(BPRW) Carnegie Hall Presents Fourth Annual Power Network on Friday, June 19 in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

Performances by Legendary Hip-Hop Artists Ghostface Killah and Big Daddy Kane. Featuring a Panel with Beatrice Dixon, Kay Malcom, and Racquel Oden. Special Guest Speakers Include John Hope Bryant, Alicia Little, and Rashad Bilal and Troy Billings of Earn Your Leisure Podcast and More.

(Black PR Wire) NEW YORK, NY — Carnegie Hall recently announced the fourth annual Power Network on Friday, June 19 at 8:00 p.m.(opens in a new tab) in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. This groundbreaking event bridges the worlds of finance and culture, fusing insights from global industry leaders with world-class performances by legendary New York City hip-hop artists Ghostface Killah and Big Daddy Kane, with DJ Jon Quick and Igmar Thomas’ Revive Big Band.

Hosted by renowned radio personality Ed Lover, this year’s event includes a panel featuring Beatrice Dixon (Honey Pot), Kay Malcolm (Oracle), and Racquel Oden (USBC Investments). The program opens with special guest speakers Shavon Arline-Bradley (National Council of Negro Women), Melanie Campbell (National Coalition on Black Civic Participation), and Reverand Al Sharpton (National Action Network). The dynamic lineup also includes a presentation by entrepreneur and “Queen of AI” Alicia Lyttle; and impactful conversations with John Hope Bryant (Operation Hope) and financial empowerment visionaries of Earn Your Leisure, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings.

Tickets are available by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org(opens in a new tab), calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or at the Carnegie Hall Box Office 154 West 57th Street.

About the Artists

Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper, songwriter, and executive producer who stands as a pillar of East Coast hip-hop. Born in Staten Island, New York, he rose to international fame as a prominent and founding member of the legendary collective Wu-Tang Clan. Known for his distinctively high-pitched, urgent delivery, Ghostface became a standout lyricist, revered for his vivid storytelling, cryptic slang, and emotional vulnerability.

He made his debut on Wu-Tang’s seminal 1993 album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), capturing immediate attention by rapping the very first verses on the opening track, “Bring da Ruckus.” In 1995, his extensive, uncredited guest appearances on Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… established one of the most celebrated duos in rap history and helped define the cinematic, mafioso rap subgenre.

Ghostface launched his solo career with Ironman (1996), which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and showcased his affinity for rich, classic soul samples. He followed this with Supreme Clientele (2000), a critically acclaimed masterpiece widely credited with revitalizing the Wu-Tang brand during a commercial slump. His consistency extended into the 2000s with celebrated releases like Fishscale (2006) and creative concept collaborations with contemporary hip-hop and jazz-funk outfits.

Adopting the alter ego Tony Starks—a direct nod to Marvel’s Iron Man—Ghostface seamlessly blended comic book mythos, street-level realism, and a flamboyant passion for luxury into his public persona. Decades into his career, he remains celebrated as one of the most prolific and creatively consistent MCs in hip-hop history, leaving an indelible mark on the genre’s lyricism and production styles.

Born in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn, Big Daddy Kane is one of hip-hop’s most lyrically innovative and trendsetting icons. Known as “Dark Gable” and “King Asiatic,” Kane redefined the term “lyricist” with his rapid-fire flow and unparalleled stage presence.

Signing to Cold Chillin’ Records in 1987, Kane debuted with the smash single “Raw.” He became a pioneer of performance, incorporating choreography and tailored costumes into his shows—notably becoming the first rapper to sell out the Apollo Theater for women-only audiences. His signature style also popularized high-top fades, four-finger rings, and rope chains. Kane’s discography is a cornerstone of the genre, featuring the gold-certified albums Long Live the Kane and It’s a Big Daddy Thing. Classics like “Ain’t No Half Steppin’,” “Smooth Operator,” and his collaboration with Barry White, “All of Me,” showcase his versatility. A prolific collaborator, he has worked with legends ranging from Quincy Jones and Patti LaBelle to Public Enemy and UGK.

Beyond music, Kane is a versatile actor with credits in Posse, Exposed, and Law & Order: SVU. His distinctive baritone has narrated documentaries like Notorious, and his entrepreneurial spirit led to his own wine label, “A. Monterio,” and a signature collection with B. Walker Shoes. A Grammy winner and inductee into multiple Halls of Fame, Kane’s legacy is solidified as one of the greatest MCs of all time. As the legend himself says, “It’s the Kane, so yo, you know the outcome.

DJ Jon Quick he is an elite music curator, radio personality, and the creator of The AfroFlava Radio Top Ten Afrobeat Countdown, the first hybrid Afrobeat countdown show in the United States. With a career spanning over 20 years, he is a mainstay on New York’s 94.7 The Block and 107.5 WBLS, having performed for high-profile clients ranging from Beyoncé and Jay-Z to corporate giants like Marvel, Pepsi, and the NFL. Beyond the turntables, he is a dedicated philanthropist and founder of the annual “Heroines of Excellence Awards,” which honors influential women of color while supporting community-driven causes.

About the Speakers
Beatrice Dixon is the CEO, co-founder, and chief innovation officer of The Honey Pot Company, a pioneering wellness brand that she scaled into a nine-figure business found in over 33,000 stores nationwide. A trailblazing entrepreneur and author of the memoir The Soul Instinct, Dixon is recognized as one of the first 40 women of color to raise over $1 million in venture capital, consistently disrupting the personal care industry through her commitment to plant-derived ingredients and ancestral wisdom.

Kay Malcolm is the Vice President of Database Product Management at Oracle and the visionary founder of Oracle LiveLabs, a premier platform that has democratized cloud technology for over three million users globally. A dedicated advocate for diversity in STEM, she also hosts the Lashes.Love.Tech podcast and leads the “@iamkaymalcolm” community, where she empowers women and minorities to navigate corporate spaces with authenticity and strategic excellence.

Racquel Oden is the U.S. Head of International Wealth, Asset Management, and Global Private Banking at HSBC, where she leads the firm’s wealth management and private banking strategy for high-net-worth and globally mobile clients. A prominent advocate for “financial fluency,” she is a member of the Forbes 50 Over 50 list and serves as Chair of the Board for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, championing economic empowerment and educational access alongside a distinguished career that includes executive leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, and UBS.

Alicia Lyttle, widely known as the ‘Queen of AI,’ is a visionary entrepreneur, AI pioneer, and global advocate for empowering the Black community through technology. An award-winning innovator and TEDx speaker, Alicia has trained thousands worldwide through her CPD-Accredited AI Consultant Certification Program and founded the International Association of Artificial Intelligence Consultants. Her work has earned accolades, such as the 100 Women to KNOW Across America Award by JPMorgan Chase and the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.

John Hope Bryant is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of financial literacy and economic empowerment tools, and the author of the 2026 bestseller Capitalism for All. Recognized by Forbes as one of the “250 Greatest Self-Made Americans” and often called the “Conscience of Capitalism,” Bryant has advised three U.S. presidents and is credited with making financial literacy official federal policy, while serving more than four million individuals through his “Silver Rights” movement.

Derek Ferguson is the Chief Administrative Officer at TIAA, where he leads the evolution of the firm’s corporate strategy and oversees the planning and execution of enterprise-wide initiatives. Reporting directly to the CEO, he is responsible for global corporate services and the operations of the Office of the Chief Executive Officer, bringing a wealth of experience from previous leadership roles at the Robin Hood Foundation and Combs Enterprises to drive seamless collaboration across the organization.

Shavon Arline-Bradley is the President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), where she is the first to hold the position under a new historic governance structure, leading a network of over two million people. An ordained minister and public health expert, she also serves as the founding principal of R.E.A.C.H. Beyond Solutions and previously held senior leadership roles within the NAACP and the Obama Administration’s Office of the U.S. Surgeon General.

Melanie Campbell is the President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, where she has spent over 25 years as a premier strategist in the civil rights and social justice movements. A veteran advisor to U.S. presidents and a relentless advocate for voting rights and gender equality, she is widely recognized for her leadership in organizing multi-million-dollar civic engagement campaigns and for her annual “Black Women in the U.S.” report, which serves as a definitive policy guide for national leadership.

Reverend Al Sharpton is the founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN) and a world-renowned civil rights leader who has spent over four decades at the forefront of the struggle for social justice and political equality. A prolific media personality and host of MS NOW’s PoliticsNation, he is an ordained minister and author of several books, including Righteous Troublemakers, and remains a pivotal voice in national conversations regarding police reform, voting rights, and economic fairness.

Program Information
Friday, June 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Power Network

Ghostface Killah
Big Daddy Kane
Igmar Thomas’ Revive Big Band
DJ Jon Quick
Ed Lover, Host

with Panelists
Alicia Lyttle
Derek Ferguson
Beatrice Dixon
Kay Malcolm
Racquel Oden
Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings of Earn Your Leisure
John Hope Bryant
Shavon Arline-Bradley
Melanie Campbell
Reverend Al Sharpton
Additional Panelists to be announced

Power Network is a project of the Carnegie Hall Cultural Council.

Lead support for United in Sound: America at 250 is provided by Hope and Robert F. Smith and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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Source: Carnegie Hall