Trae Holiday was joined by Anthony Tibbs who is the CEO of @dopeculturesea to talk about The Evolution of Neo Soul event on January 14th and 15th at the iconic Langston Hughes Theater. The event Features top local artists from the Pacific Northwest including Zhanea June, April Shantae, Nehemiah Booker, Darrius Willrich and more as they honor the sounds of artists who paved the way such as Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke, Donny Hathaway, Jill Scott, Maxwell, Lauryn Hill, and more.

“It’s gonna be hot,” Tibbs said. “It’s also going to benefit Black males with prostate cancer. Every event we do, we want to give back to the community.”

Tibbs started his journey in the events world in Junior High School, throwing parties at the Randolph Carter center.

“My father used to run it, and he let me throw parties to make money for my drumming,” Tibbs said.

Since then, Tibbs has built Dope Culture into one of the leading promoters in the city. He consistently brings in entertainment from around the country and the world, drawing off relationships and knoweldge he’s been developing his entire career.

“A lot of people don’t know I was in a group called Third Level,” Tibbs said. “It was an R&B group and we opened up for James Brown, Mint Condition and more. I also went on tour with Sir Mix-A-Lot.”

He moved into the promotions space, and has brought quality entertainment to Seattle ever since. He’s also continued to expand his reach within the community, building partnerships and finding ways to impact people throughout the city.

“It’s a big deal to me. I wish my mother and father were still here to see it, I think they’d be very proud of the things I’m doing with the community,” Tibbs said. “I want to enhance the lives of our people.”

You can watch the full interview above, and buy tickets for The Evolution of Neo Soul here