Photos: BMAC x America250 Voice of Tomorrow Celebration Honors Emerging Black Artists

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) and WME hosted the BMAC x America250 Voice of Tomorrow Celebration, held at WME offices in Los Angeles, in commemoration of the country's semiquincentennial anniversary and the power of music in shaping the next generation of voices and igniting cultural change.

The evening featured an exclusive screening of the BMAC x America250 short film, followed by a fireside chat with Billboard's editor at large of R&B/Hip-Hop, Gail Mitchell, and BMAC co-founder, president, and CEO Willie 'Prophet' Stiggers. Attendees were then treated to intimate performances from the BMAC Voices of Tomorrow artists DJ Stussy, The Reasn, and RAHBI, along with Pynk Beard, who served as the music director and curator for the recently released film 'By Any Means' official soundtrack.

BMAC launched the BMAC x America250 Voices of Tomorrow initiative in April 2026, where the national youth talent search brought together emerging artists from across the country to create original music that reflects their lived experiences and challenges America to live up to its ideals. In June 2026, BMAC announced emerging artists DJ Stussy, The Reasn, Jastin Martin, Dani Wright, and RAHBI as the esteemed group selected to participate in the initiative. Each artist received a $10,000 BMAC Music Maker Grant, a year of mentorship and professional development, and access to artist retreats and programming in New York and Los Angeles.

Event Highlights and Quotes

BMAC co-founder, president, and CEO Willie 'Prophet' Stiggers and WME Head of Community Impact Jeanell English welcomed attendees to the night's festivities with brief remarks.

In a brief overview of the BMAC x America250 initiative and its goals, Stiggers stated, 'Artists have always represented the times, have always represented the moment, the struggles, the pains, and the joys of our people's existence. So, what does it sound like today for an artist to actually interpret that?'

'This is one of the most critical moments in our country to show up and vote. And what America250 is doing, it's reminding us that art, that music, is the greatest tool that we can use to reclaim democracy in this country,' said English.

Attendees were then given a glimpse of the selected BMAC x America250 artists' – DJ Stussy, The Reasn, Jastin Martin, Dani Wright, and RAHBI – experiences in curated trips to New York City and Los Angeles, where they recorded their own songs in exclusive studio sessions, visited the Bronx's Hip-Hop Museum, and participated in BET Award auxiliary events.

In a short panel discussion led by Billboard's editor at large of R&B/Hip-Hop Gail Mitchell, DJ Stussy, The Reasn, and RAHBI shared how the BMAC x America250 has changed their lives and has taught them valuable lessons that they will also carry into their real world experiences – from learning how to coexist with other artists and others in everyday life along with acknowledging that everyone's route to the 'promised land' is different and to embrace the process to finding success.

Recording artist Pynk Beard was then welcomed onstage with Stiggers to announce that the net proceeds of the upcoming released soundtrack of the film 'By Any Means Necessary' will benefit BMAC to further support the organization's initiatives.

When speaking about the soundtrack and its vision, Pynk Beard shared, 'We basically wanted to tell the story of the '60s with a new breath. It's saddening, but somehow poetic that the same word of the '60s fit so well today.'

The evening closed out with intimate musical performances from the BMAC x America250 artists in attendance and Pynk Beard. The Reasn gave a soulful performance of his song 'Run'; DJ Stussy celebrated Black culture and pride with a performance of 'Blacker'; RAHBI gave a passionate performance of 'Change'; and Pynk Beard gave an impactful performance of 'Ice on the Road'.

About BMAC

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) is a unified force of racial equity and justice within the music industry, using the power of its collective voice to strengthen communities and drive systemic change.

The Coalition advocates on behalf of artists, songwriters, producers, managers, agents, executives, and lawyers to create and expand access, equity, and opportunity through Music Maker Grants and Mentorship, Music Business Accelerator and Pathway Programs, Economic Assistance and Mentorship, as well as Convenings, Summits, and Cultural Moments.

BMAC drives music industry reform through groundbreaking research and public accountability reports and advances policy change focused on social and racial justice and the protection of artists, with particular emphasis on issues that directly impact Black people and Black communities. Regarding AI, BMAC advocates for a network of music managers, entertainment attorneys, and creatives. In its ongoing fight for economic justice, AI remains a central priority.

To learn more, visit www.bmacoalition.org.

Photo Credit: Unique Nicole/Getty Images for WME

Photo Credit: Getty Images