Every year, Jazz in the Gardens tries to do something a bit different.<\/p>\n
In 2019, it was an old school R&B lover\u2019s dream<\/a>. In 2022, it was the inclusion of more hip-hop acts<\/a>. In 2023, it was a neo-soul revolution<\/a>.<\/p>\n This year, JITG aims to attract a younger audience. Of course R&B and gospel legends like Maxwell, Babyface and Kirk Franklin will grace the stage but so will stars like Davido, Summer Walker and Jazmine Sullivan. The rest of the bill, which includes Omarion, Jeezy and Tamia as well as special DJ sets from Kid Capri, DJ Cassidy and Miami\u2019s own DJ Nasty 305, has a little something for everybody.<\/p>\n The goal was to broaden the audience and \u201cincorporate the next generation,\u201d said Black Promoters Collective CEO Gary Guidry. The BPC partnered with the city of Miami Gardens to produce the 2024 festival that runs March 9-10.<\/p>\n No artist on the bill embodies that more than October London. Signed to legendary label Death Row Records, London had one of the most soulful records of 2023, \u201cThe Rebirth of Marvin.\u201d The project, which featured singles \u201cBack to your Place\u201d and \u201cMulholland Drive,\u201d exposed entire generations to the soulful sounds similar to Marvin Gaye.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can open up minds, you can open up new aspects of music,\u201d London said of the value of being an artist whose music is multi-generational. After dropping \u201cThe Rebirth of Marvin,\u201d London couldn\u2019t help but notice the amount of younger kids in his comment section on social media who had never heard of Gaye. He considered it an honor to be the catalyst for younger generations to be able to explore artists like Gaye who inspired him. \u201cIt\u2019s so great to bring all that together because they can now understand \u2018Oh, that\u2019s where it started from.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n This idea is part of why the BPC, which took over the production of JITG after LiveNation, curated the lineup in such a way.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s really what Black culture is about: family, togetherness,\u201d Guidry said. \u201cWe\u2019re the kings and queens of backyard barbecues \u2013 that is multi-generational loving on each other. You got to give a platform for people to party together and love on each other and that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n And few DJs can rock a party like Cassidy, a man who\u2019s always considered himself a \u201cbridge builder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConnecting artists and connecting people has always been at the core of what I do,\u201d the New York native said. \u201cThrough \u2018Pass the Mic,\u2019 I\u2019ve had the privilege of continuing this journey as I\u2019ve been able to bridge musical genre, to bridge generations, to bridge walks of life.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2020, Cassidy\u2019s career exploded to new heights following his creation of \u201cPass the Mic,\u201d a social media show turned full-blown concert series that featured classic hip-hop and R&B artists performing a medley of their hits. JITG will be Cassidy\u2019s first festival performance of \u201cPass the Mic\u201d and he brought with him a brilliant cast of characters \u2013 Uncle Luke, Lil Kim, Too $hort and T.I. \u2013 that spans across regions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really important for me to not only represent Miami but to represent the entire country,\u201d Cassidy said.<\/p>\n Early indications are that BPC\u2019s approach has worked. After JITG attracted roughly 8,000 people per day in 2023, this year\u2019s iteration expects to double attendance, according to Guidry.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to what we can do by letting our culture be presented by people who understand it,\u201d the Texas Southern University graduate said, his voice trailing off a bit before quipping \u201cand numbers don\u2019t lie.\u201d<\/p>\n