More than just a concert, Jamaica Funk: Legends of Queens is a cultural celebration. It serves to uplift local talent, preserve musical heritage, and inspire a new generation of artists. This celebration will be a momentous occasion that underscores why Queens continues to be a powerful force in shaping the soundtracks of our lives. The concert aims to unite generations of artists and fans, paying tribute to Queens’ profound impact on American music.

The concert will honor the borough’s iconic contributions to music history—from the pioneering generation of the 1930s, including Fats Waller, Lena Horne, James Brown, and John Coltrane; through the “Jamaica Funk Kats” era, with artists such as Marcus Miller, Bernard Wright, Tom Brown, Najee, and Laforrest “La La” Cope; and all the way to the hip-hop generation, launched by Run-DMC, LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest, and Salt-N-Pepa in the mid-1980s and extending through the present day with artists such as 50 Cent and Nicki Minaj.

The benefit concert and film project are being produced by Queens Crew Productions, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, including two of the original Jamaica Funk Kats: Grammy nominated saxophonist Najee and bassist Barry “Sunjohn” Johnson, who’s played and toured with Chaka Kahn and Kenny G.  The overall project is being spearheaded by Akili Walker, an award-winning Audio Engineer who lived in Jamaica, Queens during the 70s & 80s and learned about this community while working with Russell Simmons and producer Larry Smith. Also lending their support towards the project is Bill Adler, who worked with Queens Legends Run-DMC and LL Cool J when he was chief publicist at Def Jam during the 80s.