By Cameron Lee
March 22, 2026
In 2004, hip-hop and R&B were dominating the charts, Facebook was first launched at Harvard, and the blog era was just beginning to seep into the cultural mainstream. But street art, or “urban art,” had yet to fully enter that conversation. It existed on the margins — visible in pockets of cities, but largely absent from museums, formal institutions, and structured art experiences.
Jabari Graham, a Georgia native and Jackson State University graduate who worked as a marketing strategist for the UniverSoul Circus, and artist Dwayne “Dubelyoo” Wright — who grew up in Fayetteville by way of Brooklyn, graduated from East Carolina University, and later relocated to Atlanta — helped reshape that landscape with Art, Beats + Lyrics in 2004, and Charlotte played a pivotal role in the event’s early growth.
What began as an idea for a street art party in Atlanta has since evolved into a traveling cultural experience that fuses visual art, music, and community into a laid-back, multi-sensory atmosphere. Its return to Charlotte on March 28 at Blume Studios underscores just how far the concept has come — and how deeply the Queen City helped shape its trajectory.
While the foundation was laid in Atlanta, where the National Black Arts Festival — a multi-day, multi-venue celebration of Black art founded in 1987 — helped spark early inspiration, Charlotte became a critical proving ground in AB+L’s progression into a nationally recognized platform.
Atlanta Origins, Charlotte’s Influence and Impact
The first AB+L show took place in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta, a dense creative corridor known for its independent galleries, murals, and DIY performance spaces, at a venue called The Five Spot. It’s a neighborhood Graham often compared to NoDa after first immersing himself in Charlotte’s creative community in the early aughts.
“Let me walk the streets. Let me just meet people… and we met God City [the Charlotte art collective founded by Marcus Kiser, Antoine Williams, John Hairston Jr., and Wolly McNair], Jasiatic, the people who were working with Creative Loafing at the time,” Graham said. “It’s right up the street from Atlanta, but, you know… let’s survey the land and do this right.”
The Charlotte activation at CenterStage NoDa in 2008 — the first Art, Beats + Lyrics event outside of Atlanta — marked a turning point. A packed room that night became part of the foundation for what would grow into a touring platform that has since expanded to more than 30 cities nationwide. Graham continues to point to Charlotte artists like Carla “King Carla” Aaron-Lopez, Kalin Renee, Georgie Nakima, and Dammit Wesley (who will be a featured DJ on Saturday), as key to that early momentum.
“Without Charlotte, we would not have had the idea. We would have just been thinking about things locally,” Wright said. “That’s why I’m so endeared to Charlotte… I see how much Charlotte has grown, and I’m proud,” Graham added.
How AB+L Bridged the Gap Between Institutional and Street Art
One of AB+L’s earliest defining challenges came in its second year, when the experience moved from the intimate 200-person-capacity venue The Five Spot to the High Museum of Art — a major cultural institution known for showcasing prestigious artists like Monet, Picasso, and Matisse.
“It’s weird when you’re in between the streets and the institutions, you know? And both of them are like, ‘we don’t know about this,’” Wright reflected. At the time, it was still rare for a museum of that scale to embrace street art programming, and skepticism lingered even up to the day of the show. But once it opened, the response was undeniable — lines stretched down Peachtree Street, and capacity was fully reached.
The success delivered credibility and visibility, but also exposed the logistical limits of the model. With heavy production demands and limited financial return, the team eventually had to pause and regroup. It was during that period that a partnership with Jack Daniel’s emerged, helping scale the concept into new markets — with Charlotte leading the expansion.
“You know, after that, we had a few years where we were still doing projects, but as far as another Art, Beats + Lyrics show, it was really hard to get it back off the ground,” Wright said. “From Little Five Points to the High Museum… there was no blueprint. There was no plan for how to do an art show and make money from it,” Graham said. “We didn’t make money… we just made sure we paid our bills and could live to fight another day, but it caught Jack Daniel’s attention.”
Years ahead of its time, Art, Beats + Lyrics ultimately helped redefine how street culture and institutional art could coexist — laying early groundwork for the hybrid art experiences now common in major cities across the country and beyond.
At the Intersection of Art and Music: A Launchpad for Creative Culture
A major part of AB+L’s identity has always been its ability to tap into cultural momentum early, bringing artists into its ecosystem during pivotal moments in their careers and legends firmly cemented in the game. Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, Raekwon, D Smoke, Phife Dawg, E-40, Big K.R.I.T., Scarface, and North Carolina’s Little Brother and Rapsody have all performed at multiple AB+L events.
For Charlotte’s March 28 return, DMV rapper Premo Rice will headline — an artist on an upward trajectory who has steadily built a following in the Charlotte market and collaborated with local rap stalwarts like Gauxstman. The event will also feature DJs including Atlanta’s Wally Sparks, Charlotte’s Dammit Wesley, Phonte (of Little Brother), Sean Falyon, and DJ Nolo of the Radical Grove collective with outdoor sets extending the experience beyond the main stage. While music remains a central pillar, AB+L continues to operate first and foremost as an art-forward environment.
Wright, who began his career at the Fayetteville Observer Times before moving to Atlanta and helping build AB+L from the ground up, sees the impact firsthand. As an artist who has worked with and been featured in several major publications, legacy remains central.
“It’s awesome to watch somebody you’ve seen in the show go on to bigger gigs and gain more notoriety,” he said. “That’s how it’s supposed to be. When you can put someone in a position to win, you should — especially if they’re talented, have something to say, and work really hard.”
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey help make it a Complimentary Experience
Robin Thompson, a marketing executive for Brown-Forman, the parent company of Jack Daniel’s, says AB+L’s staying power comes down to authenticity and community alignment.
“It starts with Jabari and his team and comes with authenticity… something real, because people can sniff out inauthenticity pretty easily,” Thompson said. “Creating experiences and moments for people to enjoy the product can only benefit a brand.”
Beyond the art and music, the experience extends into food, fashion, and interactive activations — from Mariah’s Taco Spot and Drums vs. Flats to a sneaker cleaning station with Kicks & Fros, a special collaboration with Sneak CLT, and frozen cocktails served from Jack Daniel’s pop-up trailers. A free day party at Platform Sports will lead into the main event, with Uber vouchers helping connect attendees to Blume Studios.
View this post on Instagram
Art, Beats + Lyrics will take place Saturday, March 28 from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Blume Studios in Charlotte, and admission is complimentary with registration, while supplies last.
Read next:
