Kehlani to Co-Headline This Year’s ‘Sol Blume’ R&B Festival

Kehlani is in full blume

The 27-year-old part-Mexican American singer-songwriter will co-headline this year’s Sol Blume, the Bay Area-based R&B festival.

KehlaniKehlani’s co-headliner will be Brent Faiyaz.

The fourth annual festival will take place at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30, and brings together emerging and established R&B, hip-hop and soul acts, including Ella MaiIsaiah RashadJoey Bada$$Mariah the ScientistMerebaJessie ReyezPink Sweat$ChlöePinkPantheressMuni LongArin RayFLOCoco JonesNaoJacqueesMahaliaMarc E. Bassy, Alex Isley, Fana Hues, Thuy, Rini, Destin Conrad and Samaria.

Teyana Taylor is slated as Sol Blume’s very special guest, with the bill detailing “one night only performing ‘The Last Rose Petal 2′” following the artist’s two-part farewell tour by the same name.

Bay Area native Kehlani recently sold out the nearby Oracle Arena in Oakland last fall during her tour in support of her third studio album, Blue Water Road

Sol Blume marks both headliners’ return to Sacramento in five-plus years.

Tickets will go on sale for the general public on Monday, January 30, at 10:00 am PT on Sol Blume’s official website.

General admission tickets for the two-day festival cost $200 (not including fees), while VIP tickets cost $400 (not including fees).

Myke Towers Among the Musicians/Creators Named to #YouTubeBlack Voices Class of 2021 Grant Program

Myke Towers is getting a global assist…

YouTube is using capital from its $100 million #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund, which launched last October, to create a global grant program for Black creators on the platform, including the 27-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, singer and songwriter.

Myke Towers

Towers, who has been active in the music scene since 2014, has raised his profile with collaborations with Bad Bunny, Becky G and Piso 21, among others.

The program kicks off with the #YouTubeBlack Voices Class of 2021: A group of 132 creators from across six countries, which includes 21 music artists, including Towers, alongside photographers, lifestyle vloggers, personal trainers and more.

Through the program, YouTube plans to directly invest in 500 creators total by the end of 2023, with the goal to equip Black creators with the resources to succeed on the platform.

“The #YouTubeBlack community is filled with so many passionate, creative, talented and brilliant artists and entrepreneurs,” YouTube vp, responsibility Malik Ducard said. “These creators and artists have been doing this work already and are known by their communities, but we’re really excited to invest in them, and we believe that they can and will become household names with this support.”

Added Lyor Cohen, global head of YouTube Music, during the briefing: “This is not a flash-in-the pan Instagram moment. This is about keeping the drum beat of change alive, and in the DNA of our organization.”

The 132 creators hail from the United States, Kenya, Brazil, Australia, South Africa and Nigeria. They were selected in part based on their past participation in #YouTubeBlack, the campaign and event series promoting Black creators which YouTube launched in 2016.

In addition to Towers, the 21 musicians included in the inaugural class are Brent Faiyaz, BRS KashFireboy DML, Jean Dawson, Jensen McRae, Jerome FarahJoy Oladokun, KennyHoopla, Mariah the Scientist, Brazil’s MC Carol, Miiesha, Brazil’s Péricles, Brazil’s RaelRexx Life Raj, Sauti Sol, serpentwithfeet, Sho MadjoziTkay Maidza, Brazil’s Urias and Yung Baby Tate.

“Our expectation is that these artists are going to be significant and important voices, and make music even more enjoyable,” Cohen said during the briefing. “There’s no question how significant of an impact Black music has had, not just in America, but globally.”

The cohort also includes creators like lifestyle vlogger Kelly Stamps and Jabril Ashe (known as Jabrils), who makes educational videos about gaming, technology and artificial intelligence.

Each Class of 2021 creator will receive an undisclosed amount of seed funding to use as they see fit to develop their channels — whether that means hiring a video editor or purchasing new lighting equipment, for example — as well as additional support from YouTube in the form of trainings, workshops and networking opportunities. According to Ducard, the grants do not come with any specific content requirements.

“We are not only supporting them in the moment, but this is seed funding that will help them to thrive on the platform long-term,” he added.

Moving forward, creators will apply for the grant program through an application process, details of which YouTube has yet to disclose.

The #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund is YouTube’s multi-year, global commitment to amplify Black voices on the platform and educate audiences about racial justice, in part by producing and acquiring new YouTube Original programs which focus on racial justice and the Black experience. Since its launch in October, the fund has supported programs such as 2 Chainz‘ “Money Maker Fund” series highlighting HBCU entrepreneurs and Masego‘s “Studying Abroad” livestreamed concert series.