State Champ Radio Carnegie Hall
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Source: Fadi Kheir / Courtesy of Carnegie Hall
It’s the eve of Valentine’s Day on a snow-melting New York City evening. Black couples draped in their finest $5,000-a-plate fur-cloaked gala attire wandered around a half-filled Carnegie Hall auditorium, seeking and finding a place to purchase cocktails in the the Sanford I. Weill Cafe.
Source: Fadi Kheir / Courtesy of Carnegie Hall
Among the aforementioned are business casual and informally dressed attendees, some even in snow boots and leisurewear. They all learned about the Power Network’s “A Black History Month Conversation and Celebration.” Its purpose was to unite a niche audience commemorating Black excellence with decorated professionals, followed by an exhilarating mini-concert by Rick Ross hosted by legendary radio personality, Ed Lover.
Event organizers Lew Tucker and Terry Ross invited an impressive selection of renowned guest speakers and panelists tasked to discuss tangible ways technology, artificial intelligence and politics can leapfrog an encumbered community out of multi-generational poverty. Each subject matter expert offered their brand of solutions – voting, equity ownership and advanced education were at the top of the list for the most part. However, some conversations had such galvanizing perspectives, making the call to action a revolution worth exploring.
In the first panel of the night, moderator and Vibranium Central Foundation executive Derek Ferguson kicked off the discussion with a malfunctioned video clip of the late Nipsey Hussle discussing the distrust in cryptocurrencies in Black communities and his desire to remediate it with technology. Megan Holston-Alexander, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz heading the Cultural Leadership Fund in Silicon Valley, discussed how the power of equity ownership in tech is a fast track to bridging the wage gap if investors are strategic enough to secure it.
An easy way to bypass an often impenetrable venture capital fund is through “employment-ship,” as she describes. Candidates would seek employment at a budding tech start-up and secure company stock through a compensation package, which can instantly become worth millions if a larger company acquires the business or goes public on the stock market. It’s extended gameplay but has given professionals an expedited pathway toward real wealth.
Ron Busby Sr., a business executive at U.S. Black Chambers Inc., reminded the audience how the government glosses over Black issues by enveloping other ethnicities into federal funding under the umbrella term “minority,” which he claims has served white women the most at an astounding 78% of the budget. If Black enterprises certify their businesses on byblack.us as Black-owned businesses, they actively create a demand for federal dollars explicitly earmarked for Black business owners. Additionally, using acquisitions by becoming a 51% owner of small companies would help expand their businesses and aid them in gaining larger contracts that are otherwise inaccessible to small businesses.
Source: Fadi Kheir / Courtesy of Carnegie Hall
The second act of the event was a pleasant pivot into political activism with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, moderated by Earn Your Leisure founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings.
Moore’s decorated life story is one for the books. The former Robin Hood CEO, who once managed to distribute $600 million towards impoverished families before taking his talents into politics in 2023, won his first elected seat into office on the first try.
His new career starts without deep political ties, which historically has muddled the landscape along with backroom deals and false promises to its constituents. Instead, Moore’s business-minded approach focuses on demolishing generational poverty in the Black community through policy.
From his perspective, gaining access to the state budget has given him a unique understanding of how deliberate policy-driven racism has strategically pigeonholed Black Americans into disenfranchisement.
Source: Fadi Kheir / Courtesy of Carnegie Hall
Billionaire Robert F. Smith, who also serves as Carnegie Hall’s chairman, joined the governor’s conversation with HarbourView CEO Sherrese Clarke Soares. The refreshed panel closed out the final segment of the evening. Both executives spoke in depth about the impact technology and AI will have on the future of Black families in America.
Smith highlighted the underrepresentation of Black professionals in tech and the dangers it threatens as AI amalgamates itself into corporate America. Eventually, executives will rely on automation software to eliminate an already fragile workforce paranoid about employment stability. Those positions are mainly held by Black Americans at a disturbing rate, fueling the conversation about the widening wealth gap. Smith believes the digital revolution can quantum leap the community into generational wealth and advancement, a theory solely based on the historic inventions created from thwarted access to essential resources through systemic racism.
Soares introduced the creator economy throughout entertainment and media verticals, declaring that audience and consumerism dictate new lanes of opportunity. Content is king here; there’s an opportunity to gain wealth through premier intellectual property investment. As AI continues to disrupt the bottlenecking strategies traditionally used to generate revenue streams at the expense of undervalued creators, global investment firms like HarborView will invest millions into an artist’s publishing catalog, for example. Jeremih recently partnered with Soares’s firm to sell published and recorded assets from the “Birthday Sex” singer for an undisclosed amount—monumental deals like these open avenues for wealth development in film, TV and sports for creators. As Black communities have dictated the pulse of popular culture throughout documented history, it’s remarkable to imagine the untapped market this will uncover as creators define the value of their artistic collections.
Pleasantly, each panelist left a tangible blueprint with accessible methods for average citizens to advance themselves toward generational wealth. If Black Americans play their hand right, technology and AI can dismount the longstanding systemic gatekeeping that has stagnated disenfranchised families for centuries and finally catapult folks out of poverty.
Source: Fadi Kheir / Courtesy of Carnegie Hall
The auditorium erupted in electric applause after statements closed, interlocking the audience with a contagious wave of empowerment. Anyone can be a big boss if they conquer their impostor syndrome. And cleverly, Rick Ross’ mini-concert with a live orchestra cemented the moment most perfectly.
The mini-concert began with “I’m A Boss,” harmoniously synchronized with the talented Revive Big Band, blowing their horns simultaneously with the recorded track as a projector displayed a montage of visuals of the famous rapper. While the intro played out, a white fur coat-wearing Rozay strolled onto the stage to take in the crowd before picking up his microphone to belt out his verse. The “All I Do Is Win” chorus then transitioned to “I’m On One.” The fur coat didn’t last five minutes on the chubby Wing Stop franchisee before being removed for the rest of the song’s performance.
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While the “Hustlin’” intro played, the Biggest Boss poured a glass of Luc Belaire Rare Rose into a champagne flute from a table placed behind him and raised it towards the crowd in the form of cheers before powering through half of the first verse. This formula went on throughout the show, using Maybach Music crowd favorites as transition markers into selected orchestra-assisted songs from Rick Ross’ vast catalog, including “Hustle Hard,” “Diced Pineapples,” “Aston Martin Music” and “Pop That.”
“B.M.F.“ is when the energy shifted on stage, causing him to belt, “I think I’m Big Meech, free Larry Hoover!” into the microphone with unfathomable conviction. He was finally loosening up.
In between song transitions, Renzel daps up band members as they catch their breath in time for the next song. They didn’t mind, as they were equally excited to interact with him, presumably forged by their mutual respect for the love of music.
“I’m Not A Star” and “Stay Schemin’” were played unassisted by the band through their discrete break, allowing fans to pick up the slack, screaming the lyrics word for word against the track.
The song that evangelized the crowd was DJ Khalid’s “God Did,” cueing the band to pick up their instruments to play along to the Grammy nominated song in a beautiful culmination of live notes. It was the perfect backdrop; Rick Ross used the time to crowd work. With his Luc Belaire-filled flute, he emphatically mouthed the song’s title intimately towards the fans sitting in the balconies overlooking the stage. It was strange but on par with the rapper’s animated personality. The moment was the perfect show closer to a fantastic setlist. Unencumbered by the exhausting 25-minute-long performance, Rozay took time to sign autographs and take pictures before disappearing backstage.
The night was long for a mid-week event, but it was worth the trip for what it offered. If using a Keith Lee rating system; 8 out of 10, which would jump to a 9.2 if there were some lemon pepper wings from Wing Stop on site.
Performing at Carnegie Hall is only a dream for most artists in the world. Soon Andrés Cepeda will be able to say that he has done it not once but twice — and in less than two years — when he returns to the iconic New York City venue on May 1.
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“I would have really liked it if my parents, who are no longer with me, had seen me get there,” the Colombian singer-songwriter tells Billboard Español. “They also dreamed of stages like that.”
The show is part of his upcoming Tengo Ganas Tour, a 19-date engagement in the U.S. that starts in Nashville on April 9 and includes cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, D.C., before concluding on May 4 in Charlotte, NC. Countryman singer Alejandro Santamaría is coming along with him. (For more information and tickets, visit andrescepeda.com.co)
Tengo Ganas follows his tour La Ruta Púrpura, which began in October 2022 precisely with that dreamy sold-out concert at the Carnegie Hall.
Cepeda, who won his fourth Latin Grammy in November (best traditional pop album, for Décimo Cuarto) and returned this week as a judge on La Voz Kids “Colombia,” began his career with Poligamia, a Latin rock-pop band which he founded with some friends during his teenage years, releasing several albums in the ’90s.
Since debuting as a solo artist with the set Sé Morir in 1999, he has recorded a dozen albums and released hits including “Tengo Ganas,” “Día Tras Día” and “Beso Usados.” And he’s been the only artist to fill the Movistar Arena in Bogotá, the largest stage in Colombia, for five consecutive days. On the Billboard charts, he has had two Latin Pop Airplay entries: “El Mensaje” in 2013 (No. 38), and “Magia” with Sebastián Yatra in 2018 (No. 37).
In an interview from Miami on Thursday morning (Jan. 11,) Cepeda spoke with Billboard Español about his upcoming tour, his creative process and his first album under Warner Music Mexico, which he will begin recording next month.
1. Most artists prefer to give interviews in the afternoon. It’s 9:30 am. Can we assume that you are a morning person, or was this circumstantial?
I’m used to starting early when we’re on promo, because we also do a lot of things in the afternoon. So to make the most out of our working day, we start early.
2. How do you usually wake up? Biological clock or alarm?
I set the alarm, but my biological clock usually wakes me up a few minutes early. You know, you kind of program yourself and wake up but, just in case, it’s better to set the alarm. And that alarm is music. For a couple of years now I have had a song that I love by The Beatles that has a beautiful personal meaning for me, “Here Comes the Sun.” Of course it doesn’t reflect much of today’s [rainy] weather [laughs]. But I like that song.
3. On April 9, you start your Tengo Ganas Tour in the U.S. How do you prepare for that?
Well, there is a stage of a lot of rehearsal, of a very strict curation of the songs, the arrangements, what is going to be presented, the staging, the narrative that accompanies the songs — because it is not just getting up and singing them, but being able to tell people a little about them and how one comes to make all this music and all these songs. So there is a part, let’s say, of writing and narrating that narrative — and then along the way, for me it is vital to have a good few hours of sleep and a good diet. It gives you the possibility of facing a series of consecutive dates that are still demanding.
4. What can you tell us about the show itself compared to the previous one?
The previous show was focused on the acoustic aspect of my career, with boleros and other Latin rhythms even flirting a little with jazz, in a format that was composed of acoustic piano, double bass, winds and guitar. This time I present the other side of the coin, so to speak, which has to do with my influence, which is pop and rock. Although they have in common the romantic nature of my stories and my music, they are two different sounds that have accompanied me throughout my career.
5. What will be Alejandro Santamaría’s role on the tour? Will you be sharing the stage or will he serve as an opening act?
Both. He is going to be the opening act at the shows, and he is also going to be invited in the section that I sing because we have recorded music together, so we will be singing a couple of the songs that we have done and he will be accompanying me throughout the journey of this tour.
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6. For many, the Carnegie Hall is just an unattainable dream. You already performed there in October 2022 with a sold-out show and you are returning on May 1. How did you get to play on this venue and what does it represent for you?
We were very fortunate to present our proposal to the Carnegie Hall curatorial committee two years ago. We explained what we wanted to do, we presented our resume, and they thought it was interesting and that it was worth having us there. And it went so well last year — it was sold-out and they liked it a lot — so they told us that if we wanted to come back the doors were open. For us it is a great honor. It is an iconic venue, a dream, a goal. I would have really liked it if my parents, who are no longer with me, had seen me get there, because they also dreamed of stages like that.
7. Last November, you won your fourth Latin Grammy. Do these types of recognitions continue to surprise or excite you?
It’s not something you get used to. I thought at some point that it could be like that, but no. It is becoming more and more exciting because it is the sum of several prizes, so you receive them with great joy, great emotion, great expectation. I have to confess that the days before an award ceremony, and on the day of the award ceremony, my hands sweat, the anxiety is incredible. In some way you suffer a lot waiting to see what happens … and when you receive it you celebrate with great joy. Especially when it’s an award for an album, which honors the entire team.
8. Let’s talk a little about your songwriting process. Each song has its own story, but in general, what is the common denominator?
Perhaps the common denominator is that I always look for a space of disconnection, a lot of peace, a lot of silence, where I can isolate myself from the everyday life and the rest of the world. But it is always different in the sense that sometimes I write with others, sometimes the lyrics emerge first or sometimes the musical idea emerges first. Normally in my case, when I work alone, the musical idea comes first, and then I find the path to what I want to say.
9. What was the song that came out the fastest, the one that sort of wrote itself?
[Laughs.] Some of them write themselves and it is surprising, because you feel like they are moving your hand, yes. There is one song in particular that I love very much that I wrote in one pass, and when that happens it is something exceptional. It’s a song called “Ciertas Cosas.” Another one that came in a single pass, like an instant song, was “Sé Morir.” But there are others that you have to work on for a full day or several days, or you even start writing and let some days or weeks pass before returning to it to complete it.
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10. The most difficult or the one that took the longest to complete?
A song from my last album [Décimo Cuarto] that I sang and wrote with a Colombian artist that I love very much, Greeicy Rendón, [“Le Viene Bien”]. The entire process of writing, producing and making the video took two years. When we went into the studio to record it we were still making corrections and things.
When you write with someone else and you have the possibility of debating and somehow negotiating each of the verses, one would think that it’s a tedious process, but on the contrary, it is very pleasant to sit down and bid for what each one wants the song to say. Those discussions are fantastic.
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11. And does it happen to you in cases like those that you hear the published song later and still go, “Ugh, I should have used this other word”?
That happens and you have to learn to let go, because if you focus so much on making it perfect… And not just with the lyrics! With the music, it happens a lot that you are in the studio and you don’t get over that process and you want to fix it and re-record the piano and voice again because you want this part to be better. You start to go crazy. Sometimes you have to understand that the song is ready and let it go.
12. What achievement, song or album would you say marked a turning point in your career?
There’s a song [from 2014] that did that in my career, and put me in a different place mentally, in the creative process. It’s a song called “Día tras día.”
13. I am going to tell you a series of words and I want you to answer the first thing that comes to your mind. Poligamia.
The cradle! The hatchery, so to speak. The beginning of a career.
14. Bogota’s Movistar Arena.
Five absolutely unforgettable nights in my career and in my life. A week on a honeymoon with my own city.
15. Colombia.
The love of my life, with whom I have great romances but also strong arguments at times.
16. As an artist and as a judge for La Voz Kids, any message or advice for young people who aspire to have a career in music?
First, that it is very much worth it. And second, that it is worth it as long as you commit to it, take it very seriously, study and understand that it is a career. The more prepared you are, the more competitive and deeper you can become. Talent and vocation are just a small part of what is needed to achieve something in this profession; I think dedication, persistency, perseverance and preparation are an even bigger part than the other.
17. You’re going back to the studio to work on a new album in February. How many songs have you already written?
This album should have 10 songs and there are 14 written, so we’ll go into a selection process in which I plan to allow myself to have 12. But the initial project is 10.
18. How do you expect this album to be different from the previous ones?
On the artistic side, I think that each album has to reflect a different moment in life and also a maturity, because there has to be an evolution. And on the show business side, I think that working with a new team, which in this case is Warner Music, is going to bring very nice things and is going to project me even more. I have a lot of faith in the team that is helping me make this album and promote it.
19. Speaking of maturity, last summer you turned 50. What have you learned about yourself in this half century?
[Laughs.] That although I have acquired some maturity, one of the most beautiful things about that maturity is understanding that I am still a child facing my job and facing many aspects of the world, which, thank God, continue to amaze me. And I think maintaining that wonder, ironically, is a sign of maturity.
20. What is Andrés Cepeda still looking forward to?
To live. And to make music.
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