festivals
Festivals provide the ultimate experience for music fans; Beat is the next-best-thing to Woodstock, Coachella, and beyond.
Hold On to the Vision: El Pablo 1x Leads with Purpose, Music, and Community
Memphis has always been a city of sound, soul, and fearless originality—and standing firmly in that tradition is El Pablo 1x, the award-winning, nationally touring artist and visionary leader of the Black Sheep Kid movement. More than just a performer, El Pablo 1x is a curator of culture, a builder of platforms, and a relentless advocate for independent artists who dare to move differently.
By Independent Indie Artist Radar18 days ago in Beat
New Year’s Day: A Gentle Beginning That Can Change Everything
By Fatima Sami New Year’s Day arrives quietly, often after the noise of celebration has faded. The fireworks end, the countdowns disappear, and what remains is a calm, reflective morning. It is in this silence that the New Year speaks most honestly. It does not demand sudden success or dramatic transformation. Instead, it offers something far more valuable — a moment to pause and choose direction.
By Fatima Sami about a month ago in Beat
Queens Raised, Queens Reinvested: Poiison Comes Home With Purpose by NWO Sparrow
Giving Back Where It Started: Poiison’s Full Circle Moment in Queens by NWO Sparrow Rooted in Queens: Poiison Turns Momentum Into Meaningful Community Impact photo by Marquitta Davis
By NWO SPARROWabout a month ago in Beat
The Quiet That Follows the Applause
I didn’t cry at the end of Better Call Saul. I cried three days later, while washing dishes. The water was hot, the sponge worn thin, and suddenly—without warning—I saw Kim Wexler’s hands again. Not in the courtroom. Not in the finale. But in that tiny Albuquerque office, adjusting the blinds just so, trying to control one small thing in a world spinning out of her grasp.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
The Song That Brought Him Back
After my mother passed, grief settled into our home like winter fog—thick, gray, and impossible to ignore. He stopped whistling while fixing the sink. Stopped tapping his boot to the oldies station. Even his laugh, once so loud it startled the dogs, vanished into a silence so heavy it filled every room. For two years, he moved through life like a man walking in someone else’s shoes. So when he said, voice barely above a whisper, “Let’s go south for New Year’s,” I didn’t ask why. I just booked the tickets.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
Tyla’s Chart-Topping Rise
Introduction When South African singer Tyla released her self-titled debut album in late 2023, few predicted it would ignite a global movement. But by 2025, her name was everywhere: on Billboard charts, Grammy stages, and playlists from Lagos to Los Angeles. Fueled by her breakout hit “Water”—a seductive fusion of amapiano, R&B, and pop—Tyla didn’t just enter the global music scene; she reshaped it.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
Richard Smallwood
Introduction In recent months, false rumors have spread online with alarming speed: searches like “gospel singer Richard Smallwood died”, “Richard Smallwood passed away”, and “Richard Smallwood cause of death” have surged—despite having no basis in truth.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
