Kentucky rapper King P. (@KingP859) is gearing up for the 3rd annual Heart of Kentucky Juneteenth Celebration. This yearly gathering at Historic West Lane Park in Harrodsburg is set to be the BIGGEST in Kentucky! King P. along with #WorldWideVince (@Vincedeezy), BawMan Ju (@BawManJu859) of 8 Fifty Nine ENT and Mercer County natives, Sid Dunn and Samantha Mays have teamed up once again to bring together a community, celebratory festival in remembrance of those ancestors that came before. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, originated in Texas on June 19, 1865. In Kentucky, the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared enslaved people in Confederate territory free, was met with resistance. Despite the proclamation being issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, it was not fully enforced in Kentucky until after the end of the Civil War. On August 8, 1865, several months after Juneteenth, Kentucky Governor Thomas Bralette issued a proclamation declaring that “all slaves within the state are hereby declared free.” This official proclamation marked the end of slavery in Kentucky, in which some Kentucky natives celebrate “August 8th” or “August the 8th” .
This year’s event is being headlined by HoneyChild, one of the best bands out of Kentucky, along with a host of other guest including Larry Starks, Tim Talbert, Miraage, the Keith McCutchen Trio, Mary Jackson and more! Special guest speakers include Marcus Withers of Wither’s Automotive, former NFL great Jason Dunn, gospel rapper and community leader Chrys Jones, and a gang of others! Also, a $1,000 cornhole tournament, a classic car & bike cruise in powered by Linton & Son’s Towing and the “Kid Olympic Games” by D1 Academy sponsored by another 8 Fifty Nine ENT based organization called The Black Academy is also being held that day. The Black Academy is a non profit organization in Harrodsburg, KY that teaches community about financial literacy, mental and physical wellness, as well as entrepreneurship and business. King P. has stated he firmly believes the keys to success and wealth are God and the ability to serve others. When asked, “What about rap? When can we expect new material from King P. and the 13th annual Southern Entertainment Award (SEA Awards) winning best label/group in the south, 8 Fifty Nine Entertainment?” King answered back with: “I have a lot more rap left in me, in fact you can say I’m really just getting started. But, that’s something for me. I don’t do it for anybody else. And right now, my focus is on helping others, and including myself, get to where we want to be financially and spiritually. We are Kings. I can rap anytime. Pull up on me at Juneteenth tho, you never know!” The self proclaimed King of Harrodsburg and Mercer County says to be on the lookout for more “EVERYTHING” coming from the #8FiftyNineENT camp in the future. This year’s Heart of KY Juneteenth Celebration starts at 8am with a prayer walk and ends with a bang at 10pm on June 17. Follow @juneteenthky or visit www.JuneteenthKY.com for more information on the festival or becoming a sponsor or vendor. Also visit www.theblackacademy.org for more information on online courses, kid registration, and sponsorship/partnerships opportunities.
