“I’m here to lay a foundation for people to step on to do what they need to do to get to
the next level.” Here’s how Memphis native J Whitlow’s thoughts on the Memphis music scene
led him to create an outstanding annual Memphis Music Festival: Listen Out Loud Music
Festival (LOL Fest). With a love for R&B music and a disc jockey dad who continuously brought
home the best records, J. Whitlow is now serving his community by providing them with an
unforgettable musical experience.
J. Whitlow’s story began in 2017 when he quit his job to pursue a dream. He says that
“The Alchemist” by Paula Coelho influenced him to take such a big step that he is forever
grateful for. “ It really had me like “You’re not living mane!” After years of party promoting and
creating what he calls an experience for the city of Memphis, Whitlow took his skills to the next
level. What started as a party-promoting business that threw the best club parties is now a
music festival that promotes the best independent artists in Memphis and beyond.
Prior to promoting parties and the LOL Music Festival, Whitlow was appointed by Mayor
AC Wharton to the board for a Beale Street Tourism Development Project. He was the youngest
on the board at the time, and his young fiery ambition led him to see much more for the Beale
Street area in which he was serving. Whitlow’s company, Privileged, began around 6 years ago
in the month of June right before his 30th birthday. Whitlow coined the company name “Privileged”
due to the vision and goal of making those in the city feel as though they were living a
“privileged lifestyle.” “We do stuff that no one else does, and we live a privileged lifestyle.
That’s what I wanted to get across,” said the creative. He says that the ultimate goal was to
push not only a lifestyle onto people, but also a culture. The brand made a name for itself
through Whitlow’s ability to get Memphis natives out of their homes and into the party scene to
have a good time. He began taking his vision to Beale Street where he started an annual event
titled “Evolution of Cocktails.” “I wanted to offer grown folks something different than a club,” he explains.
The efforts of creating an experience were soon stopped by the pandemic; however, that
did not keep the visionary from coming back stronger than ever. Now in 2023, J. Whitlow says
that the Listen Out Loud Music Festival will be an annual gift to his community, but he has much
bigger goals than just creating a good time for natives. With many of his goals being rooted in
views and changes that he sees fit for his community, Whitlow says that the festival is his way of
giving back, developing the mindsets of citizens in the city, breaking new artists, helping the city
R&B scene get back on the rise, and creating music internship opportunities for the youth.
Here’s how!
The Listen Out Loud music festival happens annually in the spring and harbors the goal
of putting independent R&B artists on the map. Whitlow holds Memphis music dear to his heart
and has hopes of bringing Memphis music to the forefront. “ The rap game has taken off
and it’s tight, but someone has to own R&B. I love rap; however, I don’t want that to be the only
type of sound that comes from our city. We are more defined than that, and there’s so much
more untouched talent out there.” He feels that his goal will not only be great for the next
generation of artists and young people, but for older generations as well. “I think it encourages
older people to get out and lend their talents to the stage because they wanna see Memphis be
the home of dynamic soul talent just as it once was.”
With that being said, the festival’s lineup has already been a huge representation of that. From singers like Carmen Hicks and McKenzie Thomas to Bar-Kays member Devin Crutcher, the festival has always been known to have amazing talents from not only Memphis but from other cities as well. This year a number of
amazing artists made an appearance at the festival, including 2012 The Voice contestant Avery
Wilson. A few other talents on the lineup include Anthony Q, Mille Manny, Doll McCoy, and even
a number of great female deejays. As J. Whitlow gears up for next year’s festival, he says that
for it to become bigger than what it is, the community should come together to bring the vision to
life.
If you are interested in supporting Whitlow and the LOL Music Fest, information can be
found in the following link. https://www.listenoutloudmusicfestival.com/
