A packed house, four all-star performers, and an insightful Q&A filled The Peppermint Club with good vibes all night long on June 18th.
We filled The Peppermint Club up with Music Forward alumni, industry experts, aspiring artists and professionals, and family and friends for a night of live music and networking. Our artists, Kennedy Ray, Jozondi, and Lyn Starr took on the stage and showed off exactly why they were selected to perform. An amazing chat went down with knowledge-dropper Kayode Badmus-Wellington and to top it all off, the entire night was hosted by the amazing and charming Maya Jupiter. Straight from London, Shae Universe closed the show with her endlessly smooth vocals and had the entire crowd singing and vibing.
Kicking off the show with a bang, Kennedy Ray brought her bubbly, lighthearted energy to the stage. With her guitarist Tony Vler by her side, they set the perfect vibe to start the night, even treating us to a brand new song that had everyone grooving from the start.
Next up, Jozondi, our former Open Mic star, stormed the stage and lit it on fire! With electrifying performances of “Joker” and “The Don,” he had the audience pumped up and chanting “WIN!” in a call-and-response that made the whole place come alive.
Then, Lyn Starr took over with his smooth vocals and Childish Gambino-inspired style. The crowd was extremely engaged, singing along loudly after Lyn taught them the chorus of one of his tracks. It was a magical moment with everyone in harmony, singing along and having the best time.
We took a quick break from the music for some serious wisdom from Kayode Badmus-Wellington, Senior A&R Consultant at Def Jam Records. He has worked with artists from 24kGoldn to Fifth Harmony to French Montana. He inspired everyone with his powerful words: “Just go for it. Find that confidence! While you’re experimenting with different things, just know that you contribute something great to every single room you’re in. You gotta just be shameless about it.” He answered every question during our Q&A with some huge wisdom bombs.
To close out the night, the iconic Shae Universe took the stage. By then, the venue was packed with fans eager to hear her sweet, smooth voice. Shae kicked off her heels and gave us an incredible show, closing out with a medley of classic R&B hits in honor of Black Music History Month. Her performance was the perfect ending to a night full of amazing talent from emerging artists and new music industry connections.
It truly was an unforgettable evening filled with incredible talent, inspiration, and the joy of music. Huge thanks to everyone who made it out and contributed to the magic of the night!
Follow and Listen to Our Artists
Kennedy Ray
Follow on Instagram: @kennedycray
Listen on Spotify: Kennedy Ray
Jozondi
Follow on Instagram: @jozondi
Listen on Spotify: Jozondi
Lyn Starr
Follow on Instagram: @iamlynstarr
Listen on Spotify: Lyn Starr
Shae Universe
Follow on Instagram: @shaesuniverse
Listen on Spotify: Shae Universe