On the third day of the Warner Music Blavatnik Center’s Icon Fest in collaboration with UGSA, they hosted Lil Yachty and MitchGoneMad to host their podcast, “A Safe Space,” in front of live student audience.
The podcast was featured at the Warner Music Blavatnik Center Icon Fest—a three-day experience that provided students with insights into the music industry through panels and live performances.
Lil Yachty and MitchGoneMad declared, “We did this for free!” during their show at Cramton Auditorium this past week.
Donovan Okyere, a first-year computer information systems major from Dallas, Texas, by way of Accra, Ghana, helped put the event together. He emphasized that the purpose of hosting this event was to provide valuable exposure for the seniors.
“It celebrate[s] the graduation of our fellows and seniors who completed the Warner Music course,” Okyere said. “Secondly, the event provided valuable networking opportunities with industry professionals such as Lenny S, a renowned celebrity photographer for Beyoncé and Jay-Z, as well as local artists like Noochie Music, a DMV rapper.”
Typically shared on YouTube, the podcast showcases famous music artists and influencers well-known online. This event marked their inaugural live show, providing a new dimension to their platform. Mitch expressed that he loved the energy from the Howard student body.
“We dropped an album, and we wanted to be nice. We support black people who are trying to
do something with themselves,” Mitch said. “I could really tell that Howard has some great students who are really going to impact the world.”
The best friend duo dropped “It’s Us Vol 1” at midnight the following day under their music group Concrete Boys.
To gather information on the school, he used the popular HU Confessions page and anonymous questions from students to get the scoop on what goes on at the Mecca.
Lil Yachty began by addressing pressing issues such as the housing crisis and the soaring cost of tuition. Reflecting on his academic journey, he shared his experience attending Alabama State University, where he ultimately dropped out due to feeling out of place and misunderstood.
When a student suggested he should have chosen Howard University instead, he candidly admitted that neither his grades nor his financial circumstances allowed for such an option.
The rest of the live podcast covered topics like college relationships and Howard women and the dating ratio.
Jaidyn Grambell, a senior human development major from New Haven, Connecticut, said that conversations like this create a safe space for students.
“He definitely did a great job creating a warm and welcoming space. I don’t think he imposed any of his opinions or impressions. He created a space for us to speak on us,” Grambell said.
Copy edited by Alana Matthew
