Last spring, Taylor Tousana organized the first Femme Energy Fest, a music and wellness event with all-women and femme performers. Roughly 300 guests gathered in west Midtown to see headliners Baby Tate and Kari Faux while participating in activities like pilates and sound baths.
The inspiration for the inaugural festival?
“I don’t always feel like women are given the opportunity to shine in the same way that their male counterparts are (in the music industry),” the 31-year-old Grant Park resident said.
Credit: Courtesy
Credit: Courtesy
The music industry has historically remained a “boys’ club.”
In 2024, women only made up 37.7% of artists on the year-end Hot 100 chart, with 18.9% of songwriter credits and 5.9% of producer credits, per a 2025 report conducted by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, a think tank that studies diversity and inclusion in entertainment.
That’s why, for Tousana (who previously worked in music management for Atlanta-based indie label Awful Records), creating safe spaces for women in music has become imperative, especially as cases like that of Sean “Diddy” Combs come to light. The music mogul is on trial for federal sex trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
As Combs’ trial continues, some within Atlanta’s music scene demand greater advocacy for women.
From lawsuits to federal trial
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Combs, a mega-producer and entrepreneur who helped catapult hip-hop into the mainstream as founder of Bad Boy Records, was indicted in September on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied any wrongdoing. Combs remains in a Brooklyn detention center.
“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community,” Combs’ legal counsel said in a statement following the indictment. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal.”
The investigation partially stemmed from a bombshell civil lawsuit filed by Combs’ ex, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, in November 2023, accusing him of rape and physical abuse. A day later, the suit was settled for $20 million. Since then, more than 70 civil lawsuits have been filed against Combs, who has vehemently denied all allegations.
Combs’ federal trial began last month. Prosecutors allege Combs ran a criminal enterprise to sex traffic two women. The defense claims Combs’ relationships with the women were consensual.
Combs’ alleged victims, Ventura and a recent ex-girlfriend testifying under the pseudonym “Jane,” have taken the stand. Court proceedings are slated to end by the July 4 holiday.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The 55-year-old Combs is the latest prominent male figure in the hip-hop world to face sexual and physical abuse allegations — following high-profile cases including R. Kelly (convicted in two federal trials in 2021 and 2022 of racketeering and sex trafficking) and Tory Lanez (convicted in 2022 of shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion).
The frequency at which these cases arise have led Tousana to ponder whether the music industry is a safe space for women at all.
“The reason that the music industry is a place where an abuse cycle continues is because the music industry relies on social circles and social currency to advance in it,” Tousana said. “In the music industry, a lot of times it’s about who you know.”
Beyond Diddy
Unlike other cities, the most powerful women in Atlanta’s music scene aren’t necessarily the artists, Tousana said. They’re behind the scenes as label executives, managers and publicists.
But even with that distinction, seeing women in those top roles continues to be an uphill battle across the board.
Another 2025 report by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative revealed grim stats for diversity in music leadership: women only represent 13.2% of leadership positions at top music companies.
Tousana believes artists having more women on their teams will help alleviate the industry’s cycle of abuse. She also said many men in the industry can do a better job of advocating for women.
“If somebody comes to you and says, ‘Hey, this guy did this thing to me and it made me uncomfortable. You, as a man, can ask that person in the moment, ‘Hey, would you feel comfortable with me having a conversation with this person about it? Or, how do you want me to move forward and support you on this?’”
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
JoJo Alonso, a radio host for Atlanta’s 96.1 The Beat, said memes on social media depicting allegations against Combs— with everything from baby oil to the phrase “No Diddy”— trivialize the case.
Alonso said the memes have gone too far, especially when considering that “these are people’s lives.”
“They don’t think that this stuff is funny,” Alonso, 32, said. “This is stuff that’s going to be on the internet forever. (The alleged victims) are people’s kids, family members, friends. They’re gonna see things like this. I don’t think that it’s funny.”
Alonso, who’s worked as an on-air radio host for seven years, said support for women in the music industry means understanding that women deserve to be in those positions in the first place.
She said the industry often treats women like “a joke” — claiming that she’s had to “earn her respect” from men who’ve assumed she got her position because of her physical appearance. Alonso hopes the trial sends a message to the industry to take women seriously.
“What about the other people who are doing the exact same thing as Diddy (is accused of) but don’t have his same power?,” Alonso said. “Are you going to persecute them the same way? He’s not the only person who (allegedly) uses his power against women. I’m just hoping that this (case) scares some people.”
Credit: Courtesy of Joy Young
Credit: Courtesy of Joy Young
For Joy Young, building community around women in music is crucial. Young previously worked in promotions at Atlantic and Interscope Records before launching her own label, Playtime Music, last year.
She said she hopes that the trial inspires music companies to offer more education resources about harassment, even in the subtlest forms.
“The entertainment industry is fast-paced, and there’s a lot of drinking at events. There are no dress codes or anything, so a lot of things might fly over your head. There needs to be some type of workshop where women can understand that if someone touches you in a certain way or make certain comments, don’t brush that off. That is a form of harassment.”
Tousana plans to bring Femme Energy Fest back later this year — continuing her work of amplifying women in music. Regardless of the outcome of Combs’ trial, Tousana said the case is already setting a precedent for the industry.
“It is really important for people to see allegations like this with such a high-profile and powerful person. “He is literally one of the most powerful men in the nation and in the music industry, period. … I do think that it will make a difference.”
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