In 1994,

while running a mentoring programme called Each One, Teach One, Ebonnie Rowe approached DJX of the Power Move Show to talk about misogynist lyrics in Hip Hop at the time and the way women were portrayed in videos that were having a negative effect on the way young men were behaving towards women and the self esteem and confidence of young girls. He offered her an opportunity to explore these issues and she produced a 3 hour radio special of his Power Move show to discuss. As a result of being heard on the radio show by the magazine’s editors, she was asked to edit an all-female edition of Mic Check entertainment magazine. The celebration party for that issue in May 1995, intended to be a one-off show, was called “Honey Jam.” The success of the show pointed to a void in the artistic community.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and in 1995, after recognizing the need to do something about the lack of exposure and promotion given to local female artists, as well as the lack of female representation on the business side of the industry, particularly in Urban music, we came up with ideas on how to provide a safe space for, give exposure to and encourage more women in their careers in the music industry. The first show was supposed to be the only show, a celebration of the publishing of an all-female special edition of an entertainment magazine, but the enthusiastic audience wanted more, and so began the decades long journey of Honey Jam.