Power Summit, previously known as Mixshow Power Summit, is an annual four-day urban music conference. It was established in 1998 by Rene McLean, founder and CEO of RPM GRP.
The conference ran for ten years, concluding in 2008. It was the largest
urban music conference held in the United States.
Overview
Power Summit was a four-day conference for radio, mixshow and club
disc jockeys around the world. The conference included performances from featured artists, keynote speakers, panels, showcases, the Mixshow Power Summit Awards, meet-and-greets and other activities. Beginning in 1998, the conference was established by Rene McLean of RPM. The location of the event changed from year to year, sometimes remaining in the same destination for up to three years in a row.
The event, held in late September to early October, attracted several thousand attendees, disc jockeys and artists including
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
,
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
,
Pharrell,
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
,
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
,
Nas
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air ( ...
,
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
,
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
,
Pitbull
Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
,
Timbaland,
T.I.,
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
,
Ludacris,
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
,
Wyclef Jean
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...
,
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...
,
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (born July 5, 1969), better known by his stage name the RZA ( ), is an American rapper, actor, filmmaker, and record producer. He is the ''de facto'' leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums ...
,
Young Jeezy,
Lil Jon and others.
[
Keynote speakers included industry veterans such as Def Jam Recordings president ]Kevin Liles
Kevin Liles (born February 27, 1968) is an American record executive and co-founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment. In 2020, Kevin was recognized by Billboard Magazine as R&B/Hip-Hop Executive of the Year for both his efforts in activism and the c ...
and Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
chairman Lyor Cohen. The annual Mixshow Power Summit Awards recognized deejays with regional honors for East Coast, Dirty South, Midwest, and West Coast DJ of the Year, as well as radio jockeys nominated for Morning, Afternoon, and Evening shows. Other categories included Mixtape DJ of the Year, Producer of the Year, Hottest Club Banger, Hottest Street Record, and DJ rookie of the year. The conference also showcased various movie premiers including Taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
[ and 8 Mile, and DVD launches for films such as ]2 Fast 2 Furious
''2 Fast 2 Furious'' is a 2003 action film directed by John Singleton from a screenplay by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, from a story by Brandt, Haas, and Gary Scott Thompson. It is the sequel to ''The Fast and the Furious'' (2001), and is t ...
and the Scarface Anniversary.[
In 2004, conference began incorporating the MPS 50K Fight Klub Battle.][ Starting in 2005, RPM changed the conference title to Power Summit. The annual event was held in various locations over the years including Florida, Nevada, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, and Dominican Republic.
]
Conference history
*1998- Mixshow Power Summit September 9–13 Miami, Florida
*1999- 2nd Annual Mixshow Power Summit September 29- Oct 3 South Beach, Florida
*2000- 3rd Annual Mixshow Power Summit September 27–30 South Beach, Florida
*2001- 4th Annual Mixshow Power Summit October 18–21 South Beach, Florida[
*2002- 5th Annual Mixshow Power Summit September 25–28 San Juan, Puerto Rico
*2003- 6th Annual Mixshow Power Summit September 25–28 San Juan, Puerto Rico
*2004 - 7th Annual Mixshow Power Summit September 29-Oct 2 San Juan, Puerto Rico]
References
{{Reflist
1998 establishments in Florida
2008 disestablishments in the United States
Conferences in the United States
Music conferences
Recurring events disestablished in 2008
Recurring events established in 1998