WPGC 95.5 FM hosted their 15th annual For Sisters Only Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the heart of Northwest Washington, DC. I can certainly remember back to being a teenager attending these events for celebrity performances like B2K, Lil’ Bow Wow and the first time I ever say a Chuck Brown performance was at this event.

Fast forward to 2014 and I’m covering the event which saw over 5,000 tickets sold to guests ready to enjoy great food, fashion, to shop from jewelry & wellness vendors, live hair makeovers, pole dance demonstrations, a Circo Pineapple Luau, enjoy 2 panel discussions, and musical acts Diggy Simmons, Syleena Johnson, Tamar Braxton, Tank, The Chuck Brown Band and a surprise performance by T.I.

I was there to experience the event as a whole and missed the first panel discussion “She Means Business,” but I did catch the later “Why Did I Stay” discussion with panelists actress Debbie Morgan, reality TV Star Drea Kelly, R&B Divas Syleena Johnson and Monifah, and Braxton Family Values Dr. Sharron. They discussed different reasons women tend to stay in abusive situations and solutions for how she can safely find help.

Afterwards I caught up with Syleena Johnson. We talked about her upcoming projects and whether or not R&B Divas Atlanta will return for a fourth season. Stay tuned for that full interview soon. For now, enjoy this snippet.

After that my media friends and I went on a rampage to get all the footage of the expo floor we could before heading to the photo pit for the performances. In that time, I went pass VH1’s Atlanta Exes Torrei Hart’s table for Skimpy Mixers. She bought into this brand because it is a women-founded and women-owned product that helps health conscious ladies enjoy great tasting drinks guilt and calorie-free.

I then made my way over to R&B Divas LA star Lil’ Mo‘s table where she was selling and signing copies of her tell-all book “Taming Lil’ Mo.” She confirmed that R&B Divas LA begins filming season 3 next week, and that she’s working on her fourth studio album The Scarlet Letter set to be release October 27th.

Then the performances began. First up was cutie and little brother in my head Diggy Simmons. The younger girls all lost it as he danced from one side of the stage to the other, at one point jumping into the crowd from the speakers. After his set he told me that he actually lost a chain in that bold move. Not sure if it fell off or someone pulled it while reaching for him, but he said he’s still not use to the love he gets from the ladies.

Syleena Johnson and Raheem DeVaughn performed back to back balancing out the energy for the all-ages crowd, giving us soulful and captivating sets. Raheem DeVaughn says his politically driven songs like “Bulletproof” is real love music.

Before you knew it, the run of the show had been altered when T.I. felt the spirit lead him to perform. The crowd went bananas since it was unexpected and his wife Tiny was seen sitting on stage cheering on her man after their meet & greet with fans.

Tamar Braxton performed next, and brought on stage DC’s finest singers to help her perform iTunes history making single “Love and War,” while she held down the rest of the set. Her husband Vince and their baby boy Logan were also present cheering on Mama Tamar.

Finally, the main event, Tank! He came out to his party anthem “Shots Fired” and told the crowd “It feels good to be home!” He certainly performed as if he meant it, floating between singles from his six solo albums, playing the piano at one point and dancing at another.

He definitely gave his family and hometown fans a show to remember. I also got to talk to him after he signed t-shirts and took photos with fans for two hours after his set. Watch for that full interview soon too.

Overall, I enjoyed the expo and look forward to seeing what’s in store next year. Long-time CBS Radio personality Justine Love managed media relations and helped to make this event a success. It’s a pleasure not only to watch it grow and see that it’s still going strong, but to have the opportunity to experience this dynamic women’s empowerment event as media.