Event aims to empower and inspire through music and reflection
Rapper Wretch 32 and R&B artist Mahalia will be among the performers at the More Life – Pass The Mic event, which celebrates the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence. Scheduled for September 13, marking what would have been Lawrence’s 50th birthday, the event will also feature performances by D Double E, Ghetts, The Kanneh-Masons, and Nao at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, near Lawrence’s former home in south-east London.
Stephen Lawrence was tragically murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993 at the age of 18 while waiting for a bus. The event, organised by the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation (SLDF) founded by Baroness Lawrence, aims to both honour Lawrence’s memory and continue the fight against racial injustice through “reflection, learning, and action.” Speaking on the event’s importance, Baroness Lawrence noted: “Music has the power to touch people’s hearts and inspire shifts in how they view themselves and the world around them, just as Stephen did.”
SLDF chief executive Jessica Neil emphasised that the event seeks to empower the next generation to carry forward Lawrence’s legacy. “Stephen was an ordinary young man whose life and death have created an extraordinary impact,” Neil stated. “This celebration of culture and community aims to show how ordinary people, when supported, can create extraordinary change.”
Wretch 32, a Tottenham-born rapper known for chart-topping singles such as “Don’t Go,” and Mahalia, a Brit Award-nominated soul singer, will headline the event, with further artists to be announced. Tickets for the event go on sale on July 12, aiming to unite attendees in reflection and a call to action against racial discrimination through music and community celebration.
