HIP HOp ARTIST DEE-1 & CHUCK CREEKMUR HEADLINE YOUth session nOV. 12 AT 5th ANNUAL FINANCIAL FREEDOM CONFERENCE

Franklin Township, New Jersey – Musician Dee-1, hosted by AllHipHop.com’s Chuck Creekmur , will perform at 1 PM Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG), as one of the highlights of the 5th Annual dfree® Financial Freedom Conference. The conference will attract some 2,500 people who are working on achieving financial security to the Central Jersey area. This concert caps off the “Say Yes to a Brighter Future” youth segment of the conference, which is open to high school and college students and starts at 10 AM.

“Young people need to be educated about financial responsibility before they encounter pitfalls and so they are an essential part of the financial freedom movement,” said DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., dfree® Creator and founder of the dfree® Global Foundation, Inc. “If the young adults who attend this conference start saving now, they’ll be millionaires or greater by the time they are ready to retire. We plan to start them on the right track and Dee-1 and Chuck Creekmur will inspire them after a great day of training.”

Dee-1, whose given name is David Augustine Jr., was signed by RCA Inspiration in 2013. Among his singles, he celebrates paying off his student loans with the song “Sallie Mae Back.” Known as a positive hip-hop recording artist, Dee-1 promotes a lifestyle of self-empowerment and community service. Some of his songs have garnered over 1 million hits on YouTube.

Chuck Creekmur, AllHipHop.com co-founder and co-CEO, is a cultural critic and pundit who started his career as a freelance journalist. He and his high school friend, Greg Watkins, launched the website that has been dubbed by Essence magazine as “the CNN of hip-hop” in 1998.

“Say Yes to the Next Level,” Nov. 10-12, 2016, is intended to motivate existing dfree® participants to accomplish their goals and to attract new audiences. The conference will encourage participants to reevaluate personal values, habits, attitudes and relationships in order to prepare themselves to move toward financial wholeness. The $40 registration fee for the conference includes lunches and can be submitted online via: http://bit.ly/2cLAyxb.

The conference also features a power-packed lineup of speakers and performers, including:

● Erica Campbell, the Grammy Award-winning recording artist & singer who formed gospel duo “Mary Mary”

● Michelle Duffie, the CEO of D3 Entertainment who promoted blockbusters such as “War Room” and “Risen”

● Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, the journalist who is known as The Money Coach

● Navarrow Wright, president of Maximum Leverage Solutions

● Kevin Johnson, Sacramento mayor and former NBA player

● DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., senior pastor, author and creator of the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement

● Dharius Daniels, senior pastor, Kingdom Church of New Jersey

● Billy H. Stanfield, Jr., senior pastor, Impact Church in Georgia

● Jay Cameron, senior pastor, The Life Center in Maryland

● Avis Yates Rivers, president and CEO, Technology Concepts Group International

● Olivia Stoner, Esq., Stoner Law Offices, Philadelphia

● Kemberley Washington, CPA, author, educator and personal finance news contributor

“When you are paying last month’s bills with next week’s check, when you’re drowning in consumer debt, you’ve lost options and lost control of your life. You’re existence promotes the welfare of others,” Soaries said. “We have to have this conversation. The reality is that we’re spending without thinking. Most Americans, in general, and African Americans, in particular, live without a budget. We don’t have spending plans or savings. We have no emergency fund. We don’t have a retirement plan or investments. In a capitalistic society, to have no capital capacity is to be non-existent.”

The dfree® Financial Freedom Movement is a practical yet holistic approach to financial security that exposes root causes of negative financial habits and provides financial literacy, faith-based methods and community support to help individuals achieve and maintain financial success.

The informative, uplifting and celebratory financial freedom conference is being held at FBCLG, 771 Somerset Street, Somerset, New Jersey 08873. The Campbell event takes place in the Main Sanctuary. The conference includes concerts, networking, youth activities and dfree® training and support. Sessions are available for beginners through seasoned dfree® participants.

The title sponsor for the conference is Prudential Financial, with Wells Fargo, Lyft, Stand Together, Griffin Capital Funding and others also participating as sponsors. Those seeking sponsorship opportunities should contact Khristi Adams, kadams@mydfree.org.

About dfree®:

Founded in 2005, dfree® is a financial freedom movement that addresses the cultural, psychological and spiritual influences on financial wellness and offers practical strategies for achieving financial success. dfree® was featured by CNN in a 90­minute documentary, “Almighty Debt,” an installment of the “Black in America” series, hosted by Soledad O’Brien. The dfree® strategy is being used by hundreds of churches and organizations worldwide. For more information about dfree® visit www.mydfree.org and follow the hashtag, #dFreeNextLevel, on social media.

Churches can join the dfree® movement by contacting Sheldon Stevenson at SStevenson@mydfree.org or Tamika Stembridge at TStembridge@mydfree.org.

About Soaries:

Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries Jr. is known as an active agent for change and is a widely-requested speaker. He is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey and former New Jersey Secretary of State. His pastoral ministry focuses on spiritual growth, educational excellence, economic empowerment and faith-based community development. Soaries, author of Say Yes to No Debt: 12 Steps to Financial Freedom, has issued a Billion Dollar Challenge as a national initiative and free resource to help individuals and families collectively pay down $1 billion in consumer debt.

N.B. Photos available upon request.