Celebrity Coverage
Backstage Pass: How Jason “J.” Carter powers Pulse Of ONE Music Fest – Essence
Source: Alexx Green @alexxshotthat
Running a two-day outdoor music festival with over 50 bands, 30 sponsors and tens of 1000’s of attendees takes a variety of people power. One such festival is ONE Music Fest in Atlanta; its co-founder and chief marketing officer, Jason “J.” Carter is certainly one of the people behind this power.
For fifteen years, the event has remained certainly one of the few independent black music festivals within the country. Despite the symphony of sounds that ONE Music Fest will certainly bring, the director begins his day with a moment of silence.
“I’ll wake up and I’ll just be still,” Carter tells ESSENCE. “I imagine myself moving throughout the day. And honestly, I look ahead to the success of the day and I like to see everything flowing. I’m a very visual person, so I just conceptualize it, internalize it. The idea of ”looking forward to success” and declaring victory is something Carter learned from his mother many years ago. “As mom says, ‘Pick it up.’ Own it. Make it happen.”
The founder’s morning practice also includes words of affirmation, prayer and hydration – two glasses of water, to be precise. The days begin slowly but deliberately – all in preparation for a large event that may take a complete 12 months to finish. “Feeling rushed, anxious and stressed. I try to not let any of this seep into my person, into my space,” he says.
After a moment of silence, Carter talks to his wife, does a number of push-ups, takes a shower and begins. Before heading to Atlanta’s Central Park, the principal makes a number of calls to his team. Doors open at noon, but he arrives closer to 9 a.m. to be sure the day goes as planned. Needless to say, this is just not a straightforward task. The director is a master of relationship management, connecting sponsors, brand partnerships, talent and other stakeholders. Somehow he manages to do all of it with none problems.
“I play a variety of ping-pong across the festival grounds, but I do not feel like working either. I believe the moment I feel like work is a day, I’ll stop doing it. Carter continues, “I really, truly love and appreciate the ONE Music Fest audience and family we’ve built through the years. So let’s hope this issue continues to evolve over the subsequent 15 years.
ESSENCE accompanied J. Carter on the bottom in Atlanta during day two of ONE Music Fest. Here, the entrepreneur and executive gives us a day within the lifetime of what exactly it takes to successfully organize a multi-day festival.
6:00
“The first thing I do on the day of the festival is still.” Carter continues, “I say a fast prayer, drink two glasses of water, and jump within the shower. But I believe peace is significant.
Despite the early hour, J. Carter doesn’t make breakfast. “I usually don’t eat before 12:00. So no, I drink water in the morning. I did 50 push-ups, I take a shower and this is my breakfast. Then I will eat a balanced lunch. This usually gives me energy throughout the afternoon and evening.”
7:30
The founding father of ONE Music Fest says festival mornings aren’t the norm. “I usually check into the hotel on Friday to be close to the event and close to the team if we need to make an impression before we go to ground zero.”
After fielding “a few” calls from his festival team, he makes sure his guest list and family have the precise references. He made the primary two phone calls with the event and festival coordinators.
“I take into consideration every part from what we want to do in production to creating sure my aging parents can get out and in of the festival freely. This applies to private matters in addition to team organizational matters.
9:00
“We usually arrive at the festival on the first day of the festival between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., depending on how much work needs to be done. This year was completely different for some reason. We were ahead of the curve when it came to procedures, production and staging. We almost got caught in the system this year, considering how hectic the entire year leading up to the festival was. When we got there, everything was in place.”
12:00
“You will catch me walking alone throughout the festival. Just feel it or just stand in the corner; I just watch people,” Carter tells ESSENCE.
Thanks to meticulous pre-planning, the festival helps avoid last-minute emergencies. “If you run a festival with over 50 different performers and talent, you employ over 4,000 people on the festival grounds. Everyone has their own life. Everyone has their own problems. Everyone has their own dramas and personalities. So the thought that nothing will ever happen is rare, especially for artists who have a team around them.”
“There are artists who can tour 100 to 200 days a year. It’s exhausting. So some artists might wake up to bad weather, miss their flight, or someone in the band might have some issues that then translate into what they have to do.” Carter continues, “But one thing I can’t do is stress about something I can’t control. Being in this space, you have to be very solution-oriented.”
14:00
As co-founder of ONE Music Fest, Carter definitely must “work the room.” It involves artists, politicians, family and the press. The festival is already 15 years old and boasts over 30 local sponsors – essentially the most in history.
The CMO explains: “I also visualize early within the morning who I want to the touch and see? Who must see me? Who should I confer with? Who do I even have to be sure they’re taken care of?
18:00
Managing a multi-day music festival means you could have to be flexible. Rolling with the punches is the secret. It’s value noting that each BossMan Dlow and Cardi B fell unwell ahead of the 2024 festival and canceled their performances. Carter’s job is to regroup and switch things around.
“It’s difficult. Nobody sees it this way, right? They want to blame the festival.” He continued: “BossMan Dlow announced earlier this week that he’s sick and is canceling every part. He continues to be a human being who needs to watch his well-being and health, mental and physical health. If he needed to take a mental break, let the person take a mental break.
The co-founder also reflects on how things have modified for the reason that news of Cardi B’s hospitalization and subsequent cancellation of her ONE Music Fest appearance. “Cardi had a baby and if she has postpartum problems, it happens. It’s not the festival’s fault, it’s not Card’s fault. It happens.” He continues: “At a variety of festivals you possibly can just say, ‘I assume we just do not have a headliner.’ But we said, “No, we won’t do that.” That’s why we deal with our relationships. ONE Music Fest has partnered with the management teams of Latto and DJ Drama – they created a set with several different artists, including singer-songwriter Jeremiah and Atlanta’s 2 Chainz. The set was definitely a hit.
9:00 p.m
This 12 months’s ONE Music Fest headliners included Latto, Jill Scott, GloRilla, Gunna and a couple of Chainz, but in J. Carter’s case, just one band took the cake. “Earth, wind and fire. Without a doubt,” says the founder emphatically. “I had to go to that stage to enjoy this show and I’m so glad I did.”
This 12 months, the Carter Festival hosted over a dozen relations. Watching the legendary band perform together as an entire was deeply remembered by all of them.
“What would I like to get out of this? [ONE Music Fest] the most? He looks at the connection between the people in this audience – the smiles, the excitement, the energy (sorry for the language), but “Oh, y–t!” moments,” Carter says.
22:30
“We’re removing people,” Carter says. “Typically, all departments – from security to website operations to media and promotional partners from Live Nation – come together for a toast and a sort of mini celebration. It’s right after the festival.” This 12 months, Hennessy and Don Julio provided libations for this commemorative moment. It’s a vacation!
12:00
“When I go back to the hotel, I do nothing. I do absolutely nothing. Thank you for a safe event, without any problems – no one was injured. Everything really went according to plan.” He continues: “And then I literally should fight myself to take a shower, I’m so drained. I just wish to be quiet and lie down. But I’m normally dusty as hell.
After a “good 30 minutes” of bathing, it was time for bed. Carter’s head hits the pillow around 1:30 a.m., but unlike most nights, he allows himself a number of extra moments (read: hours) of leisure. “I usually stay in bed for a good 10-11 hours,” he finally says.
A well-deserved rest.
Celebrity Coverage
Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction 2025 – Essence
Gordon Parks, Pastor Ledbetter, Chicago, Illinois, 1953.
The Gordon Parks Foundation will host its prestigious annual awards dinner and auction on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Cipriani forty second Street in New York City. This highly anticipated event celebrates the legacy of Gordon Parks, an iconic photographer and multidisciplinary artist whose work championed social justice and the transformative power of creativity.
This 12 months’s honorees include legendary model and activist Bethann Hardison, renowned contemporary artist Rashid Johnson, Anna Wintour, Condé Nast’s chief content officer and global editorial director, and Ambassador Andrew Young, civil rights leader and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Mayor of Atlanta. Each honoree has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing culture, creativity and justice – values that Parks embodied throughout his groundbreaking profession.
“In a moment of division, Gordon Parks unites us all,” said Gordon Parks Foundation Executive Director Peter W. Kunhardt Jr. “His commitment to art and social justice transcends generations. Our 2025 honorees are pillars in their fields and support Gordon’s collective quest for a better life and a better world.” The Gordon Parks Foundation Gala is our homecoming – a night of celebrating art, activism and support for the subsequent generation of artists.”
The gala will feature special guests, including the son and grandson of the Rev. E. F. Ledbetter, whom Parks photographed in 1953 for a report on Chicago’s Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church. These impressive images shall be the centerpiece of an upcoming exhibition at Howard University in early 2025.
Co-chaired by such luminaries as Alicia Keys and Kasseem Dean, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, and Judy and Leonard Lauder, the evening will bring together decision-makers from the worlds of art, fashion, film and philanthropy. Proceeds from the event will fund the muse’s educational programs, grants, fellowships and awards, ensuring that a brand new generation of creators will advance Parks’ vision of equity and empowerment.
Tickets start at $2,000 and will be purchased on the Gordon Parks Foundation website website or by contacting Buckley Hall Events at gpfgala@buckleyhallevents.com or 914-579-1000.
Celebrity Coverage
Meghan Markle is investing in a Black-owned brand that is revolutionizing hair care products – Essence
Meghan Markle is no stranger to using her platform to support women and causes that matter, and her latest business move is no exception.
The Duchess of Sussex has officially invested High hippie levela Black-owned hair care and wellness brand co-founded by its longtime hair colorist Kadi Lee and Myka Harris.
Highbrow Hippie, which began as a lifestyle blog in 2012, has evolved into a full-blown brand that prioritizes each beauty and well-being. Their latest product line includes a scalp serum and a hair complement, each designed to handle issues corresponding to thinning hair and hormonal changes from the within. Backed by science, the road focuses on hair health in a holistic way, specializing in the basis causes of hair problems, not only the symptoms.
The partnership was officially announced on the brand launch event on November 14, 2024which took place in the Venetian Gjelina restaurant. Markle attended the ceremony with other beauty experts and presented Lee with a bouquet of roses from her Montecito garden – a thoughtful nod to their bond.
“I’m proud to invest in this [Kadi] as a friend and founder,” Meghan said in style on her investment in Highbrow Hippie: “Kadi is a master of hair health, and her Highbrow Hippie collection is a perfect reflection of that.”
For Markle, this investment is not nearly great products, but about strengthening a Black woman-owned business and showing what happens when women invest in one another. Her involvement with Highbrow Hippie is the newest example of how she is using her influence to make a significant impact in the wonder and wellness space. This is not her first time supporting women entrepreneurs – she’s constructing a portfolio of girls-led ventures, corresponding to a sustainably sourced handbag brand Cesta Collectiveand her own emerging lifestyle brand, Orchard on the American Riviera.
The co-founders of Highbrow Hippie are industry veterans, and Lee has over 25 years of experience styling a few of Hollywood’s most recognizable names. Together, she and Harris have built a brand that deeply resonates with women who see hair care as greater than just maintenance – it’s a part of their wellness journey. With products that promise fuller, healthier hair in just three months, they provide solutions for ladies fighting every little thing from postpartum shedding to emphasize-related hair loss.
Meghan’s investment speaks to a larger story: when women support women, especially in spaces where representation matters, the outcomes are transformational.
Celebrity Coverage
Love, basketball and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ historic winning streak – here’s why you should care – the essence
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 22: Coco Jones and Ella Mai attend the Coco Jones Tour with Ebony Riley at The Fonda Theater on August 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Interscope Records)
Listen, I understand. Basketball is probably not your thing.
But you haven’t got to be a basketball fan to understand a very good story, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are serving us one among the better of the season.
After an undefeated 15-0 start, they’re on the right track one step away from making NBA historyand tonight they’ll face the defending champion Boston Celtics in a game that got the crowd excited. But here’s the real tea: It’s not nearly basketball. We’re talking a couple of team that embraces NBA legends and gets into the same discussion as the most dominant teams we have ever seen.
First, let’s discuss star power. Cavs star Donovan Mitchell doesn’t just dominate on the court – he’s turn into the subject of great relationship speculation that has everyone talking. From the end of 2023 there are rumors about his relationship with Coco Jonesthe Grammy Award winner who first caught everyone’s attention along with her breakout role in the “Bel-Air” reboot. Their potential relationship has sent the web right into a frenzy – two rising stars at the top of their game, each breaking barriers in music and sports.
Add the Celtics star to the mix Jayson Tatum is in a relationship with one other R&B queen, Ella Maiand today’s duel suddenly aroused greater interest in us. At just 25 years old, Tatum is already carrying the weight of Boston’s basketball legacy, and we love his relationship with Mai, who was rumored to have welcomed a baby boy with Tatum over the summer. She also recently released an EP titled ‘3’ which is claimed to be dedicated to her boo.
But let’s get back to the Cavs. This team doesn’t just win – it dominates. Their 15-0 start gives them the second-best streak in NBA history, putting them in the same league as the legends. If they win tonight, they shall be 16-0 and inch closer to the all-time record set by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors. With head coach Kenny Atkinson setting the record for many consecutive wins to begin his latest job, this team must rewrite what it means to take the field.
And while Donovan Mitchell leads the way on the court, let’s not forget the Cavaliers’ secret weapon: the quirky social media mascot referred to as Victory Frog. What began as a funny meme has turn into a full-fledged phenomenon, with fans crediting the cartoon amphibian with the band’s unstoppable energy. Think of it as a Cavs good luck charm and a straightforward solution to take part on social media discussions without having to know any of the basketball jargon.
Tonight, Cleveland will face its hardest challenge ever against Boston, which boasts an 11-3 record and one among the league’s brightest stars, Jayson Tatum. Tatum scores a wide ranging time beyond regulation victory, proving he knows perform under pressure and reminding everyone why he is taken into account one among the most clutch players in the league. However, with Cleveland’s historic streak and Donovan Mitchell playing a few of the best basketball of his profession, the Cavs are determined to take care of their undefeated status.
If you’re wondering why this is very important to you, consider it this fashion: sports are culture. They connect with music, fashion and social media in ways in which create shared moments. Whether it’s Coco Jones cheering for her man, fans turning the Victory Frog right into a viral sensation, or the Cavs making history in real time, there’s something about this team that feels larger than basketball. Plus, in case your man is glued to the TV tonight, you can throw in an informal query: “Did you know Donovan Mitchell is dating Coco Jones?” and he’ll think that you know something, something (or a minimum of he’ll give you a sideways look)!
So tune in or try the highlights – it is not each day you get to witness history being made. And if basketball’s still not your thing, a minimum of you know the playlist: Coco and Ella Mai don’t give a rattling.
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