For a first-ever Justice, Arts & Music Awards to benefit the Jam Master Jay Foundation and sponsored by Adidas, Empire was thrilled to work in tandem with EPOP International and serve as event producer.

The purpose of the J. A. M. Awards is to honor social responsibility.  The J.A.M. Awards are the first ever awards in the hip hop community to do this.  The evening was designed to honor the late Jam Master Jay's life and to promote Social Justice, Arts and Music (J.A.M.). Planned as an annual program, each year, one honoree from the hip-hop community will be selected and honored in the fields of social Justice, the Arts and Music.  

Broadcast from The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on November 29th, the star-studded benefit concert was co-hosted by the late Jam Master Jay's wife Terri Corley-Mizell and Jam Master Jay's former band mate, DMC from the ground-breaking hip hop act, Run DMC.

The hip concert and awards program featured a who's who of hip hop and rap artists spanning from the dawn of hip hop to the present day. Performers on the bill included Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, DMC, Reverend Run, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Papoose, Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan, Kid Capri, De La Soul, Dead Prez, EPMD, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Biz Markie, Everlast, Mista Sinista, Jim Jones and others.  

The Justice Award went to Chuck D, the Arts award went to Lee Quinones and Wyclef Jean won the Music Award.

For this complicated production Empire handled all production design and management, talent coordination and stage management as well as consulting on all aspects including logistics, security and show design. The stage set-featured an innovative front projection of laser-drawn graffiti art.