Lupe Fiasco Headlines RIAA Benefit For Musicians On Call

03-01-2025

Photo by Dan Swartz - courtesy RIAA

(RIAA) Multi-Platinum hitmaker and innovator Lupe Fiasco dropped beats and knowledge at The Atlantis in DC last week during a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Human Artistry Campaign (HAC) hosted event to benefit Musicians On Call (MOC). Music industry professionals, policymakers and local community members joined sponsors Alibaba Group, BMI, Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), Jewel Box Platinum and SoundExchange to celebrate MOC's incredible mission - delivering music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare environments to support healing and lift spirits. RIAA Chairman & CEO and MOC Board Chairman Emeritus Mitch Glazier, alongside MOC Director of Artist Relations Torianne Valdez, welcomed the packed crowd to experience the power of music.

Glazier shared, "RIAA is honored to recognize the amazing work of Musicians on Call and the dedicated volunteers bringing hope to many. Alongside the Human Artistry Campaign, a global organization that fights for the responsible use of AI in harmony with human creators, we welcome each of you here tonight to experience the impact of music - from his stage with the incredible stylings of Lupe Fiasco to artists in your own communities."

"Huge thanks to RIAA for their amazing support of Musicians On Call! With partners like them, we bring the joy of live music to thousands of patients, families, and caregivers every year. We're lucky to work with incredible artists like Lupe Fiasco, who bring smiles to hospitals when they're needed the most. This is an unforgettable night celebrating the healing power of music," said Valdez before Glazier returned to introduce a creative genius who is always innovating.

The Grammy Award-winning artist exploded onto the stage, running through iconic tracks such as Gold singles "Hip-Hop Saved My Life" and "Outta My Head;" Platinum single "Kick, Push" and 3x Platinum "Superstar," among others. Fiasco had the audience singing along to his highest certified single to date - 7x Platinum "The Show Goes On" - as DJ Smokey hyped the crowd.

The Chicago-born rapper, whose credits also include his work as a professor at Yale, MIT and Johns Hopkins University, has responsibly utilized technology as a tool to expand his artistic vision. Teaming up with MIT, Fiasco produced Endless LUP, an AI-powered radio station trained with his own Rapping abilities and careful refining. He understands the importance of the collaboration and building community even beyond those aspirations, co-founding We Are M.U.R.A.L, The Neighborhood Start-Up Fund and Society of Spoken Art. Through his art and advocacy, Fiasco is a champion for the people and policies that impact us all.

Joining Fiasco on stage as the night concluded, Glazier and RIAA President & COO Michele Ballantyne congratulated him on the show-stopping performance and advocacy. With several new milestones including four Gold and two Platinum collaborations among others, the pair also surprised him with a plaque commemorating 20 million RIAA-certified units across four albums and nine singles released via Atlantic. Ballantyne said, "To everyone here tonight, you are a part of advancing and protecting culture through art - those who create it, those who consume and those who benefit from the power of it! Lupe Fiasco is a true artist and fierce advocate, inspiring and teaching us all how music can expand our reality. We are thrilled to celebrate new accolades now totaling 22 million RIAA certified units across your career ... and many more to come!"