moguls In The Making” business pitch competition. The team talked a bit about what brought them together, how they bonded, and of course how to make a successful pitch. One member of the team added a personal piece of advice for other up-and-coming businesses that may be pitching in competitions, “When it comes to pitch competitions, it’s really all about the storytelling…that’s something we really made sure to focus in on,” they said. In the end, both J and Peppers saluted the ambitious college students and the inspiration was felt all throughout the crowd.
The Power of the Black Dollar
The next panel of the day brought out DJ Envy, Jayda Cheaves, Lecrae, and Melissa Butler to discuss the importance of regurgitating Black dollars throughout the community. The four entrepreneurs exchanged gems on not just obtaining wealth but keeping it as well. Cheaves summed up the conversation best when she reminded attendees of the importance of one important thing. “Stay consistent. When you first start, you’re not always going to see a million dollars. Set goals,” she said. We hope you wrote that down!
Earn Your Leisure LIVE
Over on the main stage, attendees were gifted a live session of Earn Your Leisure with special guest Chance the Rapper. The primary topic of discussion was independence. While Chance is known for his independence as an artist by being the biggest unsigned artist out right now, it hasn’t always been easy for him. “I don’t ever wanna romanticize what I did as an independent artist or the independent business thing. It’s hard work, it costs money,” he said.
Independence as an artist wasn’t the only topic of discussion though. The trio also discussed financial literacy, buying Black, owning your masters and publishing, and so much more!
Digital Cash
Ro$$ Mac then led a panel on building wealth through cryptocurrency, NFTs, and blockchains with Derek Ferguson, Ian Dunlap, and Wacka Flocka Flame. They took time to explain the ins and outs of buying and selling cryptocurrency, what blockchains really are, why NFTs are taking off so quickly, and so much more.
Big Facts LIVE
Shortly after Digital Cash, another one of REVOLT’s flagship podcasts, “Big Facts,” had a live conversation with Rick Ross. As soon as the rapper walked on stage, he immediately gave a shout-out to every entrepreneur and hustler in the building.
They all dove into the conversation pretty quickly and Ross was generous with the advice. He spoke about the importance of surrounding yourself with people with power and money. “One thing I know I would do is try to find my way to get next to a motherfucker with power…a motherfucker with money,” he said. Ross then went on to talk about the significance of loses. He continued, “You’ve gotta master the art of taking Ls because when climbing to the top, you’re going to take a lot of losses.” If there’s one person that can make taking Ls sound positive, Rozay is surely that guy.
Owning Our Narrative
After Ross and the “Big Facts” crew left the stage, journalist Cari Champion came alongside REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels and Joey Bada$$.
The three sat down to discuss why ownership is so valuable in any profession, and Champion reiterated this point by emphasizing the “why” to the audience. “You need to own every single thing so that no one can tell you ‘I’m your master,’” she said. It’s crucial to remember that ownership doesn’t just apply to content creation though, and Joey made that very clear when he spoke, “You have to take ownership of whatever career path you choose to embark on,” the artist added. The point is fairly straight-forward. Own what’s yours!
Get Your Shine On
Thanks to Crest, Slim Thug, Goldz by Helen, Grillz by Scotty, Slick Rick, and Zee Da Jeweler brought some bling and shine to the stage to talk to the audience about investing in the jewelry space. They talked about the money that’s yet to be made in the space and how it’s about more than just a shiny statement piece. This conversation was so enlightening to hear.
Mental Wins
Back over at the main stage, Taylor Rooks and Allen Iverson sat down for an intimate 1-on-1 about mental health and the pressure that comes with living authentically. Iverson talked immensely about his mental health during some of the most pivotal moments of his career, why he doesn’t smoke weed, and what experiences have helped shape him into the man he is today.
At the end of the discussion, a fan inquired about Iverson’s shoes. The famed baller immediately took both shoes off of his feet and gave him to the fan. If that doesn’t give insight into the man AI truly is, there’s not much that will.
I’ma Do Me
For the last panel of the night, Van Lathan was joined by Amine, BigBankKeisha, Alonzo Arnold, and Lil Yachty for a discussion on unapologetically living authentically. The discussion really dove into what it truly means to live true to yourself and what type of mindset it takes to arrive there. When the conversation began to near its end, Lathan asked each person on the panel what advice they would offer attendees. Their responses were as follows.
“Don’t take shortcuts.” – Lil Yachty
“It’s all about taking your fears and learning from them.” – Amine
“You’ve gotta work. Don’t ever think you’re too big to learn something…at the end of the day, I’m always a student.” – Alonzo Arnold
“Don’t be afraid to take risks. Stop being comfortable…and two, don’t be afraid to get rid of people. You’ve got to get rid of people.” – BigBankKeisha
Be Heard Finale
For the final part of the night, the top five attendees who’ve auditioned for the past two days were brought to the stage to showcase their talents in front of a judge panel consisting of Big Tigger, Rapsody, Chaka Zulu, and Cortez Bryant. While each performance was amazing in its own right, there were two that stuck out to everyone in attendance.
The first standout performance came from Houston artist Drain. He approached the stage with the energy of 20 men as he rapped his new song “Show Me Sumn.” While the energy he brought to the stage pleased everyone and their homegirls, it wasn’t until he started throwing money into the audience that everyone really got involved. It was clear that he was having fun on stage, and truly that’s all any fan wants to see.
The last standout performance came from Nia Simone. At only 18, she proved herself to be a future R&B superstar who brought down the house with her powerful vocal range and lyrics. Her song “Oh No, Not Me” was an immediate crowd-favorite and the judges were seen jamming just as hard. Simone ended up winning the competition and taking home the grand prize of $10,000. But just as everyone was about to exit the stage, the God Is Dope founder rushed on stage to double her prize money on his behalf. To say it was a powerful moment would be an understatement.
And that’s all for day two! One to go!