A BIG SEAN AML PERFORMANCE FOR THE FUTURE

Amazon Music and the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective (BMC) enlisted Big Sean to help usher in the return of the “Your Future Is Now” scholarship program for its fourth consecutive year. The program is designed to provide HBCU students the opportunity to explore all facets of the music industry. Students are provided the chance to network with industry leaders, including an immersive rotational program with Amazon Music and Recording Academy department leads.

This year, five HBCU students will be selected to take part in the program and awarded a $10k scholarship. The BMC and Amazon Music will also award two HBCUs $10k grants each for music program equipment, one of which already went to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

As part of the program's special kick-off, AML featured Big Sean performing alongside the school's marching band, The Blue and Gold Marching Machine, and its choir, The Fellowship Gospel Choir. Amazon Music's Phylicia Fant and Jameka Pankey, Recording Academy's Ricky Lyon and DeMarco White then presented the donation to North Carolina A&T Drumline Coordinator Harvey Thompson.

“Every Homecoming season, HBCU students and alumni come together not only to celebrate our community but also give back and strengthen the bonds that connect us," Fant said. "That’s why Amazon Music and the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective are so honored to use this moment to renew our 'Your Future Is Now' scholarship. We’ve worked together on this scholarship for four years, and we’ve seen how former scholarship recipients become budding members of the music industry. It’s that kind of meaningful impact on students’ lives change that we set out to foster with this program.”

Pictured above shaking his head in disappointment after spotting us in the audience is Big Sean. Below wondering what they did wrong to let that happen are (l-r) Lyon, Thompson, Pankey, Fant and White.