The Prom Queen Ine’a J

Shot By: Andy Thompson

“It's giving Black Excellence, Multicultural excellence, it’s giving everything literally. And it's not even like, wear your most expensive and most crazy prom dresses, let's come together and let's dress up”

Intimate lighting and signs that read “Prom” decorated the Epiphany Center for the Arts On September 5th. Dresses and suits filled the seats as everyone waited for the headliner and event organizer to come on stage– Her name is Ine’a J AKA “The Pen Fairy”. Ine’a J is an R&B artist, songwriter and producer from the Chicago area who has been putting her name out there for the past few years, recently releasing Learn To Love/Ego & Destruction. I had the chance to sit down with Ine’a J and see the prom themed concert for myself. 

“This is my third headliner and the second one this year. And every show I've had, has been surrounded by a project or a release. So I was like, let's do something different and not the same thing within the same year” Said Ine’a J 

Shot By: Andy Thompson

Ine’a J was intentional about curating a space that felt like prom night– Lit Candles and flower petals littered each table. Opener, Better Known As (BKA),  kept up the prom vibe with a clean black suit and a melodic set. .  A perfect introduction to BKA, With his hard hitting production and laid back– often melodic vocals, he complimented the intimacy of the night.

“He's a really, really good artist. He has a song that I really love called Half Past. And I don't just like it just because he's a friend and a peer. I genuinely like his songs. And every time I've been to one of his shows, he's got the crowd rocking, they're vibing in small settings and in large settings. So I really admire that in his artistry. So I'm excited for that.” Said Ine’a J Regarding BKA

The Prom was backed by a couple of sponsors who have the mission of supporting artistry. One of them was The Ghetto Flower (TGF) which is an agency with the purpose of platforming and helping artists navigate the music industry. The next sponsor was the Frame Center which is a nonprofit that provides artistic instruction as well as scholarships for students pursuing arts such as their Duke Ellington Scholarship Fund. 

Ine'a J donated a portion of the proceeds to the Fame Center - Shot By: Andy Thompson

“Shout out to the Ghetto Flower. Love them, They helped sponsor last time, It was a great turnout. And then the Fame Center, it's really cool. I've been volunteering with them this past spring and summer. It's really nice. They do a lot of stuff for the kids in the community.” Said Ine’a J

Ine’a J created an entire rollout for the marketing of the prom themed show. Titok has been a lot of artists' best tools when it comes to promoting albums or events and Ine’a J took full advantage of that. One of her TikToks gained over 7,000 views and 50 comments. Ine’a J made multiple videos to promote the prom and had everyone excited.

When Ine’a J stepped onto the stage everything she had worked to make this Prom the vision she saw came together– From her mother in the back singing with her to the people in the front swaying from side to side– the energy that Ine’a J curated filled the room along with her amazing vocals. Ine’a J was joined with a live band that played together seamlessly, they made improvisation seem rehearsed. Servaun was on drums and MD, Lonzo was on Aux Keys, Tamarrow on Keys, Kyle on Bass, and Zuni was Djing. 

Shot By: Andy Thompson

“It's giving Black Excellence, Multicultural excellence, it’s giving everything literally. And it's not even like, wear your most expensive and most crazy prom dresses, let's come together and let's dress up”  Said Ine’a J

The night ended with Ine’a J crowning a prom Prince and prom Princess based on who was best dressed. For those who are looking for a beautiful performance with a well made event Ine’a J is an All-in-one package.

I want to give a huge thank you to Ine’a J for allowing me to interview her as well as covering her show. And thank you to Andy Thompson for providing photos!