ArtsQuest expands hip-hop programming with new Indie Certified series

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Jake Supreme, Pennsylvania-native and one-half of the hip-hop duo Manifest! HB is launching a new live music series designed to elevate independent hip-hop and R&B artists from the Lehigh Valley alongside nationally recognized acts.

Indie Certified, premiering Saturday, September 20th at 7 pm at ArtsQuest’s SteelStacks, features Netflix star LG Team Genius from “Rhythm and Flow 2” as the headliner. The show also spotlights local producer Red McFly, who has worked with French Montana, and rising artists John Blaze, RJ Tha Guru and Erik The Host.

Supreme, whose real name is Jacob Morrow, developed the concept after three years of curating hip-hop shows at Emmaus Theatre. His partnership with ArtsQuest began in 2021 when Manifest! HB first performed at Musikfest, but the relationship hit turbulence the following year.

“In 2022, things got complicated,” Supreme said in a recent interview. “Movement Moves Media rebooked us, but just a day before our show, we were suddenly told we were being pulled from the lineup based on rumors that we were ‘unprepared.'”

Supreme said he appealed directly to Kassie Hilgert, CEO of ArtsQuest, who ultimately gave the duo a different stage and date. That performance “ended up being bigger than ever, and it caught the attention of ArtsQuest’s higher-ups,” he said.

Since then, ArtsQuest has booked Manifest! HB directly for Musikfest. The duo, established in 2015 by rapper Jake Supreme and vocalist Exodus, met as college roommates and performed at the festival in 2023 and 2024 with full hour-long sets.

Supreme said the Indie Certified concept emerged from conversations with Patrick Brogan, ArtsQuest’s Chief Programming Officer, and Program Director Shayna Super. The platform was already in development before Manifest! HB was announced as the opening act for rapper Nelly at this year’s Musikfest.

“At its core, Indie Certified is about empowerment,” Supreme said. “We want to prove that independent artists can produce shows that are just as professional, impactful, and memorable as mainstream acts.”

“What we’re seeing now—through platforms like Musikfest and events like Indie Certified—is a shift,” he said. “There’s finally a bridge being built between local hip-hop culture and established institutions.”

Supreme operates Abstract Music Empire Entertainment, which he describes as focused on “helping creatives live their dreams.” The company has been working to create opportunities for local artists while building connections between the Lehigh Valley hip-hop scene and larger platforms.

“The Lehigh Valley hip-hop scene is full of talent, creativity, and hunger,” Supreme said. “There are artists here who can hold their own on any stage, but the challenge has always been visibility and opportunity.”

The inaugural Indie Certified event aims to create a legacy for the next generation of local artists, Supreme said, showing them “you don’t have to wait for validation from outside the community.”

Indie Certified is for those over 18, and tickets for the event are available through ArtsQuest’s website at https://www.steelstacks.org/event/17515/indie-certified-ft-lg-red-mcfly-and-special-guests/#venue.

The event runs from 7 pm to 10 pm Saturday, at the Fowler Blast Furnace Room at the ArtsQuest Center.