Charlamagne and DJ Envy hosted, the city showed out, and Summer Grays’ new social platform locked down a sponsorship the same week she dropped commercials on 96.1 The Beat.
Atlanta got it in this past Saturday. The fourth annual Black Effect Podcast Festival hit Pullman Yards — Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy hosting alongside Loren LoRosa, music by DJ Loui Vee, and a stacked one-day lineup that turned the venue into the loudest gathering of Black podcast culture all year. State Farm presented. Rain came. Nobody flinched.
Drink Champs closed it out and N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN brought out CeeLo Green and K. Michelle — two Atlanta legends sitting down for the final taping of the night in their own city. The crowd ate it up.
Earlier in the day, Yung Miami hit the stage with Crystal Renee Hayslett (Sistas) for a live taping of Keep It Positive, Sweetie — a Pullman Yards stop one day after she dropped her new single “Spend Dat” on April 24. Caresha came to promote and the crowd was ready.
Pop-outs were heavy all day. Two-time Olympic boxing champ Claressa Shields worked the carpet. Sheryl Underwood was in the building. Michael Bivins, Lil Duval, AJ Calloway, Ray Daniels, KevOnStage, and Tika Sumpter were all spotted moving through the festival. The full schedule rolled through Grits & Eggs, Club 520, Reality With The King, The Don’t Call Me White Girl Live Show, panels on AI and audio, and the closing Drink Champs taping.
My Butler AL Locked In a Real One
Sitting next to State Farm on the sponsor list: My Butler AL, the new social platform from founder Summer Grays that launched in March. Hosts named the brand from the stage all day. The My Butler AL video commercial played on the venue screens between sets. And in the week leading up to the festival, the brand’s :30 radio spot ran in rotation on 96.1 The Beat — the Atlanta home of The Breakfast Club, which is hosted by the same Charlamagne and DJ Envy who ran the festival.
What is My Butler AL? Think Facebook and Instagram — the post, build a following, connect with people side — without the shadow bans, the takedowns, and the algorithm games. Built different. Summer’s been clear about the lane: a place where grown adults can speak freely on social without getting put in timeout.
Pulling up to a podcast festival full of comedians, creators, and culture voices — the exact people Meta has been silencing for years — was the play. And four weeks into the app’s public launch, that’s a real run.
The Vibe Was Lit
Outside the main stages, the festival grounds stayed packed. The Black Effect Marketplace powered by Shopify brought out Black-owned vendors and product drops. The Zen Lounge offered back and hand massages — a real reset between podcast tapings. Food trucks ran from doors to close. The Pitch Your Podcast Booth stayed busy with creators trying to land their concept in front of the network.
“We’re celebrating and uplifting the power of Black voices, creating space for creators to inspire, connect and shape culture,” said Dollie S. Bishop, president of The Black Effect Podcast Network. “From conversations on AI and investing to the future of audio, we’re bringing the culture together for connection, innovation and a few surprises.”
Surprises landed. CeeLo and K. Michelle did. The rain didn’t stop nothing. And My Butler AL walked away with the kind of festival imprint a brand four weeks old isn’t supposed to get yet.
The 2026 Black Effect Podcast Festival took place Saturday, April 25 at Pullman Yards in Atlanta. Presented by State Farm. The Black Effect Podcast Network operates under a joint venture between Charlamagne Tha God and iHeartMedia.
Festival photography by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for iHeart Media and The Black Effect Podcast Network.
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