In support of the Jayquon Tillman Memorial Scholarship Fund, students of Eastern Michigan University teamed up to bring the college campus its first hip-hop music festival. Thursday’s exciting event featured an outdoor festival and an indoor concert at EMU’s Convocation Center. Headlining NVRCH Music Festival, rapper Lil Baby performed a variety of hit singles, such as “Yes Indeed” featuring Drake and “Close Friends.”

Many talented artists took to the stage to perform including Trap R&B singer Neisha Neshae, who hyped the crowd up with songs like “Can’t Let It Go” and “On A Cloud.” Before hip-hop duo ASDR prepared to hit the big stage, group member Anthony Strickland opened up about what we can expect from their performance, as he states, “We have a lot of content about believing in yourself and staying strong and solid. I turn into a different person when I get into my music so everyone will definitely see a totally different person in me today.” 

With $3 of every ticket sale being donated to the JTM Scholarship Fund, the festival was held in honor of Jayquon Tillman, who lost his life to gun violence in May of 2017. When discussing the music festivals background and purpose, festival founder Honoré Washington says, “NVRCH is named after Jayquon Tillman. We wanted to do something that was going to honor his spirit and who he was to us. He was a small person but not at heart and he would want something on a scale like this. It feels great to be here today.” 

Washington continues, “Jayquon passed away in a random incident of gun violence and today we wanted to display the impact it has on the friends, the family, the school and so many others. We wanted to show what it’s like to lose somebody to gun violence and the large things you have to do in remembrance of them. Even though we were able to pull this off, we would have never wanted to celebrate him in this light. We hope that we’re able to spread the message that we have to stop gun violence. Especially in our black communities.” 

Amongst the many sponsors for NVRCH music festival were Ford Motor Company Fund, iHeartMedia, and YpsiReal. With hundreds of concert goers in attendance, the festival successfully completed its mission of embodying Jayquon Tillman’s spirit of brand, drive, determination and ambition.

Feature Image Via IG: @NVRCHFest