Self-defined “Funkateer” Lauren Halsey brought Black Joy to the Hollywood Bowl this past Tuesday with her emajendat festival. The concert itself was headlined by Erykah Badu and The Alchemist with opening sets from DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak), Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Charles Gaines Collective, but the experience started hours before the lights of the bowl even began to dim. Halsey sat down with EBONY to talk about the intentionality reflected in every aspect of the night.
As attendees approached the venue, a DJ spun, double dutch ropes turned, and T-shirts were airbrushed in real time, setting the vibe standard before you even scanned your ticket. Every step was intricately designed, from the custom shorts worn by ticketing staff, ushers, and stage crew to the projected emajendat logos that made for great photo-ops.
This attention to detail speaks to the expansive lens through which Lauren Halsey views her artistry. Expanding the definition of what it means to be an artist is, she told EBONY, the point of her whole practice. “When I think about the ‘artist’ or something, the whole point of my practice is, ‘Yo, there are people right now who are brilliant, genius, that I am seeing every day doing the work. That’s who I want to be like when I grow up,” says Halsey.
Finding ways to illuminate the beauty in what others might find mundane is a revolutionary practice that may lead the powers that be to see potential in the underprivileged. As a Los Angeles Native, Halsey understands how factors such as race or socioeconomic status can create direct barriers to the access one needs to become a world-renowned artist. In her conversation with us, she spoke about one specific artist: a family friend named Ramsess. She recounted seeing him present and sell calendars filled with his art in Leimert Park on Sundays (IYKYK), and later having the opportunity to show his textile work in an exhibition at Art + Practice, an art gallery with collections curated by the California African American Museum in Leimert Park.
While he had been creating and displaying his art for over a decade, opportunities provided by Art + Practice allowed his art (and him as an artist) the respect that it deserved. Respect that it might not have been given unless someone made a concerted effort to invest in showcasing Black art.
Grounding herself in this reality, Halsey aims to uplift those who may not have the chance to be showcased otherwise through all of her work, and emajendat is no exception. She said, “There are these filters that one goes through, unfortunately. Art school, residency, you’re affirmed through these things… Toni Morisson says it: ‘If you get that brilliant education, you go back,’ and so I always knew I would be at home at the end of the day.”
Throughout the show, threads of Black artists from yesterday to tomorrow wove through. From a jazz performance by the Charles Gaines Collective that grounded the community, née audience (since everyone in the Bowl seemed to be joined as a family from the pre-show festivities), to interludes by dancers from the Debbie Allen Dance Company, there was a demonstrated interest in ensuring that local Black talent got their opportunity to shine.
Folks who bought a ticket just to see Erykah Badu & The Alchemist or Flea got a much more meaningful experience overall. In addition to the pre-show festivities, Halsey crafted and curated sculptures throughout the venue. Each act had its own unique stage design as well, which she described as important to truly convey the uniqueness of Black artists, saying, “The objects I wanted to present to the world, I wanted them to be charged with the energy, the beauty, the wonder, the pure pleasure of Black music.” DJ Pee .Wee’s set brought you out of the scaled-back nature of Flea on stage—one man, two instruments—with bright, vibrant set pieces that pulled audiences into a full psychedelic fever dream of fun. The headlining stage design built on that energy, bringing audiences into what felt like “Erykah’s playhouse.”
The decision to have Erykah Badu and The Alchemist headline was the best choice to capture the night’s substance: a serendipitous mix of readiness, intention, and love of community. There is no need to describe what being at an Erykah Badu concert feels like; it’s exactly the ethereal experience you think it is. But this night with The Alchemist felt different, undoubtedly modern. With appearances by DJ Creole Princess, Shelley FKA DRAM, Thundercat, and Earl Sweatshirt, the night offered cosigns, empowerment, uplift, transition, and evolution between the neo-soul artists of our childhoods and the artists of our future — exactly Lauren Halsey’s vision.
This is why we should be investing in the artistic pursuits of our Black youth. At a time when art collecting and careers feel inaccessible, emajendat proves that Black art is not only profitable but also creates space for everyone to feel welcome, to feel joy, and to experience beauty. Imagine that.