Culture, Community, and Unforgettable Events

Summer ‘25 may be winding down, but the city hasn’t stopped buzzing. From powerful panels to live shows and vibrant festivals, Boston’s cultural calendar has been packed with diversity, energy, and community spirit. Here’s a recap of some of the most notable events from the past few weeks:

Disrupt the Narrative

On August 21st, the Museum of Science hosted a unique installment of the Disrupt the Narrative series—an ongoing conversation on art and culture. Curated by Catherine Nakato and the mYouSeeEm team, the evening featured an intimate dialogue between Nakato and acclaimed actor/singer Rotimi. Together, they unpacked art, culture, and the importance of carving space for authentic, unapologetic storytelling.

Prison Reform Panel

That same week, Roxbury Community College became the stage for a powerful conversation on criminal justice reform. Organized by mayoral candidate Josh Kraft, the panel included Robert Kraft (New England Patriots owner) and rap star Meek Mill, who highlighted the work of the REFORM Alliance—a coalition co-founded by Robert Kraft, Meek Mill, JAY-Z, and others pushing for systemic change in America’s prison system.

Boston’s own Smoke Bulga (MMG) was also in attendance, standing alongside Meek Mill and showing love for both community and politics. Just weeks earlier, Bulga was spotted at a Roxbury brunch campaigning with Josh Kraft—proof of how hip-hop and civic engagement are increasingly intersecting.

Hunxho at Big Night Live

On August 24th, Big Night Live was packed wall-to-wall for a highly anticipated concert headlined by Hunxho with Jay Critch. Fans lined up around the block to see Hunxho, a Billboard-charting North Carolina rapper who, despite his low-key persona, commands a loyal following. Jay Critch brought his Brooklyn energy to the stage, hyping up the Boston crowd.

The show, produced by Platinum Ent, Cedar Tree Ent, and Vasjan, also spotlighted rising talent with openers like C4, Dee G A Money, Lyrriic, Grimey Gurt, Kam’ Geez, and more. Definitely one of the standout concerts of the summer.

Carnival

Of course, no Boston summer is complete without Carnival—the annual celebration of Caribbean culture, music, and unity. This year, the vibes were unmatched: vibrant colors, pulsating rhythms, and a spirit of togetherness that carried from J’Ouvert at 5 a.m. into the main festivities outside Grove Hall to Franklin Park.

The Haitian floats stood out this year, adding flavor and pride to an already electric atmosphere. Minimal violence, maximum joy—it was everything Carnival is meant to be.

Everybody Gotta Eat

Over in Cambridge, Everybody Gotta Eat returned with its 6th annual cookout. What began as a friendly competition among friends over who could cook the best has grown into a beloved community tradition. This year’s cookout delivered not only incredible food but also local vendors showcasing small businesses, making the event as much about community support as it is about good vibes and great bites.

Breezy Bowl XX

Closing out the month was one of the biggest events of the summer: Breezy Bowl XX at Fenway Park. Thousands of fans poured into the iconic stadium to see R&B superstar Chris Brown headline alongside Bryson Tiller and Summer Walker. The tour is a celebration of 20 years of Chris Brown. With Fenway as the backdrop, the night was nothing short of legendary—proving Boston can throw down with the best when it comes to star-studded live music.

Final Word

From panel discussions that challenge perspectives to concerts and festivals that unite the city, Boston has been alive with culture all summer long. If this season is any sign of what’s to come, the fall lineup is going to be just as unforgettable.

Photo Credit 📸: @exit_fame, @eventsbymk.films, @haitiansofboston, @missfreemarie 📸

 

Boston’s Mid-Summer Wrap-Up: Summer ’25 Is Giving VIBES

Black people in Boston have been a trending topic on social media lately — and Summer ’25 is out to prove just how ethnic and cultural the city really is. Festivities have been popping up all over, and they’re giving nothing but CULTURE.
Sure, Boston is known for its championship sports teams and prestigious universities, but this summer has been a loud reminder: the city has serious cultural flavor.

Mayor Wu’s Summer Dance Party Series

We kicked off our mid-summer wrap-up with Mayor Michelle Wu’s Summer Dance Party Series on July 25th at Government Center, presented by the DJs of SILK. The night was filled with smooth R&B tracks, good vibes, and a crowd ready to groove.

 

The best part? It was free to the public, with food provided by the new Jamaican restaurant Blue Mountain. Love to see Mayor Wu showing support for live events and cultural happenings in the city. The second of the Summer Dance Party Series took place this past weekend on Aug 9th with an Island vibes theme. Local Afrobeats artist Odio and official Islndz Sounds artist Maura Delgado both performed.

Boston While Black Family Reunion

The very next day (July 26th), a few different events were going on in the city. The 5th Annual Boston While Black Family Reunion took over Lawn on D — and for the first time, expanded deeper into the Seaport District. Founder & CEO Sheena Collier continues to provide a safe, celebratory space for people of color to gather, connect, and enjoy Boston.

Food trucks and vendors held it down — including @everybodygotta_eat, @bostoncookiekitchen, @suyajoint, and @bibimboxtruck, just to name a few. The event was headlined by Roxbury native & Spelman grad Nay Speaks, delivering a standout performance. Major props to Sheena and her team for creating such a powerful community moment.

Black Market’s Summer of X Block Party

That same day, Nubian Square came alive with Black Market’s 5th Annual Summer of X Block Party. The lineup? Local acts Most High Kingdom (Najee Janey, Milkshaw Benedict, Sean Wire), DJ sets by Dee J Dex and Kool DJ Red Alert, and a headlining performance from Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, and the Get Fresh Crew.

It was amazing to see two unapologetically Black events happening at the same time in Boston — both pulling huge, energized crowds.

Kerm’s Day

Just a few miles away, also on July 26th, the guys from the Kerm’s Shop put together their 5th annual Kerm’s Day in Randolph, MA. The event took place at Randolph Middle School after a quick venue switch. Nonetheless, supporters, vendors and spectators from all over came to commune and be festive. The aim of the event is to celebrate life and to bring a safe place for families and friends to enjoy community.

Bentopia: The Day Party of the Summer

Fast forward to Sunday, August 3rd — the highly anticipated Bentopia went down at The Yard in Charlestown’s Hood Park. With a massive 2,000-person capacity, this was dubbed the biggest day party of the summer. Music was on lock with DJ Storm, DJ PapaDon, DJ TGIF, and of course DJ Real P. Boston’s movers and shakers came out dressed to impress — the vibes? Very vibey. Very cool. Very Black Boston.

 

Major Concerts Lighting Up the City

Boston has also been getting spoiled with big-name shows this summer:

  • Tyler, The Creator – July 8 @ TD Garden
  • Russ – July 18 @ Xfinity Center

 

  • Davido – August 1 @ Agganis Arena
  • Clipse (Let God Sort Them Out Tour) – August 3 @ Roadrunner

 

  • Lil Wayne (Carter VI Tour w/ Belly Gang Kushington, French Montana, Tyga & more) – August 3 @ Xfinity Center, Mansfield

 

Crew Love Boston’s Annual Basketball Tournament

On August 9th, Crew Love Boston hosted their annual basketball tournament at Harambee Park. The matchups were Mattapan vs Hyde Park and Roxbury vs Dorchester — battling it out for bragging rights and the official Crew Love Trophy.

Each team was sponsored by Jaylen Brown’s 741 Performance, which was a huge look for the players and the community.

Hyde Park Day & Spark the Block

The very next day (August 10th), the city kept the momentum going:

  • Hyde Park Day at Cleary Square brought together local vendors, residents, and community leaders for a neighborhood celebration.

 

  • Meanwhile, Spark FM hosted their Spark the Block party — complete with food, drinks, vendors, live music, DJs, and performances. Big love to Ms. Hotsauce and her team for putting on another community gem.

 

Boston’s Cultural Meter Is Rising

From day parties to block parties, family reunions to live concerts, Boston’s mid-summer scene is proving that this city’s cultural pulse is stronger than ever.

It’s a blessing to witness. Who knows — maybe Boston is finally building that cultural rep. 😎

Photo Credit 📸 : @visitbostoncity @bostonwhileblack @mistersolutions @otgbillboards @blackmarket @zhanerenee1 @b.ent_ @russ @davido @clockworkmusicinc @2blunttv @741performance @hydeparkmainstreets 📸

Summer 2025 Bringing in the Heat

Summer 25 starts off with a bang and it definitely brought the heat with it. With temperatures nearly hitting 100 degrees and the star power that came in the area, summer in MA started off hot.

The line up started on June 20th in Providence, RI where Vasjan and DJ Jukkes consistently throws great vibes with a celebrity walk throughs. This time around it was NARDO WICK at LoveraVIP and the place was on tilt! After popping a couple of bottles and vibing, NARDO WICK graced the stage by performing a couple of tracks and turnt the place up even more.
Shout out to everyone who came out and turned up. Salute to the opening acts too, some of them were really dope! Some of the openers included MIA SNOW, LIL EASTON, S-KO and more. Definitely a good night.

That same weekend NATALIE NUNN and the BADDIES came out to play at the Grand Boston! That event was also associated with Vajan but this time in partnership with Platinum Entertainment Group and Afrique Events.
NATALIE NUNN had the Boston baddies going up with her Zeus Network ladies. Lemuel Plummer, the owner of Zeus Network was in the spot too and performed a couple of tracks with NATALIE. We were able to catch up with NATALIE at the let out and she introduced us to baddies LO LONDAN and RELLA G. Check out the video on our ‘SHOWS’ tab.

On June 25th, SHAWNY BINLADIN was suppose to pull up to Sonia in Cambridge for an all ages event put together by SO TALENTED but the show was unfortunately cancelled. Big bummer because we’re pretty excited to see a whole lotta wickery. All good though because SO TALENTED made up for it a few days ago later with a show Friday night at the Middle East Nightclub. He had Chiraq’s young star CHUCKYY come out for what seemed to be a sold out show! We weren’t able to make it but it looked like a great time.

Another notable event that took place last week into the weekend was BAMSfest. BAMSfest is becoming a staple in the Boston community where people come to commune, network and be festive. It was a six day event with many performers including LALAH HATHAWAY, EDO G and LITTLE BROTHER. It’s nice to see the crew at BAMSfest going strong, this is their 3rd year at it and have been bringing the feel good communal vibe to city.

Honorable mention goes out to the big day party in Providence known as DAY TRILL which took place the weekend of June 28th and Vas’ second annual Waikiki Boat Cruise which took place on the same day.

It’s only the first week of July and the city is hot. It’ll only get more heated with these upcoming shows; G HERBRO at Centro Nightclub on 7.12, RUSS Into the W!ld Tour at Xfinity Center on 7.18, CASH COBAIN, BAY SWAG & LOUGOTCASH at the Palladium on 7.19, CLIPSE Let God Sort em Out Tour at Roadrunner Boston on 8.3 and many more! Stay posted on all our social to catch the latest and hottest updates in the city.

Photo credits: @vfmmedia @ashtonslens @focusin.gdg @mxv.visuals @uncannyeyemedia 📸🎥