The REVOLT x AT&T Summit is a music conference like no other!

Each year REVOLT enlists entertainment industry stalwarts to host panels, one on one meetings via office hours, and direct questions from attendees. The mixture of an experienced and novice crowd creates infectious energy. The experienced group are nostalgic to their starts in entertainment and pour out information and guidance openly and freely, while the up-and-coming guests were in awe and gratitude to network with their inspirations and receive valuable wisdom. 

The three-day Summit, which took place in the heart of Atlanta from November 11-13th, had a variety of talent and events. The talent ranged from The City Girls, Gunna, Young Thug, Meek Mill, Offset to Killer Mike, Cari Champion, Royce da 5’9, Chance The Rapper, Joey Bada$$, Angela Yee, Jayda Cheaves, and several others.  Below are the three biggest takeaways from the annual event.

Shooters Shot and Were Rewarded For It

One of the recurring themes of the conference was that shooters shoot. Several attendees and talent saw their affirmations answered in real-time. Grammy-nominated rapper Gunna made a few dreams come true. One is on-air talent Neffy “Social Neffy” Wells who came to cover the event as a brand manager for Media Girls Network. 

During the multi-platinum rapper’s panel, Gunnin’ For The City, she asked the ATL native his take on the plight African American media can have to reach African American artists. Gunna appreciated the question and the confidence of the budding host and said he would grant her an interview. The answer brought Neffy to tears as she couldn’t believe she’d be interviewing her favorite rapper.

“Honestly my confidence was very shaken as I said that’s my favorite rapper,” proclaimed Wells. “So I honestly was shaking the whole time. However, between God giving me the strength and my team (MGN) pushing me and telling me a hundred times to go up there I just got in that line and called out Jesus Jesus Jesus.”

“I felt so overwhelmed when we said he’d do an interview,” said Wells. “I honestly couldn’t do anything at that moment but cry! I was just in complete and utter shock! I had no clue, not even in my wildest dreams something like that would or could happen, especially to me.  From what I thought was just another networking event truly became on the greatest days in my life/career.”

18-year-old singer Nia Simone won the Be Heard contest wowing the audience with her song “Oh No, Not Me.” The contest winner received $10,000 and God Is Dope Founder, Sharod Simpson, matched the prize gifting Simone another $10K.

Donald Boone’s company BoxedUp was the winner of the Dream in Black Pitch Competition.  The startup allows customers to rent expensive cameras, microphones, lenses, and more to create content at a low cost. Boone’s entity was awarded 10,000.

There were numerous more attendees who took the Q&A sessions as an opportunity to shoot their shot with their heroes. The talent appreciated the hunger and drive and many guests were rewarded for their courage.

An Array Of Topics

REVOLT showed it has the pulse of the culture. There was an array of subjects covered. Popular financial podcast, Earn Your Leisure, hosted a live episode featuring Chance The Rapper. Host Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings took a deep dive into the music business, covering the difference between owning masters and publishing rights, major label deals vs independent merchandising agreements. It was a microcosm of EYL episodes; the session provided tangible and current information for creatives.

Another panel called Black MEN-tal Health, hosted by Royce da 5’9 featured NLE Choppa and Mozzy. The three men gave a vulnerable conversation on how to maintain good mental health. Royce was celebrating 9 years of sobriety on the exact day of the panel (November 13), and he stressed the importance of therapy. NLE Choppa spoke about how mediation helped him after attempting to commit suicide. Mozzy encouraged men to open up and cry when in pain. He talked about his gratitude for his grandmother and advised folks to talk to family members or close friends if paying for therapy isn’t an option.

Last but far from the least Cari Champion hosted an incredible session with Grammy-nominated and Oscar winner Joey Bada$$ and Revolt CEO Detavio Samuels. The panel, Owning Our Narrative, discussed the importance of affirmation, environment, delegation, and alignment. Joey Badas$$ talked about speaking things into existence. He knew and spoke that he was destined to win an Oscar before a Grammy, a proclamation that came true.

Samuels spoke to the significance of building a team that has strengths in your areas of weakness and how entrustment can help everyone focus on what they do best. Champion moderated the panel flawlessly while asking thought-provoking questions like when the best time is to sell partial ownership in your company. Joey Bada$$ replied with after building your platform and having leverage to negotiate.

There were also panels on cryptocurrency, the grillz industry, beauty and fashion, politics, and more. For every aspect of the culture, there was a representative at the REVOLT Summit.

Paying It Forward

The perennial conference carries another theme, paying it forward. Several spoke on the obligation to give back and help someone else up the ladder of success. Two-time Grammy Award-winning artist Lecrae said, “I gotta shout out the legend, the GOAT Kirk Franklin. He saw me doing something that was a little bit different than what everybody else was doing, similar to himself and he just extended his friendship and advice to me.”

Champion, host of Naked With Cari Champion, expressed how Oprah inspired her. “If I didn’t Oprah on TV I would do what I’m doing. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible, it’s so basic but it’s true.” She also gave reverence to journalist Jamele Hill. “I can point out key moments in my career when I was at ESPN or key moments currently in my life where I wanted to make decisions that probably were more emotional and not professional and she always had my back,” states Champion.

Samuels gave love to the REVOLT Founder, Sean “Love” Combs.  “For me, someone who was a dreamer who had lost a bit of that ability to dream, to be back in a situation where I’m not only encouraged to dream but I’m pushed to dream bigger than I ever dreamt in my entire life. Not only does he empower me to dream, he puts a battery in my back to make me feel like I can go do all of it,” proclaims the REVOLT CEO.

The REVOLT x AT&T Summit wasn’t all knowledge sharing and networking. The City Girls performed, the 85 South Show provided the comedy, there was an exclusive screening of television hit show, The Game, and a surprise performance from Meek Mill, along with multiple parties throughout the 3-day event. Although the aforementioned takeaways were constant themes throughout the conference.