Saleem "Taaj" Sabree and Melvin Powell met as roommates at Temple University 13 years ago. Despite being total strangers, they instantly formed a bond that led not just to a friendship but a full-blown business partnership. Most importantly, that partnership was based on a mutual goal of creating a more inclusive space in and for the Philadelphia community. They attribute much of their success to that "Temple spirit."

It's not every day that you bond instantly with your roommate freshman year at college, and it's certainly not every day that you become best friends and end up creating multiple projects with them over a decade later. However, that's exactly what happened between Melvin Powell, STH '13, and Saleem "Taaj" Sarbe, KLN '13, who've not only started two production groups together but created a brand spawning multiple feel-good events and festivals that are now ubiquitously known within the Philadelphia community.

Taaj and Melvin were both freshman-year roommates at 1940 in 2009; both were new to Philadelphia, with Taaj from Boston and Melvin from outside the Baltimore area. The two bonded quickly, enjoying both the city environment and how active the Temple University campus was. They noticed quickly, however, aspects of how students operated after classroom hours. Taaj recalled how, while enjoying the nightlife and party scene off-campus, that it was actually "pretty self-segregated," as he put it. "You had your typical fraternity parties, Black fraternity parties, sports teams would have their own, it was just you know, it wasn't really that mixed." They wanted to change that so at only 18, they created So Far Out Entertainment Group. Taaj recalled getting his mixer board controller, and with some experience at Temple's student-run radio station, WHIP, he started throwing parties with a few friends, including Melvin. They hoped to create a space that would break some of those barriers and allow folks to "just mix a little more freely."

After a few smaller parties on campus, the two had the idea of going bigger with full-blown block parties. As many Philadelphians know, and as Melvin put it, "it's just a very Philly thing." They had their first official block party in 2011, celebrating back to school. Taaj said that even back then, there was an intention to not just throw parties and have fun, but to have "purpose" behind them. Having moved into the local neighborhoods off-campus themselves, Taaj and Melvin said it gave them a better perspective on the relationship between students and the community, and that it was important for them to prove to the neighborhood that the idea could be beneficial for everyone.

"The creativity and entrepreneurship that comes out of Temple students is really next to none."

After throwing several successful block parties as students, the two graduated in 2013 and went their separate ways for a few years. In 2017, they met back up when they returned for Temple Homecoming, the yearly marquee event that regularly brings Owls back to the nest. They recalled that while they hadn't seen each other in years, it was as if no time had passed. They quickly agreed they should return to the city where they first met and start a new business together.

The two created the All Love Block Party in 2017, a free block party event with the goal of bringing the community together, empowering Black and Brown project and event curators, and showcasing artists and vendors that didn't have the resources to be a part of your typical corporate-owned large-scale events. Their first signature event was born, and a major collaborative feature of them: fellow Temple alumni-owned businesses. Melvin fondly remembered Stuff'd Buns in particular, an alumni-owned business that had their first event at their block party. "They got like Best of Philly or something like that two years after our event," he said proudly.

Collaborating with fellow Temple alumni-owned businesses just "happened naturally," Melvin said, thanks to the one or two degrees of separation from each other in their Philadelphia network. He explained that it was important to help out fellow alumni and local entrepreneurs, realizing that while many of them had the spirit, they didn't necessarily have the resources. Taaj added, "the creativity and entrepreneurship that comes out of Temple students is really next to none."

After a few years building the All Love Block Party event, all future planning was halted because of COVID-19 in 2020. The two spent that year thinking about additional opportunities and created their second production company, Sync Production Group. In 2021, they were able to bring the All Love Block Party back, and given the reception to it, they wanted to keep on building the brand even further. When thinking of what to do next in 2022, the idea for Black Soul Summer really came into focus. It became the overarching identity for their summer events, which included not just the All Love Block Party in July but also events all summer long, including Hip Hop in the Park and a hip-hop and jazz festival with their nonprofit partner, Mill Creek Community Partnerships.

This year, they not only will be focusing on their signature events, but have a slew of new partnered events as well. The All Love Block Party is back for its 6th iteration on Saturday, July 29th, and then Hip Hop in the Park will also be returning, on Saturday, August 12th. Their other partnered events include SPINBECUE, Free Love Fest, Goddess in the Garden and more. You can check out their entire event calendar here.

In addition to their main Black Soul Summer events, the two also do smaller events in between the festivals, for people who may want a more relaxed experience. Through all of those events, however, the theme always remains the same. "It's a sense of belonging," Melvin said. "I think that's one of the things that's missing right now."

Taaj and Melvin look back on their Temple days incredibly fondly, adding that they were extremely grateful for their experience both in and out of the classroom. Taaj recalled how there was always something unique about Temple, and that even the students he encountered from other nearby schools knew it and "felt something different too."

Once an Owl, always an Owl. Thinking back to their days as students, the two also looked back on their favorite dining options on- and off-campus. "I was a Pub Webb guy. All they had back in the day was wings. That's all you needed," Taaj said with a laugh. Melvin's choice? The crepe truck. "There were days I definitely went twice in a day. I would go and get a savory joint and then I would go back and get a Nutella crepe at the end of the day."

You can find more information about Black Soul Summer at their website, as well as @BlackSoulSummer on all social platforms. All of their events are free with RSVP. Melvin and Taaj said they're keeping the momentum going, with a Black business directory in the works containing businesses that have participated in their events, as well as merchandise dropping in the future. Want to learn about more alumni-owned businesses? Check out our Alumni Business Directory here.