A hip-hop awards show and festival that could attract “hundreds of celebrity guests” and “thousands of tourists” is planned for August in Memphis, organizers said Wednesday.
The “Hip Hop Awards & Festival Weekend,” set for Aug. 14-17, is being sponsored and primarily organized by the For Us By Us Network, an offshoot of the FUBU apparel company.
Roberto “Rush” Evans, a For Us By Us Network chief executive officer, said the festival’s events will “elevate Memphis’ culture, economy and sense of community,” while honoring hip-hop artists “who have paved the way both from the city of Memphis and internationally.”
J. Alexander Martin, co-founder of FUBU apparel, said the events will provide “a signature experience in Memphis.”
The FUBU executives’ comments came in a Wednesday press release that offered much fanfare but few details about the planned four-day “weekend.” A formal announcement took place at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the “Hall of Mayors” at City Hall.
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Said Mayor Paul Young, in a statement: “One of Memphis’ greatest assets is our creative culture. We are proud to serve as host city to the inaugural FUBU Awards Weekend.”
The press release states that the “Awards & Festival Weekend” will “feature hundreds of celebrity guests and attract thousands of tourists while promoting Memphis as a global center of urban influence.”
The awards show will honor “key contributions of artists and individuals to media, music, fashion, business, and social justice,” according to the release. It will be held Aug. 17 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.
However it shapes up, the FUBU “weekend” promises to add another major event to a Memphis calendar that also boasts the RiverBeat Music Festival (set for May 2-4 in Tom Lee Park, with Missy Elliott and The Killers as headliners) and Mempho Fest (Oct. 3-5, Memphis Botanic Garden). In addition, the August dates overlap the signature events of the city’s busiest tourist season, “Elvis Week,” built around the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death on Aug. 16, 1977.
The awards show and festival events will be presented by FUBU in collaboration with two Memphis companies, the Telecast Media Group, and The Redwing Group, a lobbying and public relations agency.
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Young, in his statement, said the FUBU festival is expected to be an annual event. “We look forward to working with the team to continue building the event for future years.”
The announcement comes at a time when national awareness of Memphis’ vibrant hip-hop culture is at perhaps its highest point since 2006, when Frayser Boy and Three 6 Mafia members Juicy J and DJ Paul collected a Best Original Song Oscar for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” from the movie “Hustle & Flow.” Memphis’ current eminence is due to such artists at Moneybagg Yo, NLE Choppa and, especially, GloRilla, who performed and appeared in a skit on the Jan. 18 episode of “Saturday Night Live,” and whose song “TGIF” was named the best single of 2024 by Time magazine.
Founded in 1992 and based in New York, FUBU — founded by Black entrepreneurs, the name is an acronym for For Us By Us — is a company that specializes in casual wear, sportswear and hip-hop-inspired apparel. FUBU has long been associated with rap and entertainment culture, with hip-hop star LL Cool J among those appearing in FUBU commercials. A 2018 episode of Donald Glover’s acclaimed FX series “Atlanta” was titled “FUBU,” and centered on the young hero’s pride in his new FUBU shirt.
FUBU also established a record label and, in 2013, founded the For Us By Us Network, which the press release described as “provider of contemporary hip hop media and entertainment for multi-cultural consumers globally.” With programming available as an app, the network maintains “a pro-social agenda” and is aimed at “fans of hip hop, gospel, jazz, comedy, drama, news, lifestyle (and) sports,” according to its website.
Said Martin: “We founded FUBU with a vision to create relevant content in hip-hop culture. We look forward to spearheading a signature experience in Memphis that inspires the spirit of novelty, ingenuity and community behind our brand.”
Said Ron Redwing, founder of The Redwing Group: “We are excited to be a part of this transformative event, and look forward to honoring Memphis’ musical legacy as well as laying the foundation for our future as a major entertainment destination.”
This story will be updated.
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