Revolt
Yung Miami, Offset and Cash Cobain are among the next-generation lineup for this year’s REVOLT WORLD, Billboard can exclusively report. Presented by Walmart, REVOLT’s three-day immersive event will make its return Sept. 20-22 at Atlanta’s Pangaea Studios. This year’s theme: “We Are the Future.”
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In a statement announcing the event, REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels said, “REVOLT is home for the next generation of creators and cultural leaders actively shaping hip-hop and youth culture globally. We believe in creating the future we want to see by providing our community access to experiences like REVOLT WORLD that introduces a new category of cultural events that not only entertains and informs, but truly changes lives.”
The talent slate also includes Boosie, Key Glock, N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN, Pusha T, 42 Dugg, Rob49, Ari Fletcher, Byron Messia, Mariah The Scientist, Lady London, Law Roach and Speedy Morman. Attendees will be treated to live tapings of the popular REVOLT shows such as like Caresha Please, Drink Champs, The Blackprint, Baller Alert Live and Big Facts. Additional offerings include exclusive performances, masterclasses, keynote talks, cultural conversations and brand activations.
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Joining presenting partner Walmart as major sponsors are PepsiCo’s portfolio of brands, McDonald’s and State Farm. Among PepsiCo’s supporting brands are Starry, whose Starry FizzFest Competition will award HBCU student finalists and one grand prize winner; Doritos with its Creator Studio; and Mountain Dew, whose Gaming Zone will target the gaming and streaming community. With fashion as its focus, McDonald’s will debut a space this year to engage fashion contributors and spotlight the company’s investment in Black fashion designers.
“Walmart is dedicated to driving visibility to Black-led brands and creators who are changing the game through our new Black & Unlimited experience – The Shoutout,” stated Allison Rand, Walmart’s associate director of brand experience and talent partnerships. “We are proud to continue our partnership with REVOLT WORLD, where we can collectively support and amplify Black voices and innovation.”
More than 30,000 participants attended last year’s REVOLT WORLD. On hand to underscore its theme, “We Are Hip-Hop,” were Don Toliver, Moneybagg Yo and Mr. Eazi, among others. Click HERE for additional information and updates about this year’s upcoming REVOLT WORLD.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs has reportedly sold his majority stake in Revolt. He founded the media company back in 2013.
Diddy’s once thought-to-be impregnable empire and reputation has been seemingly coming apart at the seams ever since November 16, 2023, when Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against the mogul accusing him of sexual assault, amongst other crimes. Although the suit was settled a day after it was filed, the damn had been broken, with multiple victims since coming forward to accuse Combs of similar abuse.
Initially, Diddy vehemently denied all the claims, and he still does, save for former Bad Boy artist Ventura’s. But that seems to be only because in May 2024, CNN acquired and shared footage of Diddy beating Cassie in the hall of a Los Angeles hotel back in 2016. The video of the incident confirmed what Cassie had described in her lawsuit. A video apology issue by Diddy shorty thereafter was almost universally maligned for its alleged insincerity.
On Tuesday (June 4), Revolt announced that Combs had sold his stake in the company. Prior to that, in late November 2023, Revolt shared that Diddy had stepped from his position as Chairman of the company.
Revolt now boasts that it is owned by employees, and remains Black-owned. “REVOLT is honored and proud to announce that, in an unprecedented and historic move in the Black media space, our newly projected largest shareholder group are REVOLT’s current employees,” read a statement announcing Combs’ shared have been “fully redeemed and retired.” “Our mission to become the largest media company powered by creators and fueled by the culture continues.”
The New York Times reports that Detavio Samuel’s, Revolt’s CEO, says, “One-hundred percent of Sean Combs’s shares have been redeemed and retired,” Mr. Samuels said in the interview. “He is no longer chairman. He is no longer on the board. He has no shares, no equity in Revolt. We have completely separated and dissociated from each other.”
Some of the other entities that have cut ties with Combs or hs products include Hulu, Capital Preparatory Schools and America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses.
Last October, REVOLT — the Black-owned and operated digital cable network co-founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2013 — celebrated its 10th anniversary. Now, eight months later, the multi-platform media company is celebrating its rebirth as an employee-owned entity.
Announced today (June 4) by REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels, the historic business shift follows in the wake of Combs’ stepping down as company chairman last November after being served with multiple sexual assault lawsuits. In keeping with Samuels’ and his team’s determination that REVOLT remain Black-owned and operated, the equity move — in which Diddy sold his stake back to the company, which is then distributing shares among its current employees — underscores the company’s original vision to pioneer a new era of entertainment while also establishing a new media model.
“I needed my employees to be incentivized, excited, to feel like they have skin in the game,” Samuels exclusively tells Billboard. “It’s about generating wealth for marginalized communities who have been historically left out.”
Atlanta-based Samuels joined REVOLT as COO in 2020 and was promoted to CEO a year later. It’s his hope that “more CEOs embrace and embody this idea of linked prosperity: if the company wins, every single person wins. We’re trying to set an industry standard where this type of thing becomes the norm.” In the following interview, Samuels outlines REVOLT’s journey to that decision.
At what point was the decision made to seek a new owner for REVOLT?
After all of the allegations in November became clear, stepping into 2024 for that association with Sean Combs could be a distraction to the mission that we had been on for the last four years. So at that point in time, we had very real conversations. You know, you can’t force anybody to sell their shares in the same way that nobody could force you to sell your house. But Sean Combs understood the assignment and elected to sell his shares so that the mission could continue.
In March there were media reports that Richelieu Dennis, the owner of Essence magazine, was buying REVOLT. Was that true? Were there other suitors for the company?
There’s been tons of speculation and rumors, as you can imagine. What we wanted to do was find the best home for REVOLT. At the end of the day, we want this business, which is stronger than ever, to continue to thrive. So absolutely, we’ve had lots of conversations with people. What we realized is that you can search the whole world, but we came to the conclusion that the only people we needed was us. We were the ones that we were looking for. I hope that can be a signal just to us as Black people and the Black community in general about self-reliance, unity. Nobody’s coming to save us. We have all we need to save ourselves.
When you came on board as CEO, was such a notion on your mind then?
One of the biggest things I wanted to do was just make sure that employees could benefit in the success of this company. And it’s been a conversation that we’ve had, specifically at the management level, for the last four years since I’ve been here, looking for the opportunity to ultimately make it happen. I’m a big believer in the idea of linked prosperity, meaning that as REVOLT wins, everybody in our ecosystem wins. Our values are reflected in our business model. We’ve given 50-plus entrepreneurs capital with no exchange of equity. We’ve put more than $50 million recirculated back into the Black community every single year. We have the biggest deals with the biggest content creators, but all of them also have upside participation in the content we co-create.
When we’ve had big years and blown our numbers out the water, our employees got big bonuses — every single one of them. So this was kind of like the missing piece. How do we put our employees, who are giving us their blood, sweat and tears every single day, in a position where they can benefit from the economics of their genius? So I’m thrilled that we are finally at that point where the people who are the backbone of our success now to get to be shareholders in the company.
At the bottom of the press release announcing REVOLT’s new owners, it says, “Shares held by the company’s former chair have been fully redeemed and retired.” What does that mean exactly?
Some people still aren’t clear. So that [statement] is enough to make it very clear: He [Sean Combs] is not the chairman of the company. He’s not on the board of this company. And he owns zero equity and zero shares in this company.
How did you decide to distribute the shares among employees? Were they all given equal shares?
Everyone is not going to be given equal shares. What we’re doing right now is working through a distribution process where we can ensure everything is smooth and fair. And two of the key components, of course, will be seniority and our vesting schedule. We plan on rolling that out over the course of the next few months.
And by employees, that includes yourself and the rest of the executive team as well?
If you are a full-time employee at REVOLT, you will receive something from this distribution.
Was there any pushback to this plan?
There was no pushback. In fact, if anything, I need to celebrate my amazing board, who immediately latched onto the idea. Their work was critical in helping us get here, so no pushback. Everybody knows that REVOLT is a values-driven brand. We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk.
How many members comprise the board and what are the names of some of those members?
We’re going to keep that side confidential.
And new employees will be eligible to be shareholders as well?
New employees will be eligible for this equity incentive pool as well. In the short term today, there are no massive changes happening to our organizational structure. We will continue to stay on brand; the vision and mission are the same. We want to shift the narrative for Black people globally by building the world’s most powerful Black storytelling engine on the planet, powered by creators. In fact, as we lean into this idea of being powered by creators, we are trademarking a new term: we are “pioneering a new era of entertainment.” Media is in chaos right now. But we believe that we’ve got a new model that works in this chaotic world that we live in. And we’re getting ready to make a run and show the world what it’s supposed to look like. The only other way to say this is that we’re about to dream bigger and we’re about to dream Blacker. That’s all it is.
Diddy was very publicly the face of Revolt. How do you plan to forward and reinvent the brand out of his shadow?
Diddy wasn’t the face of the brand, I don’t think, inside of the company. Since I’ve been here, he’s never been part of the day-to-day operations and the teams have had zero interaction with him. So there’s no difference on our side; no difference with our clients and our affiliate partners, our customers. So really the only place where I think there’s this, you know, massive association with him and REVOLT is with the culture.
The way we will respond to that, first and foremost, is with this announcement so that everybody knows every time you support REVOLT, you are standing by the people and the employees who are building this thing. The second thing is, it was never supposed to be built on one person. REVOLT has never believed that it is one person, one idea, one lens. You can’t shift the narrative for Black people through one lens. So we will continue to bring on the biggest and baddest creators in the culture. And it is through this “for us, by us” model that we will get people to shake this association from Sean Combs and make it about the people who are building the culture today.
Are you planning to continue REVOLT’s events business as well as the television and podcasting initiatives?
Last year’s REVOLT WORLD summit was just the pilot and it took off like a rocket ship: 30,000 people [in attendance] during three days. Now we’re moving ahead with our vision and strategies clear. We haven’t announced this year’s REVOLT WORLD yet, but it will be in September. Last year’s was sponsored by Walmart, Pepsi, McDonald’s and other brands who have continued to stand by us through all of this.
The other piece is about this new era of media. Gone are the days where there’s a single-lane media company, where you can only be cable, only be a podcast, or only be live events. We believe we have this special model where we are able to be fast, efficient and effective, partner with the dopest creators in the culture, shoot once and be able to deliver that in whatever format — cable, streaming, podcast, live events — that our audience wants to consume it: Spotify, Apple, all cable, CTV, YouTube, so be it. It’s imperative that we reach our audience wherever they live and breathe. You name it, we’re going to be there.
What is REVOLT valued at and is it profitable?
I can’t tell you the valuation. But REVOLT has been profitable since at least 2018. I took over [as CEO] in the COVID year, 2020. If you compare the numbers we finished in 2020 to the numbers we finished in 2023, EBITDA is up 3.5x. If you want to compare advertising numbers, those are up six times. The business is healthy, the business is sound. That’s why we’re ready to make this next run.
Are there plans to continue to shop REVOLT in the future, or is this the ownership structure you guys are committed to now?
I am 100% committed to this new ownership structure. I’m big about the history and the history of America says that Black people have been responsible for building trillion-dollar industries in this country, whether we’re talking about the cotton and tobacco industries or now hip-hop. But they’ve never been able to fully reap from the economics that their hard work and genius have built. Black and brown people deserve to benefit from the economics that their genius creates.
A second thing also underscores my commitment and why this announcement is so important and historic. Usually when you run into these kinds of situations, the companies reflect what I consider the old America majority: white people. Marginalized groups barely get a benefit when these types of things take off. But with REVOLT, you’re talking about a company that’s majority Black and 50% women. So when we make this run to become the next Black unicorn, when we hit that billion-dollar valuation, those people who have historically been left out of the wealth-building opportunities in America will be left out no more. So for those reasons, I’m committed. Does that mean that we won’t have to take back equity in order to raise capital to make that run to that billion-dollar number? No. But what it means is our employees will always have a share and ownership in this company that they’re creating.
With the ownership situation behind you, what are you looking forward to next?
I’m most excited about the bunch of coming announcements that I’m sitting on right now and can’t wait to roll out. For now, people can see that we’ve started to sow some seeds, like launching REVOLT Sports. People may think we’ve been a little quieter than usual. And in full transparency, we have been: the only hit show we have running at this time is Drink Champs on YouTube. But they’re about to find out really quickly that REVOLT is about to get real loud real fast. So ask me this question in December, and I’m sure I’ll have plenty to talk about.
Revolt announced on Tuesday (June 4) that its employees will become the company’s largest group of shareholders.
The announcement follows a report in March that Sean “Diddy” Combs, who founded the company in 2013, sold his shares to an anonymous buyer. Combs is facing multiple sexual abuse lawsuits, with two more complaints filed against him in May; he has denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement on Tuesday, Revolt CEO Detavio Samuels said “we succeed because we have a dedicated team who has been committed to advancing our purpose, our community, and our culture every single day.”
“Without question, they deserve participation in our growth,” he added, “and I could not be more honored to continue on this journey with them, leveraging our collective strength, pushing boundaries, and achieving new heights together.”
Speaking to The New York Times, Samuels also noted that “One-hundred percent of Sean Combs’s shares have been redeemed and retired” and “we have completely separated and dissociated from each other.”
Combs stepped down as the chairman of the Revolt board in November, not long after he was accused of sexual and physical abuse by his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who performs as Cassie. (The suit was settled a day later.) Earlier this year, Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles homes were raided by federal agents, part of what Homeland Security described as “an ongoing investigation.”
Samuels told The Hollywood Reporter that Revolt has been unaffected by the allegations against its founder. “Since [his departure], there’s been no interaction or anything in terms of leading or driving the brand,” he said in March. “We lost no clients, we lost no employees, we didn’t lose a dollar. Q4 was the largest quarter in the history of Revolt, and 2023 was the best advertising year we’ve had in the history of Revolt. In all ways it was record-breaking, even in the middle of a crisis.”
It’s become more common for new media companies to offer employees a stake in their success. Publications like Defector, Hell Gate, and 404 Media are worker-owned. The start-up Puck also offers employees “a small ownership stake in the company,” according to The New York Times.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has stepped down from his role as chairman for REVOLT. TMZ first broke the story, and Billboard confirms through Diddy’s reps. The news arrives in the wake of Combs’ three sexual assault lawsuits, including one made by his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura earlier this month.
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According to a statement made by REVOLT on Instagram Tuesday morning (Nov. 28), the Black music television company aims to continue its mission of creating “meaningful content for the culture.”
“While Mr. Combs has previously no operational or day-to-day role in the business, this decision helps ensure that REVOLT remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora,” the statement begins. “Our focus has always been one that reflects our commitment to the collective journey of REVOLT — one that is not driven by the individual, but by the shared efforts and values of our entire team on behalf of advancing, elevating, and championing our culture and that continues.”
Co-founded in 2013, REVOVT currently houses several popular music podcasts including Drink Champs and Yung Miami’s Caresha Please. In a recent digital cover story with Billboard, Diddy spoke on the success of REVOLT.
“[My goal is to] make it not just the biggest Black-owned network but the biggest media company that I can,” he said. I’m not pigeonholing myself. Again, nobody’s going to give us power, and they’re not going to share it with us. That’s why 10 years ago, I named my network REVOLT, because we have to take our quality of life back. There’s so much value and information.”
Earlier this month, Cassie alleged that Combs abused her during their on-and-off 11-year relationship. One day after filing the lawsuit against Combs, which alleged “episodes of horrific abuse” including rape, she settled with the mercurial music star. “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Ventura said in a statement by her attorney, Douglas Wigdor. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Combs responded, adding, “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.” No terms were disclosed and the release states that “the parties will have no further statements.”
Last week, Combs was accused of sexual abuse by two more women from alleged incidents stemming from the ’90s. Both suits were filed on Thanksgiving Day, the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, which permitted victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file a civil action suit regardless of the statute of limitations.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs is stepping down as Chairman of Revolt. The Bad Boy Records founder is stepping back from his role after multiple women have come forward to accuse him of sexual assault, amongst other crimes.
“While Mr. Combs has previously had no operational or day-to-day role in the business, this decision helps to ensure that REVOLT remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora,” reads a statement from Revolt. “Our focus has always been one that reflects our commitment to the collective journey of REVOLT – one that is not driven by any individual, but by the shared efforts and values of our entire team on behalf of advancing, elevating and championing our culture – and that continues.”
TMZ reports that sources say the decision is temporary as Diddy doesn’t want all the allegations he is facing to “distract” from Revolt’s business and mission.
Recently, former Bay Boy artist Cassie filed a lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of sexual abuse. However, a day after the filing, they settled the matter out of court. But since, two more women have come forward with lawsuits accusing Diddy of sexual and domestic abuse, including rape. Joi Dickerson-Neal claims that Diddy sexually assaulted her back in college in 1991 while a Jane Doe accuser says he, and singer Aaron Hall, allegedly raped her around 1991 or 1992 as well.
Revolt’s current CEO is Detavio Samuels and while Diddy was not involved in the company’s daily business, his name is certainly associated with the Revolt brand.
Revolt was founded by Diddy, and Andy Schuon, and launched in October 2013.
This story is developing.
Diddy is gearing up to release his first album in 13 years, The Love Album: Off the Grid, on Sept. 15.
While the music and business mogul is in album mode, his multiple interests continue to be overseen by a seasoned group of executives, including his management team at SALXCO. Read on to learn about the executives working behind-the-scenes at Combs Global, REVOLT TV & Media and more.
Nathalie Moar – Longtime Advisor and Communications Lead
Moar is a. global communication strategist who manages Diddy’s narrative and brand image across his multi-brand empire, as well as all of his various activations.
Che Pope – Head of Love Records
Pope’s experience in the music industry spans 25 years in both the creative and executive arenas of the music business. The Grammy-winning producer has collaborated with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Destiny’s Child, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre, The Weeknd, Diddy and Kanye West.
Frankie Santella – Vice President of Music Management & Strategic Partnerships
Santella was first hired by Diddy as part of Bad Boy Management in New York City, where he was involved in cultural events such as Diddy’s 50th birthday celebration, 2013 attendance at Burning Man and collaborations with such companies as Nike, Ciroc, WWE and Live Nation. In 2020, Santella moved to Los Angeles to work at Combs Global.
Kristina Khorram – Chief of Staff to Sean “Diddy” Combs
Khorram works side by side daily with Diddy and spearheads many of his projects and events.
Deon Graham – Chief Brand Officer
Graham oversees brand presence, strategic marketing, growth and development for Diddy’s portfolio of companies.
Tarik A. Brooks – President
The seasoned executive, with over 22 years of experience, oversees all business operations and investments owned by Diddy.
Detavio Samuels – CEO of REVOLT TV & Media
Samuels leads all business efforts with a bicoastal team of young executives and creators, working to build the world’s largest Black-owned media company.
Jay Lundy – Senior VP of Investing & New Ventures
In his role, Lundy leads new ventures, investment diligence and business development strategy.
Dr. Steve Perry – Founder & Head of Capital Preparatory
Perry is an educator, bestselling author, and founder and head of schools at Capital Preparatory Schools. Since 2006, he has sent 100% of their predominantly low-income, minority and first-generation high school graduates to four-year colleges.
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WATCH: Diddy Talks About His New Album ‘The Love Album,’ New Record Label & More
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Diddy is showing it is still “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”. He has announced the inaugural REVOLT WORLD event in Atlanta.
As spotted on Bossip the business mogul is taking his REVOLT brand to newer heights. On Wednesday, August 15 the event was formally announced on social media. “We’re reimagining the intersection of culture and creativity with this three-day immersive experience featuring daily lineups of your favorite REVOLT shows, impactful conversations, live performances, interactive masterclasses, experiential activations, a gaming house, creator studio, and more” the press release reads. This year’s inaugural theme is “We Are Hip-Hop” which is a nod to the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop and the ten year anniversary of REVOLT TV.
The 72-hour event will feature live performances from MoneyBagg Yo, Uncle Waffles, Don Toliver, King Combs and more. REVOLT WORLD will also feature G Herbo, Jeezy, Omarion, Curren$y and others as speakers. Additionally, they will also broadcast Drink Champs and Caresha Please as live podcasts. Yung Miami expressed her excitement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “My first live podcast! I’m so excited & nervous at the same damn time! #careshaplease @revolttv” she wrote.
General admission tickets ($149) and VIP tickets ($399) are now available for purchase here.
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Don Toliver, Moneybagg Yo, Yung Miami and Mr. Eazi are among the talent lineup set for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ upcoming REVOLT WORLD. The reimagined REVOLT Summit, presented by Walmart, will take place Sept. 22-24 in Atlanta.
Embodying this year’s theme, “We Are Hip-Hop,” the additional talent announced thus far includes Jeezy, G Herbo, Joey Bada$$, Omarion, Juvenile, Tank, Tee Grizzley, Saucy Santana, Queen Naija, Lauren London, Young M.A, Uncle Waffles, Jozzy, Curren$y, Babyface Ray, Tyler Lepley, Maiya The Don, Dvsn and Royce Da 5’9”. This year’s slate of keynotes, panels and performances will also feature conversations with key executives and personalities such as LVRN’s Amber Grimes, Apple Music’s Walter Tucker and sports journalist/author Jemele Hill.
Live viewings and tapings of REVOLT’s various hit series are on the bill as well. The show menu includes Caresha Please, The Jason Lee Show, Drink Champs with Noreaga and DJ EFN, Assets Over Liabilities with Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings and Big Facts with Big Bank, DJ Scream and Baby Jade.
In a release announcing the event, REVOLT chairman Combs said, “REVOLT WORLD was created to celebrate the global impact of hip-hop and introduce a new live event category that represents the highest level of entertainment, education and opportunity. Our vision was to build on the tremendous success of REVOLT Summit and deliver a first-of-its-kind event that reimagined the intersection of culture, community and connections with the most influential leaders across generations.”
Added REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels, “We are thrilled to present this extraordinary lineup of talent at REVOLT WORLD who share our mission to provide access, knowledge and opportunities that amplify our culture’s influence. From industry icons to visionary thought leaders, these individuals embody the spirit of creativity, empowerment and change that REVOLT stands for. Together, we will ignite conversations, spark inspiration and create a lasting impact on a global scale.”
More REVOLT WORLD talent will be revealed closer to the event’s September dates. For additional information about REVOLT WORLD and to purchase tickets now, visit revoltworld.com.
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