As fans prepared for AfroPunk weekend, music industry elites and green living thought leaders gathered at the legendary Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta for Toyota Green Initiative’s “Green Eats and Dope Beats” dinner to celebrate music, sustainability, and green living in the African American community. Guests were also surprised with a private performance by Stic of Dead Prez.
Tree Sound Studios, which is the home of many platinum certified singles by greats such as Whitney Houston, OutKast and Drake, has been a pioneer in connecting green living and hip-hop by being eco-friendly for 27 years.
“We have 30 solar panels, rain water catching systems, an herbal garden, and previously, a sustainable farm, so pretty much our entire building is eco-friendly,” said Tree Sound Studios COO and Toyota Green Initiative ambassador Mali Hunter. “When Toyota came to me for us to be a part of TGI, it was the perfect match.”
As guests dined on a 100 percent sustainable meal, Toyota’s multicultural brand director Mia Phillips and TGI ambassadors Mali Hunter, Stic of Dead Prez, Trap Garden Rob Veggies, and “Queen of Green” Yoli Ouiya shared information about sustainable living and their excitement about Toyota’s connection to AfroPunk.
“This is our second year sponsoring AfroPunk and it’s so exciting to have an organization that aligns with the same core values of wanting everyone to lead their best and most authentic life,” said Phillips.
“We worked today at the Truly Living Well garden to make sure the underexposed population had a chance to learn more about sustainable living and food deserts, and it’s just great to have partners who understand the importance to help underserved communities,” continued Phillips, referring to the Toyota and AfroPunk community service project that took place earlier that day.
The Toyota Green Initiative is an environmental stewardship platform designed to educate and empower the African American community about how to adopt sustainable habits. With the help of active HBCU campus ambassadors and a coalition of sustainability experts and influencers, Toyota strives to help communities decrease their impact on the environment.
All photos credited to Soul Brother
