After accepting the Living Legend Award at the 2026 BET Awards on Sunday night, Lauryn Hill kept the party going at an exclusive, star-studded bash where she and Common performed and her son, Jon Nesta Marley, celebrated his 23rd birthday.
Creative agency The Jeffries, in collaboration with Culture Capital, hosted the event at Caribbean restaurant Lucia in Los Angeles in just two weeks, with more last-minute invitations being extended.
“The invitation was sent out just 24 hours before the event,” said Kendall Wertz, founder of Jefferies. Hollywood Reporter. “We wanted the concert to feel like, you know, you know. We had two performances, one by Ms. Hale and one by a surprise from Common. He even surveyed the space before he performed.”
With such a delicate transformation, Virts said every detail had to be carefully executed.
Hill performed “Everything Is Everything” and “If I Ruled the World” for attendees before Common surprised guests with an impromptu set of his own.
Led by Chief Strategist Africa Johnson, planning began with securing the venue before assembling the night’s musical lineup, including DJ Self, whose set kept guests dancing throughout the evening. Those in attendance included Lizzo, Rhapsody, Money Long, Ari Lennox, Baby Kim, Tierra, Huck, Jaydon, and Guapelli.
Hill wanted guests to realize that this was also her son’s birthday party.
“She wanted people to know” that it was his birthday, Werts said.
The evening concluded with Hill’s son celebrating alongside his siblings YJ Marley, Salah, Sarah, Zion and Mika, as well as Hill’s parents, while guests toasted the music icon’s final tribute and family milestone.
