Mannie Fresh, who started as one of New Orleans' top DJs in the 1980s when he was still a teenager, is a renowned multi-platinum, Grammy nominated producer and artist, and considered one of the most influential hip hop producers of all time. As a member of Cash Money Records in the 1990s and early 2000s, he was responsible for producing most of the songs on 17 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums (and over 23 million units) for the label’s artists such as Lil Wayne, Juvenile, the Hot Boys, the Big Tymers, and the Cash Money Millionaires. Some of the classic hits he's produced include "Back That Azz Up," "Go DJ," "Bling Bling," "Still Fly," "Get Your Roll On," and "#1 Stunna,” which helped put the South on the map as a major contender in hip hop. While he’s returned to his DJ roots, he continues to work as an in-demand producer and collaborator with artists such as Drake and the iconic Dr. Dre.

DJ Soul Sister is an internationally-known, veteran DJ artist, whose broadcast programs and live performances feature only the music she loves: 1970s – mid-1980s soulful rarities in R&B, funk, disco, jazz, and more from her personal collection of thousands of vinyl records.   A native of New Orleans, Soul Sister has hosted her Soul Power show on WWOZ FM New Orleans for 25+ years, and has hosted internationally-aired radio programs on Sonos Radio and Worldwide FM, among others.   As a performance DJ, she is the first to win New Orleans' prestigious Big Easy Entertainment Award for "Best DJ." She has also performed everywhere from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Voodoo Music Experience, Essence Music Festival (mainstage DJ 2008-2010), BUKU Music & Art Project, Jam Cruise, Boiler Room, and Electric Forest. Soul Sister has opened for many of her favorite artists like George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, The Roots, Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, DaM-FunK, Average White Band, George Duke, Teena Marie, Doug E. Fresh, ConFunkShun, Switch, the funky Meters, Dumpstaphunk, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Soul Rebels, Lettuce, Tower of Power, and more; and has also performed alongside DJ artists/producers such as Questlove, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Mannie Fresh, KON, Maseo (De La Soul), Low Down Loretta Brown (Erykah Badu), Rich Medina, Biz Markie, and others. She was even personally invited by George Clinton to DJ his 71st birthday party. Music artist Solange called her “wonderful” and “life given,” and dj artist King Britt said she was “the best…top 3 DJs for me.”   Soul Sister's mission is to share music, and is equally dedicated to educating about music, both as a writer/researcher and as a university lecturer.