And We're Just Getting Started: Reuben & Friends Celebrates Year 2 on Juneteenth

Editor's Note: In a world of fickle and sketchy algorithms, the most reliable way for us to share quality NC hip-hop writing with readers is via good old-fashioned email. And for that, we need email addresses. Access to this article doesn't cost a dime, but it does cost an email signup — every membership, even at the free tier, helps us grow Super Empty and give our state's hip-hop culture the coverage it deserves. Thanks for subscribing, and for reading.

It’s been a little over two years since Reuben Vincent’s first “Reuben & Friends” concert, celebrating the release of his Roc Nation debut Love is War. This year, he did things a little differently — and in the process, created something that Charlotte has been needing for a while.

This time around, Reuben & Friends was a Juneteenth celebration of Black music — a space for the community to show up, have a good time and be surrounded by good music and good people in honor of the national holiday.

As people flowed into the Neighborhood Theatre, Greg Cox and the band were warming up, playing Common’s “The Light” and getting the early crowd to sing along.

Cyanca followed, performing the fan favorite “New Phone, Who Dis?” and new single “Jesse Jackson" from her upcoming project Katina. The versatile and universally respected singer/rapper's soulful voice and unique swag set the tone for the night's performances.

Next, the band began to play “I’ll Be Waiting for You” by The Argo Singers. It wasn’t until someone in the crowd mentioned that this would be their first time seeing Lute live that I realized this was the sample from the iconic Revenge of the Dreamers III opener “Under the Sun." Charlotte’s very own DJ Jonny Kaine then cut into the sample chop as Lute ran out and performed his verse from the certified double-platinum hit, followed by his 2020 song “GED (Gettin Every Dolla).”

After Lute, the crowd got its first introduction to the host and emcee of the night: Martin Reuther King, Reuben Vincent’s righteous, newsboy cap-wearing alter-ego. Reuther gave us a quick performance and let us know that we would be seeing Reuben Vincent later in the night, before introducing us to more of his friends.

The first friend he introduced was Quentin "The Soul of Charlotte” Talley. Talley reminded us who we are, where we are and how powerful it is to come together like this by leading the crowd through a rendition of James Brown’s “Say It Loud - I’m Black And I’m Proud," sprinkling in the hook from Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright." The call-and-response was the start of my favorite aspect of the night, something that would carry throughout the performances.