The death of Eric Garner in 2014 has led to protests and reforms within the New York City Police Department, but what’s really changed since then and has Garner’s family truly gotten justice?
Lisa Evers sits down with Civil Rights and Criminal Defense Attorney Phillip Hamilton, Eric Garner’s daughter Emerald Garner and former NYPD Lieutenant and Criminal Justice Professor Darrin Porcher to discuss.
Many people had hoped the tragic murder of Nipsey Hussle would be a wakeup call to put down the guns but instead, the opposite has happened. Shooting incidents in both New York and Los Angeles are up. So what’s really going on?
Community activist Shanduke McPhatter has been working with young people for nearly a decade to stop the kind of gun violence that took the life of his brother, Ronald McPhatter, in the Irving Plaza shooting in 2016. He believes the popularity of guns and gun violence in both hip hop and Hollywood play a role, especially with teens who are increasingly the ones pulling the trigger.
Reality TV star Maggie Carrie was wounded in the Irving Plaza shooting and now has a metal rod in her leg. She considers herself lucky to be alive and is working to uplift the often forgotten female shooting survivors. She wants people to know the pain, even for shooting survivors, can last a lifetime.
LISA EVERS, Host and Executive Producer, Street Soldiers
Hip hop’s reigning queen Cardi B will be touching the stage at Summer Jam and so will her husband Offset with his fellow Migos members.
DJ Camilo, known worldwide as the international club king, says the Summer Jam lineup has plenty of big names like Meek Mill and A Boogie repping the Bronx but it is also expanding its reach with Nigerian-raised artist Davido.
The range of artists and sounds is unprecedented. Nicole Bus of Amsterdam will perform her No. 1 R&B hit “You” in her first Summer Jam appearance on the festival village stage. She says it is a dream come true. And luxury-loving rap duo G4 Boyz are planning to get the crowd jumping with their hit “Patek Phillippe.”
The international influence and the respect these artists have for each other and the culture is great to see. And from the streaming numbers, it is increasingly popular with fans.
—LISA EVERS, Host and Executive Producer, Street Soldiers
SUMMER JAM 2019 takes place Sunday, June 2, 2019, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Many people have big dreams of hip hop stardom. But even if you make it to the top you get no guarantee that your money problems are over. So some of the sharpest minds in hip hop are diversifying to keep the cash flowing in.
Fetty Wap blazed across the top of the Billboard charts for months with one hit after another. That brought big rewards to Fetty and his manager, Danny Su. It also taught Su a valuable lesson. Still working in the music industry, Su found new opportunities in real estate, acquiring a variety of properties across the country. Now he is on the cutting edge of hip hop entrepreneurs who are building long term wealth and revitalizing urban communities.
Yandy Smith-Harris is a media mogul and star of “Love and Hip Hop New York.” She’s also an entrepreneur and owner of Yelle Skincare. She says there’s never been a better time for women in business, especially women of color.
Debra Harris created her own lane 17 years ago when she founded Hush Hip Hop Tours using her own savings and a lifelong passion for the culture. Now they’re a top-rated Trip Advisor attraction.
One quality all these entrepreneurs have in common is perseverance—coming back even stronger after a setback.
LISA EVERS, Host and Executive Producer, Street Soldiers