Maxine Waters Talks Hip Hop’s Economic Power: Transforming Culture Into Business Opportunities And Jobs

Maxine Waters, who serves as the U.S. Representative for California’s 43rd congressional district, hosted a panel and discussion with emerging Black professionals and leaders at the CBCF 53rd Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. The event brought together global leadership from around the world and the African diaspora, with notable attendees including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also a 2024 presidential candidate.

This year’s theme, From Vision to Victory: Amplifying Black Voices, focused on a wide range of topics critical to Black America, ahead of the pivotal presidential election this November.

Maxine hosted a powerful and engaging session titled Young, Gifted, and Black: Hip Hop Artists Thriving, Creating, & Entertaining. In this intricate discussion, she explored the intersection of artistry, self-expression, creativity, culture, politics, and hip hop, along with the opportunities for wealth-building, strategic investments, innovation, and job creation.

The session featured honorable guest panelists Kevin Liles, Dr. Yolanda “YoYo” Whitaker, and legendary producer and DJ D-Nice.

They collectively spoke on the global financial influence of music and cultural industries, advocating why this should not be taken lightly and highlighting the importance of focusing on the bigger picture by supporting the next generation of Black youth pursuing careers in Hip-hop, while urging politicians, community leaders, and change-makers to think differently about Hip-hop while prioritizing policies and legislation that allocate resources to sustain the industry. Additionally, they emphasized the need to protect and uplift Black entrepreneurs, creatives, and their legacies intertwined to this genre.

Here are six fundamental insights for the community to consider into business, economics, culture, and Hip-hop:

Hip-Hop Creates Pathways For The Future

Hip-hop creates pathways for future generations by combining artistry with economic opportunity, providing a platform for youth to use their voice while driving wealth generation across various sectors. It’s a scalable industry with significant impacts on the economy, job creation, and investment opportunities. From music production to fashion, finance, tech, health and sciences, and entrepreneurship, Hip-hop contributes to global innovation and can advance and accelerate economic growth within Black communities.

However, it’s essential to separate self-expression, lyricism, controversies and individual personalities from the commerce and industrialization of the culture. While they intersect, maintaining this distinction helps preserve the authenticity of the art form, ensuring that the creative voice and story telling remains uninfluenced by commercial interests while the business side supports future opportunities and solutions.

Hip-hop Is A Global Industry

Throughout the years, Black entertainers have transformed hip hop into a global industry with significant influence, generating jobs and opportunities across continents through its widespread appeal and cultural impact. Ironically, Black entertainers often face wage disparities and discrimination within an industry they pioneered. As globalization continues to expand, legislative support can play a critical role in redefining the legacy of hip hop’s founders and their communities by developing and investing in more equitable and sustainable environments where Black creatives and entrepreneurs can thrive and receive the recognition and opportunities they deserve.

According to a YWCA report on discrimination in the music industry, many leading genres (rooted in Black Southern American culture, identity, and heritage) are still directly affected by systemic racism, which creates unequal opportunities for Black artists and other artists of color. These artists are often underrepresented, tokenized, or pigeonholed, limiting their exposure, creative freedom, and fair compensation. Structural inequalities, such as biased hiring practices and restricted access to resources, further undermine their success. Furthermore cultural appropriation remains an obstacle, with non-Black artists frequently profiting from Black music and styles without proper acknowledgment, respect or adequate returns for their time, ingenuity and labor.

By engaging in the right types of conversations, strategies and enacting supportive policies, communities can leverage hip-hop to empower themselves economically and socially. This approach not only helps Black creatives and entrepreneurs capitalize on the industry’s growth but also opens doors to endless opportunities for structural, personal, and communal advancement, encouraging them to shape their own futures and drive positive change within their communities while being able to build new institutions for themselves.

Investing In Core Skills Is A Necessity For Success

Maxine wants us to focus on building confidence and self-esteem through education in negotiation, direct communication, and navigating contracts. She is committed to developing culturally affirming programs that align with the learning styles and interests of youth. She envisions these programs offering instructional and educational opportunities that combine business and creative concepts, preparing students for careers in business and entertainment.

By incorporating strong instructional components, the programs will help institutions and technical groups demonstrate the importance of acquiring relevant skills and perspectives. The goal is to introduce these educational programs into classroom instruction, apply learning in practical contexts, and connect business, hip-hop, and the economy in a way that promotes greater competition and creates sustainable opportunities.

Strengthening Our Networks Through Transparent Engagement

Panelists D-Nice and Kevin Liles discussed how strengthening our networks requires a fresh approach. They spoke about the importance of being genuine, openly communicating, and being present, noting that real connections in Hip-hop and entertainment should move beyond celebrity status, attention, and popularity to find sustainable opportunities in artistry, music, and entertainment.

They also advised aspiring professionals and creators to focus on developing and improving both technical and emotional skills to engage with others in meaningful ways. They stated that, from experience, this approach is what actually helps build global and impactful networks, what creates lasting connections that surpass surface-level interactions, and what is needed to encourage quality collaborations and growth.

By understanding that success is not just about high-profile recognition but also about nurturing valuable relationships and skills, we open doors to more substantial and significant opportunities.

There Is Power In Vulnerability And Authenticity

Shifting away from self-centered mindsets and embracing the act of serving others by authentically honoring our dreams and passions is essential. Authentically modeling these values and being open and vulnerable with ourselves and others helps build meaningful and powerful connections in our lives.

Practicing kindness individually and then extending that kindness to others can help build new networks and create pathways. D-Nice, one of the panelists, shared his memory of meeting KRS-One and recalled that they connected while he was pursuing something he loved without any expectations or strings attached.

Kevin Liles also discussed how some of his most successful partnerships and business deals came from collaborating with individuals who embraced this same mindset. He also highlighted his admiration for Megan Thee Stallion’s work ethic and commitment, which reflects the kindness, passion, and consistency her mother instilled in her. This approach has not only guided her through challenges and contributed to her brand’s success, philanthropy, and messaging but also attracted like-minded teams, projects, and opportunities. As a result, she has created numerous opportunities, formed new networks, and made a positive impact on lives and future paths around the world.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

Kevin Liles referenced a powerful faith-based quote and mentioned how an idea and vision without communication and execution aren’t enough. He discussed the transformative power of combining discipline with passion, how value is created from this place of empowerment, and how opportunities are then formed and made available for yourself and others.

Maxine similarly reiterated the importance of providing the next generation of creatives and artists with both tangible and intangible resources to help bring their visions to life and teach them the technical disciplines necessary to succeed and thrive not just in Hip-hop and entertainment but in any commerce-based field.

Hip hop is not only entertaining but should also be recognized as positive, liberating and transformative, with substantial potential to support our culture and drive innovation. Its impact is essential, shaping and enriching both our artistic landscape and broader society.