00:00Hey, I'm Janelle Snowden here with the multi-hyphenate Miss Nikki Gilbert.
00:04She's a singer. She's an executive producer.
00:07She's got a lot of things going on and she's brought all of those things
00:10to the Asus Festival for many years.
00:12You've been there with Brownstone.
00:14Yes.
00:15You've been there with your show that you created.
00:16Army Divas, absolutely, 2012.
00:18Yes.
00:19You've been there with From the Bottom Up.
00:20Absolutely.
00:21I can't tell you why.
00:26Brownstone is there this year.
00:2825 years in the game.
00:30How about it?
00:31This is a big deal.
00:32So the fact that we're there, this is a huge deal.
00:33It's Brownstone's 25th anniversary and Essence's 25th anniversary.
00:36And Essence's 25th anniversary.
00:37And you're celebrating.
00:38So that is a party and we're celebrating together.
00:40Essence is just everything for me.
00:42And every single year I go, it's like therapy.
00:45And I mean like really like therapy.
00:47I know.
00:48We get so caught up in our everyday lives seeing mothers and entrepreneurs and businesswomen
00:53and wives.
00:54And this is the one opportunity that I can honestly say that it is just good music, great food,
01:01great energy.
01:02When you know you're going to come to the premiere destination for black women, is that added
01:06pressure?
01:07Like, ooh, I've got to be right.
01:08It is.
01:09It is.
01:10Go like this.
01:11Go.
01:12Go.
01:13In my opinion, this Essence performance is like performing at the Grammys.
01:16You know what I'm saying?
01:17It's just, it's more important than that even.
01:20Because we're performing for our audience of our peers.
01:22We're performing for people who have supported us for 25 years.
01:26Children have been made to Brownstone music.
01:29Children have been made to Essence Festival weekends.
01:32How about that?
01:33Because the other thing about Essence is people will let you know if you weren't ready for
01:36it.
01:37Oh, they were.
01:38And Brownstone is known for sangin'.
01:40And we are going to be some sangin' full wells.
01:43You were signed by Michael Jackson.
01:44Yes, we were.
01:45So you, I, yes, we were.
01:46You have to represent.
01:47Yes, we were.
01:48We have got to represent.
01:49He will be looking down.
01:50And Matthew will be looking down.
01:51And Matthew will be looking down.
01:52Aretha Franklin will be looking down.
01:53Well, I'm in.
01:54James Ingram will be looking down.
01:55Whitney Houston will be, you know, and I'm just grateful that we're still here.
02:00And I'm just really proud of the fact that Essence is now represented fully by people of color.
02:09Like that gives me a whole nother perspective and a whole nother reason to be super duper
02:14excited because it's about ownership.
02:16It's about.
02:17Owned by us.
02:18In support of us.
02:19In celebration of us.
02:20What are those sweats?
02:21What else is there?
02:22It's like church.
02:23It's like the fanciest black family reunion.
02:25The fanciest black family reunion ever.
02:27It's a fashion show.
02:28It's a fashion show.
02:29Be fabulous.
02:30Be comfortable.
02:31Be cool.
02:32Literally cool.
02:33But more important than focusing on the external beauty.
02:38Allow the music, the food, the fellowship, the sisterhood to be an internal moment.
02:45Because it just really is.
02:46It really is healing for me and so many people who attend.
02:50You know that that's the one place you can go and feel beautiful.
02:52You know that is the one place you can go and get confirmation that you are a part of
02:57an amazing legacy that's going to go on forever.
03:00And I can't imagine, like seriously cannot imagine the world without Essence.
03:06We can't either.
03:08Catch Brownstone in the Superlounge July 6th.
03:10For more info, go to EssenceFestival.com.
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