Issuu

The

Words Beats & Life Biannual Magazine

18 TABLE OF

EVENTS ON DECK APRIL THROUGH AUGUST

Check out what events we are rolling out over the next six months. From the full schedule of events at WBL Fest 2024 to poetry performances and competitions, concerts, dance battles, graffiti jams, seminars and our upcoming summer concerts.

OUR VISION FOR THE YEAR 2040

Learn how our “Towards 2040” fellowship strives to enact meaningful change using hip-hop as an outcome-driven, design-centered cultural practice to ensure justice and equality for all.

COVER STORY 2040 VISION WITH ASAD ALI JAFRI

Dive into the future of hiphop and social change with the "Towards: 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship." Meet the creative director reimagining the culture's impact on society.

Relive our iconic 50 years of hip-hop celebration with these photos from our DMV Hip-Hop 50 concert at the Lincoln Theater in DC.

PHOTO ESSAY: DMV HIP-HOP 50 CONCERT

Cover Art: Sofi I

CENTERING MARGINALIZED VOICES

COTTON: A RETROSPECTIVE

Experience a powerful fusion of art and youth voices in this multimedia presentation that is a thought-provoking collection of poems in response to John E. Dowell's project "Cotton."

ARTIST PROFILE: INTIKANA CREATES A LIBERATED FUTURE THROUGH ART

“Towards 2040: Creative Leaders” Fellow and multidisciplinary artist shares his vision for hip-hop as an Indigenous artist and storyteller.

EXTENDED FAMILY: TOWARDS 2040 FELLOWS

Get to know the five fellows selected to participate in our 2024 “Towards 2040: Creative Leaders” Fellowship.

ARTS EDUCATION: SUMMER 2024 ACADEMY PROGRAMS

Discover where in DC you can experience our free, innovative arts education curriculum.

PHOTO ESSAY: FRESHEST OF ALL TIME AT THE KENNEDY CENTER

Witness top breakers defy gravity and leave it all on the floor in this collection of photos from our National Dance Day battle

CONTRIBUTORS

Editor-In-Chief of The EQ and Marketing & Communications Director for

Life

Senior Editor of The EQ and Executive Director of Words

and

Senior Editor of The EQ and Marketing & Communications Manager for Words Beats & Life

Dominic Painter

Erica Keith Mikal Amin Lee

Crystal Alexandra Richard Soben

Mazi Mutafa Adrienne Bedsole

Words Beats &

Art Director of The EQ

Journal Art Director for Words Beats & Life Writing contributor to The EQ

Beats & Life

Letter from the Executive Director

uestions; How often do you think about where you will be in 10 years? In 2020, Asad Ali Jafri and I organized three think tanks of artists, scholars and organizers that we have worked with from around the world to ask them how the world would be different from 2020 because of the next two decades of their work. Lots of beautiful ideas came out of those think tanks and we shaped them into what we have come to call “A Vision for 2040.” (see it for yourself at wblinc.org/2040vision)

One of the ideas was rooted in financial and educational investment in the next generation of leaders. Fortunately enough for us, the National Endowment of the Arts awarded us a large grant to support the creation of the “Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship.” In its first year, 202223, the fellowship was national, with recipients from the New York Tristate Area and the Midwest in Chicago. This year in 2023-24, we made the fellowship applicants exclusively from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

We hope to continue to have classes of The Towards 2040 Fellowship until 2040 made up of local, national and international fellows, God willing. We plan to have the fellows play a leadership and visioning role in our annual WBL Festival and to maintain our collaborative relationships into the future. Each of the fellows has a mentor and participates in monthly solutions sessions. The beautiful thing about them being local this year is that they are already collaborating, beyond the fellowship.

We see this investment into the future leaders of our field and community as vital to our mission. It allows us to seed the ideas of folks building toward the goals and outcomes detailed in the vision for 2040 in real and meaningful ways. I hope you enjoy this fourth issue of the EQ and ask yourself, “How will the world be different in 2040 because of the work you are doing today?”

Service,

Mazi Mutafa

BOARD MEMBERS

JAMILA SAMS

KENYSHA BARTEE PTOSHA DAVIS CHAIR

SAMANTHA

NAIMA MCINTOSH

SECRETARY

ELAINE KENNEDY

WILLIAM HEGWOOD

JONES

TIMOTHY ANNE BURNSIDE

DISHAN DE SILVA

SAAFIR RABB

TONIA WELLONS

A. NAUDEN

GLORIA

BRAVE NEW VOICES NATIONAL COMPETITION FINALS

The Howard Theater, 620 T St NW, Washington DC 20001

DMV MADE: A CULTURE & WELLNESS FESTIVAL

The National Mall, 14th St SW & Jefferson Dr SW, Washington DC 20004

SLAMTASTIC YOUTH OPEN MIC AND POETRY SLAM

Busboys And Poets, 2021 14th St NW, Washington DC 20009

DMV HIP HOP ANNIVERSARY

The Lincoln Theater, 1215 U St NW, Washington DC 20009

Busboys And Poets, 2021 14th St NW, Washington DC 20009 20 03 03 27 10 JUL AUG JUL AUG AUG

SLAMTASTIC YOUTH OPEN MIC AND POETRY SLAM

Photo Credit: Antar Hanif

2040 Vision with Asad Ali Jafri

written by Mikal Amin Lee

The year is 2040…

The world continues to struggle with critical problems threatening the very existence of the planet, war, famine, violence, indifference and a lack of empathy and compassion for our fellow human beings. Leaders of the world are either unequipped or unwilling to unite people across every divide and think boldly and courageously on how to address the myriad challenges that face the globe. Now, let’s take another look.

The year is 2040…

The world continues to struggle with critical problems threatening the very existence of the planet, except this time, there are bold, brave and creative thinkers and doers filling the gaps. Innovation, creativity and love lead decisions and actions with ideas never attempted now driving the way forward. It’s this second vision, Asad Ali Jafri, the “Towards: 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship” Director, hopes to fulfill with the Words Beats & Life (WBL) initiative that began in 2020. A native Chicagoan, it has been Asad, along with WBL founder Mazi Mustafa, who began to think deeply about first, the future of WBL, and then the world. The

process began with four global tanks in the summer of 2020, which brought together various members of the hip-hop community to forge a dream of what the world could look like in 2040. Ultimately, the vision was simple.”

In 2040, hip-hop will be over 65 years old. Words Beats and Life will be approaching 40 years. We believe that by 2040, hip-hop will have evolved itself again from an aspirational culture and set of values to an outcome-driven, design-centered cultural practice that lives in communities across the globe and ensures justice and equality for all that encounter it.

The think tanks went about codifying values and principles they believed would set WBL on the path to being an engine and incubator for the practices they believed would revolutionize the world. As well, they thought about a few key areas of focus — creative economies, social justice, arts education and cultural diplomacy that would be the pillars on which future projects could spring from. Fast forward to 2022 and the first cohort of fellows was launched to great success. Now in its second year, the “Towards: 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship,” is taking the learnings from the previous year to map out the next iteration of the vision.

Asad, the fellowship’s director, met with me as he sat in a beautiful hotel the night before he was to meet with the current crop of fellows for this year. Asad’s passion, optimism and pragmatic approach to the vision

In 2040, hip-hop will be over 65 years old. Words Beats and Life will be approaching 40 years.

Photo Credit: Joseph Stein

were evident as we discussed all aspects of not only the fellowship but the overall vision for 2040. I wanted to know first, what was his role in the process.

“My role comes under the strategy and innovation aspect of WBL’s work. Along with Mazi, I conceived the fellowship and how it should be framed and rolled out for at least the next few years.”

And to those ends, the fellowship is meant to “strive to enact meaningful change by 2040, using hip-hop as an outcome-driven, design-centered cultural practice to ensure justice and equality for all.” The fellows covering a myriad of disciplines, backgrounds and practices are equipped with mentors, a guided curriculum and in this iteration conceived as a cohort working on a collective project that displays and utilizes their unique talents and skillsets towards a common goal. The plan is audacious, but that was

always the intent, and neither Asad or Mazi were under any delusions that it would be easy.

“We’ve said 2040 but really as we go through each year, we know that 2040 will get closer and closer. It's really just supposed to be a time in the future (2040) that’s hard for us to plan for. Mazi and I both thought in 2020 that since WBL will is twenty years old what do he next twen-ty years look like? Then we convened people, our global WBL extended family, to think through these next 20 years with us. It felt difficult for all of us to think that far ahead and say this is what those results would look like and that was kind of this moment that made us think, maybe we need to do something about that. Ideally, through this fellowship, folks can contribute to this idea thinking, ‘well here’s this goal that seems far off’ and then working backwards to say this is what we need to be doing now so that can be our reality in the future. I feel that Hip Hop in that way is not just working in it’s own silo. We’re involved in

Photo Credit: Joseph Stein

society in all different aspects, contributing that transformative power that I think exists within this culture and it’s practitioners.”

The 2024 crop is a diverse mix. Neilah Carillo Noa is a community organizer, martial artist, choreographer and dancer who works in the community and has been recognized by the Red Bull Academy for working with them on various events. Kelvin Lyons is a community organizer with an amazing podcast centering Black men’s voices and engaging them in important topics around leadership, core values and contributing positively to the community. Chitra Subramanian is a dancer and choreographer who blends her South Indian heritage and hip-hop to create pieces that elevate and inspire unseen and new audiences.

Kerim Joseph is a producer and DJ who created an interdisciplinary project, Flowbot Meta that incorporates djing and multiple instruments in a live marching band format. He is also the first DJ to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp. Finally, Jassie Rios is an interdisciplinary artist in the fields of Djing, poetry, production and Yoga. She is the first woman to win the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech with her hybrid turntable, gramFX. This particular group is also unique as their fellowship coincides with the 50th anniversary. I wanted to know, given this special moment for the culture, if there were any hopes or goals Asad had for this group to contribute to the semicentennial of hip-hop,

“Well, I’ll answer this in two parts. First there is the evolution of the culture itself, its forms, its understanding of itself, because I always feel hip-hop (culture) is very self-referential. Some of the fellows are really innovating the forms they are working with and really thinking about how this all works. I’ll give you a couple of examples with current fellows. We happen to have two fellows that are DJs, among other things, and I think both of them are thinking about that form of sharing music in new and different ways. One through kind of a live performance element that includes percussive and live composition as a DJ

Photo Credit: Joseph Stein

that I feel is really different and avante-garde and groundbreaking and that’s Kerim the DJ (Kerim Joseph). The other, Jassie Rios is doing som ething that is almost retro-futuristic.

Jassie is taking really old records on a gramophone and doing historical critique of some of the lyrics and music forms and some of the problematic stuff that’s in there and destroying the record literally after playing it, showing that we have some ownership over the past and can redirect that for our future. Those are methods that I think are really clever and innovative (to demonstrate the evolution of the culture).

The other way I’m thinking about this is if we’re thinking that hip-hop in 2040 or the community that it represents should be a force for change-making in the world, then in some way can we envision now what that looks like. And start building towards it more intentionally.”

What links this new cohort with the inaugural class is how, as Asad mentioned, they “are

critically engaging with our world,” and not only thinking about the traditional forms and practices but how the ethos of hip-hop can be the directive for their ideas and projects.

Asad talked about Ayesha Riaz, an architect by training, who contributed to the 2023 cohort, looking at displaced people around the globe and thinking about space. Her work looks at how space is transformed and how we can have a responsibility to critique those systems and offer solutions. So within the ethos of the culture, reappropriating and reclaiming public spaces, the exposure of the inequity and reimagining new ways to address it feels and is hip-hop. Juaquanda Saulter Villegas' project, “Wise Ones,” focused on connecting elders to the current generation through wellness. Din Tolbert’s work also focused on wellness, specifically mental health, and was similar to Kelvin Lyon’s project in its focus on Black men. Intikana’s reimagining of his album and documentary “Native Eyes” into a book and full curriculum for public schools is steeped in hip-hop pedagogy. Queena Ber -

gen, a poet and artist, has hacked the funding world and her project was developing a website with resources to show other artists how to similarly take advantage of the numerous resources and opportunities for independent artists. These ideas of connecting to the past, innovating old systems and reimagining and retaking public space are all within the DNA of hip-hop culture.

With the diversity of leaders through both cohorts, I wanted to learn more about the cohort's process and how they’ve been con -

structed. One of the interesting things in the evolution from year one to year two was the focus from a broader national group, to having a cohort selected exclusively from a pool in the DMV area. Asad was clear that “the fellowship is really experimental" and “until 2040, we hope there will be some form of the fellowship, though it might not be the same every year.” There were practical and philosophical reasons for the change. First, one of the learnings that they took away from year one, according to Asad, was the synergy of the group when meeting in person, which wasn’t able

to happen regularly due to the geographical challenges.

“The first year was a national fellowship, it met virtually. We learned that the virtual wasn’t as transformational as the two meetings held in the District of Columbia (with the first cohort).

The second learning was that the first cohort shared ideas and observations despite having individualprojects and how that could be cultivated more. Asad continued, “In year two, what if the meetings were all in person (once a month) and limited to the DMV. What if cul -

tural workers and arts administrators as well, were added to the group and worked on both individual projects and also the WBL Festival collectively?” Asad and Mazi saw in the second cohort the opportunity for them to work collectively on a project rather than have them only focus on individual ones.

This had another unexpected but very welcomed and powerful outcome. Asad breaks it down,

“It’s that idea of a ‘crew’ and that’s why it’s in person. Those five fellows from year one who were working individually also became a crew but a different type of crew because they were working on different projects. But because of the whatsapp group and me learning that they (the first cohort) were working on trying to meet each other in their own cities, I thought ok, something important is happening here that is more important than anything that we did in those creative sessions and it's the creation of that bond.”

The vision for 2040 is just beginning to come into focus — year two is under way, but already the innovation, collective spirit and pro-active practice that in part defines hip-hop culture is evident throughout the structure of the fellowship. As WBL and the fellowship move forward, Asad gives some final observations on what he believes is the way forward, for not only the fellowship but for society.

“If we are going to transform this world that we are living in, we have to get out of that competitive mindset that pits people against each other, especially certain folks as well as this myth that there is a scarcity or lack of resources. So it’s intentional to say ‘where's that collaboration, that crew, that chosen family?’”

Indeed, Asad, indeed.

Photo Credit: Victoria Ford Sneakshot Photography

Hip-hop turned 50 on August 11th, 2023 and all weekend long the world celebrated the impact of arguably the greatest cultural movement in history. In Washington D.C. at the historic Lincoln Theater, Words Beats & Life assembled a line up of DC, Maryland and Virginia based hit-makers and local legends who have carried the MCing, DJ and poetry torches over the decades. The concert, DMV HIP HOP 50, paid homage to the District’s impact on the culture, reuniting hit makers and local heroes alike on the iconic “Black Broadway” (U Street NW) in a reunion that will be remembered for years to come.

Event producers: Omrao Brown, DJ RBI and Mazi Mutafa

Photos by Victoria Ford @sneakshotphotography

FEATURED ARTISTS

ADÉ, Asheru, blackpicasso (Poem-Cees), Dior Ashley Brown, DJ RBI, DJ Shablast, DJ 2-Tone Jones, Enoch, Flex Mathews, Gods’illa, The Legendary DJ Kool, Meridians, Nina Beam, Nonchalant, O-Slice, Odd Mojo, Oddisee & Good Compny, Priest Da Nomad, Prowess The Testament, Questionmark Asylum, Rah, Sammy Bravo, Sub Z, Substantial, Toni Blackman, Uptown XO, yU

Diamond District (Oddisee, Uptown XO, yU) with Good Compny

The Legendary DJ Kool

Jovi, Nelson, Hamza & Axiz

Nonchalant

Meridians

DJ RBI

Rah Black Picasso

The Legendary DJ Kool with DJ Silva

Sub Z

O-Slice

Enoch

Sammy Bravo

Nina Beam

Toni Blackman

O-Slice

Dior Ashley Brown

Priest Da Nomad

Substantial

Prowess The Testament

Asheru

Flex Mathews

Oddisee with Good Compny

Odd Mojo with dancer

EXCERPTS FROM A RETROSPECTIVE

On Tuesday February 28th, 2023, the Washington Performing Arts Society invited several of WBL’s outstanding youth artists to the John F. Kennedy Center to witness an incredible multimedia performance that reached out into the crowd using photography by John Dowell, opera vocals by Denyce Graves and the moving words of Nikki Giovanni, Alor Young and others.

For the next hour & a half, our students watched the story of America - our inhumanity, our resilience, & our spirit through expression. The youth poets of Words Beats & Life produced a presentation based on their response to the show, Cotton, resulting in the following poems.

Patrick Washington

Excerpt from WBLit Mag issue 2, edited by Dominic Painter for The EQ Magazine You can read more poems and watch performance videos at wblinc.org/cotton

Forced Labor

by Malachi “Malpractice” Byrd

Formal Resignation

The moment an occupation outweighs my boundaries I run. Away. Freedom Sought & Self Emancipated from being anyone else’s capital especially in the place I’m from Before we worried about the cost of living we were worried about the cost of processions how we would pay for the repast when the grief itself hasn’t even passed.

And this all this anger can’t be mine but all this land has to be I am as free – As freedom Which means everything about this existence came at a cost

How many blocks can I buy with a bale of cotton?

How come this t-shirt is new but I feel like it’s been worn before My land got put on the auction block and somebody with cotton in the wrong pocket bought my bloodline and made us work Brought here against my will gentrified against my will and still have nothing for my child to inherit so when I say I am my ancestors wildest dreams, I mean I quit.

I mean no cotton, corporation, or caucasian will control my content or my character I may not know where my next check will come from but I know that my grandpa knew blue collar work like the back of his hands, and grandma didn’t have machine to wash the burgundy bruises out of the family’s overalls She taught when colors bleed in the wash, it’s because the hands that picked it are begging to grasp anything soft

All this anger can’t be mine all this fire I been feeling must be embers from my elders because who else understands why I feel shackles I cannot see

Who else can explain why my little sister – even as a young age never picked flowers out of the ground?

I pray the hands she loves nevers pluck her from your place

Because blood don’t run on benign and good intentions aren’t good enough to sustain a lifeline

All this anger can’t be mine all this fire I been feeling must be embers from my elders because who else understands why I feel shackles I cannot see

Cry me a river that can quench a crisis hydration that can heal and human a rain so heavy the cotton is too heavy to wear

The decision is to not be indebted in spirit

The leave the soil more rich than you left it That’s the poem

That I will quit. Anything and everything. Do not ask me what I want to be when I grow up

because I do not dream of labor. I reject the rationale that we need to aspire towards dead presidents or any type of life they lived that he would rather die without it than to kill for it

But this cotton, these clothes, and this everyday choice to be cloaked in our country’s calamity is why I remember

The right to rebel

The audacity to be outraged and the nagging Nat Turner in these nerves my presence is perpetual a promise to never be a penny or a percentage a commitment to love without a price

A promise to my descendents that we will never again be picked or picked on

Alive

by Chimwekele Okoro

Who truly is free?

Some think themselves to be free, But find a semblance of comfort in the captivity of others. They argue: they do not look like me, speak like me, think like me.

but: Look at me! Who are we if we aren’t our brother’s keeper? Who are we if we desensitize ourselves from this collective anguish? Who are we if we aren’t human?

The earth groans from all the blood in its core. The sky shrieks from all the screams ignored. The mountains whisper the atrocities committed in secret. Nothing is hidden.

The greatest weapon is separation, casting away connection by establishing castes to reinforce discrimination. If we cannot lay down our arms and open our arms to one another, there is no possibility for unity. If we do not open our eyes to this disguise, this veil cannot be lifted.

We must realize: We are one. We are either together or separated. We are either free or confined. We are either alive or dead.

2024 TO 2040

Meet the five new “Towards 2040 Creative Leaders” Fellows who are leading the pack in hip-hop philanthropy, technology and entrepreneurship.

Learn more about the program at wblinc. org/towards2040

NEILAH CARRILLO

Neilah is a dedicated professional dancer, martial artist, photographer and community leader with a deep passion for dance, hip-hop culture, photography, community and unity. With 15+ years of experience, Neilah has coached dance and martial arts, supported community leaders and led One Take Studios for 6+ years, wearing multiple hats as the owner, program director, event organizer, photographer, videographer, instructor and community leader. Her journey in dance and hip-hop began at 5, intensifying in her teens. She has committed to teaching volunteers who help kids from Puerto Rico's public schools through dance, striving to uplift the community by impacting souls through the art forms, believing that small steps create lasting change. Passion, love and commitment make the impossible possible.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Neilah finds joy in giving back through hip-hop culture. This balance enriches her creativity and contributions to Words Beats & Life. Chosen by Red Bull for four years running, she has been part of events like Red Bull Dance Your Style and BCOne. Collaborating with DMV community leaders, including dancers, DJs and graffiti artists, they unite as One Take Studios providing fun and educational activities for youth while fundraising for schools. She has also worked with WBL in the past. Hola! Celebrities, Voyage Baltimore, DC Contigo, Fox Baltimore, Red Bull, Loudoun Now and others recognize her work. She is excited to collaborate with WBL on future projects and is grateful for the opportunity to explore and uplift hip-hop culture. Let's create and learn together.

Kelvin Lyons is a devoted project manager and community organizer, driven by his passion for cultivating leaders and fostering connections between men, youth, and businesses to fortify and empower the community. Beyond his professional commitments, he actively engages as a mentor and basketball coach, working closely with young men aged 16-24 through local and national organizations.

Kelvin firmly believes that music serves as a potent tool for creating a movement that informs, inspires, and generates positive outcomes. His enthusiasm for curating music showcase productions was ignited during his involvement with

community. Over the past three years, they have experienced remarkable growth, accumulating over 1,000 YouTube subscribers, 700 Instagram followers, and nurturing an engaged community of Black men committed to personal growth and community building.

Their content is a conversation series that delves into pivotal topics, including core values, leadership mindset, mental health, masculinity, and the profound influence of hip-hop and their culture. Their vision entails the continuous creation of impactful series that inform, empower, and uplift the audience. Furthermore, they are thrilled to broaden their reach through the launch of an

KELVIN LYONS

CHITRA SUBRAMANIAN

Chitra Subramanian is an Indian American dancer, choreographer and educator residing in Washington, DC. A Pittsburgh native, and originally from South India, Chitra currently teaches, choreographs and performs with an emerging collective of artists called chitra.MOVES. Her aesthetic draws from Hip-Hop and Indian Classical foundations to tell stories, elevate artists and meaningfully engage unseen and new audiences.

Anchored by her years of education work with young people and their families in DC, Chitra explores themes centered on relationships, community and institution to expose untapped potential and talents, and her work shares rich, cultural movement traditions that come together in unique and raw ways. Chitra's process draws from deep community ties with institutions that have transformed her as a person. Heavily influenced by her immigrant roots and her love for Hip-Hop, Chitra has cultivated over 20 years of experience in youth work, teaching, choreography, performance and learning.

Chitra's dance work has been performed at the Kennedy Center, Joe's Movement Emporium, Dance Place, Ladies of Hip-Hop Festival, DanceUSADance via India's ZeeTVNetwork (NYC), PearlPresents Festival at New Hazlett Theater (Pittsburgh) and Three Rivers Arts Festival (Pittsburgh). Additionally, Chitra has created works and taught at several education spaces, including The American University, Slippery Rock University, CityDance Center, The Sitar Arts Center, Mentors of Minorities in Education (M.O.M.I.E), Arts for Learning Maryland and the Madeira School. Chitra is the recipient of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Fellowship Program, the VOICES Residency and NextLOOK Residency.

KERIMJOSEPH

KERIMtheDJ has been performing profes sionally as a musician based out of Wash ington, D.C. for the last eight years. He is a musician who crosses the disciplines of turntablism, percussion and technology to provide art through show experiments and service. He has been called upon to perform for and educate people internationally, dig itally and most often locally. In the spirit of continuing this work, he believes he would be a fitting candidate for this fellowship based on the scope of his latest project, Flowbot Mela, and the fact that he is the first DJ to ever exist on a U.S. postage stamp.

This experience has been developed as a mix series that is the first of its kind. Flowbot Mela is a collection of songs and improvised sounds sampled, com posed and mixed through the lens of a DJ. Each episode acts as an audio time-capsule that freezes and prints the moments in which it was record ed. During the experiment, Kerim the DJ is translating his inspirations in real-time through live compositions (often made by sampling during the recording) mixed with music of any genre that can describe the mo ment.

Staying true to its name, Flow bot Mela merges vertical pianos, showstyle marching-band drum ming and DJing to create a cross way of multi-media art that culti vates synergy in any facility due to the portability of the methods used to produce the experiment. Episodes are filmed outside the traditional DJ setting, with a focus on abstraction, a common theme in many of his works.

JASSIE RIOS

Jassie Rios is an interdisciplinary sound artist, DJ, poet and yogini. Inspired by science and technology, her work aims to create hybrid ecosystems that amplify the relationship between humans, technology and the natural world through the lens of electronic drawing, music and hip-hop philosophy. She relies on formal training in music and drawing, composition and sound design to create hybrid instruments, experimental performances and interactive installations that function as philosophical tools to engage with space and community and activate questions about the world around us.

Referred to as the "X-Prize" for electroacoustic instrument design by Wired magazine, Jassie is the first woman to

Shifter Lab in NY, the Rhizome DC and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Stevens Institute for Technology and the Torpedo Factory in Arlington, VA.

A dedicated teaching artist, she has extensive experience teaching art in public education, non-profit organizations and the private sector, designing curriculum, implementing workshops and developing community outreach and educational programs. She holds a K-12 advanced professional certification in visual arts and a 200 TTC (Yoga Teacher training) certification in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.

Originally from the border of Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, her influences are derived from the Rio Grande, the streets of Laredo and the bilingual language systems that create hybrid ways of speaking, moving

CREATING A LIBERATED FUTURE THROUGH ART

“TOWARDS 2040: CREATIVE LEADERS” FELLOW AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST INTIKANA SHARES HIS VISION FOR HIP-HOP AS AN INDIGENOUS ARTIST AND STORYTELLER.

Crystal Alexandra with interview conducted by Abigail Kussow

hen we look seven generations forward and seven generations back, there is always a catalyst that lays the foundation for artists to know themselves. At his core, Intikana is a multimedia artist, educator and storyteller working toward a liberated future through his multifaceted art mediums and cultural education work.

For over 15 years, this Bronxraised Puerto Rican artist has used his craft to mentor young people across educational spectra and contexts. As a recipient of the Bronx Recognizes Its Own Award (BRIO), Intikana’s cultural fusions within his work and ancestral knowledge

inform his praxis as a performance artist and educator.

Since the age of seven, he has been rhyming, drawing, writing and evolving his artistic mediums through video. This MC, illustrator and multidisciplinary teaching artist was one of five fellows selected for the inaugural “Towards 2040: Creative Leaders Fellowship” (Towards 2040) in 2023. Throughout the fellowship with Words Beats and Life (WBL), each fellow develops a project that helps build a future that is communal and just. Intikana’s project “Native Eyez: Lyrics & Curriculum,” contributes to a larger ecosystem for building a communal future that is just and equitable.

"A lot of times when I’m teaching, in my work, it’s liberation work. Giving people the tools they need to learn themselves. That’s the foundation."

There is always something to learn and grasp that calls Intikana to create with a purpose that is larger than himself. Intikana — Inti, the Incan-Quechua word for sun and kana from the Taino word ‘makana,’ meaning an instrument that has no beginning and no end — it is infinite. “I wanted to spark the higher self in me when people call my name because our names really matter,” says Intikana about what it means to usher in the knowledge of ancestral education.

Much of his work within education involves creating environments for students to be able to learn about themselves through art. As a “Towards 2040” fellow, Intikana’s forthcoming book, “Native Eyez: Lyrics & Curriculum” offers complex and nuanced histories regarding Indigenous storytelling in the Americas. Using liberation and freedom as foundational pedagogies, Intikana works to evolve youth’s understanding of themselves and the world through various artistic mediums.

Working from a restorative hiphop educational lens, Intikana prioritizes the cultural mechanics behind the art that he makes. Within this practice, he elevates this embodied knowledge to his communities. As an educator, he is always prepared to exercise his storytelling apparatus with the students he teaches.

“No matter what I went through in my life, the pen and paper is always waiting. The mic is always ready to turn on. It’s there. No matter what, I have my art.”

Through the intersections of rhyme and drawing, Intikana got his start competing in different battles and contests. While expanding on his lifelong craft, Intikana maps out the stories of

his experiences growing up in the Bronx as Indigenous and Puerto Rican. From witnessing colonial violence play out in New York City communities to merging his social observations with his art, Intikana continues to use the culture of hip-hop as a tool for resistance.

While working at his high school Alma Mater and different education programs, Intikana’s developing art praxis began a dialogue among students that engaged them in the critical identity work of an artist. Using teaching comprehension skills, Intikana creates environments and spaces where youth embody the stories within themselves. His approach to the intersections of healing, hip-hop and education prioritizes the nourishment of embodied knowledge, which encourages young artists to work through their own questions. Contextualizing histories and systems for young people trying to make sense of their world.

“I was leaving an opening for things to change.”

As a young artist navigating his identity and understanding his Indigenous culture, this Nuyorican poet is no stranger to balancing nuanced realities. While he has performed, illustrated and written throughout his life, these cultural influences can be heard through Intikana’s music. This unique term, Nuyorican, represents a shared experience of belonging to both Puerto Rico and New York City. Like many artists with this heritage, Intikana’s Puerto Rican and New York City roots impact the ways in which he sees the world.

This Gun Hill Road artist reflects on this connection in his music. ”Although I'm Boricua,” explains Intikana, “I was not born on the Island of Boríken (Puerto Rico). Growing up, I used to go there every summer but my Bronx accent made me stand out. New York City is the only place that I genuinely feel at home. I wrote a rhyme about this once.”

“And, for the record, I ain't Spanish just because I speak it

I ain't Hispanic, Latino or even Puerto Rican

My family's from La Isla de Boríken / Soy Boricua Puerto Rican is a mixed breed / I just can't conceive it If anything, I'm Nuyorican and I truly mean that And I seek to raise consciousness everytime I speak it And tell me why is it fact that's measured by consensus I don't have it in me to just satisfy your census Latino is geographical / They wanna summarize us But Latin is the dead language of the colonizers. -Intikana

Intikana’s work and upcoming book “Native Eyez: Lyrics & Curriculum ” are the embodiment of his joy and love for learning. “I’ve never done anything positive without other people,” he mentions about doing this creative work in the community. Intikana’s love for the people who love him is heard from rhyme to rhyme. Seen in this current iteration of his creative practice, he no longer seeks approval from others in doing this work. “I know enough to be sure about myself — finally,” says the Bronx Nuyorican.

Intikana is confident in his spirit of hip-hop and the legacy that continues to live on through it. “You may not even believe in the plan, if you knew my

plan. But, trust me. I gotta do this. And when I get to the other side, stay with me, cause you’ll be with me too.”

This project will interrogate the questions of what freedom, liberation and sovereignty look like for Indigenous bodies. It is a project intended to encourage people to consider and question the social aspects of their existence within the contexts of colonial borders. “The social aspect of writing is instrumental, essential and key to the success of a project.” This facet of Intikana’s storytelling is a large part of how he envisions the pathway toward a liberated future.

“Stay

Alive. Keep making art.”

By the year 2040, Intikana is looking to expand his contributions as a thought leader and educator through the lens of hip-hop culture. From organizing events to connecting other genres of music to hip-hop, Intikana dreams of a 2040 future through his artistic praxis. He shares, “I will be a published author of multiple hip-hop related books. Books that will hopefully inspire, educate and bring international communities together.”

He is also contemplating how to propel his brand and mission by way of clothing designs and wearable fashion. While he has his hand in many pots of creativity, he still sees himself making time for his music in 2040.

“As a producer, I will be making music that highlights native culture and defies typical norms.”

Like many of his previous releases, Intikana is preparing an offering that will cast us seven generations forward and back. His journey as an author and work as a “Towards 2040: Creative Leaders” Fellow, illuminates a pathway for the important work to be done in hip-hop. Intikana’s perspectives and work as a cultural educator offer us a methodology and framework for dreaming about the future.

National Dance Day, September 16, 2023: Words Beats & Life x The Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.) held an epic battle of the break dancers with another edition of Freshest Of All Time on the Millennium Stage. Rhythmic athletes of various disciplines and backgrounds awed onlookers, defied gravity and left it all on the floor before heading outdoors for the finals. The soundtrack was provided by international veterans of the break scene, DJ Flegg and DJ Yaks. Judges Shogun, Mantis and DQ had a tough job to narrow it down but after hours of exhausting competition the top prizes went to Zastrow (2nd place) and No Cents (first place).

Event producer: DJ Flegg and Mazi Mutafa

Photos by Robert Braggs III

Scan the QR code to watch the finals or click here : https://youtu.be/mIU7H2YH_QI?feature=shared

OUR PRIORITIES

ARTS EDUCATION

Our Arts Education programming exposes students to new knowledge, techniques and methods, as well as provides opportunities to grow their knowledge and networking through alternative Winter and Spring break activities. We support opportunities for young artists to practice what we teach through performances and public art making. As well as encouraging these students to manage their own projects and events by participating in our Arts Management program. Our work in schools has been with young people in middle school, high cchool and college, with participants ranging from 12 to 22 years old. In community contexts, we work with people as young as 10 and with adults 23 and older. Despite popular misunderstandings about our culture, hip-hop is likely created, participated in, and celebrated by the most diverse set of people in terms of audiences, practitioners, supporters, and consumers. Our teachers, students, audiences, and selected master artists are diverse not just racially, ethnically, religiously, and economically, but also in terms of age, gender, orientation, and ability status. Programs include the WBL Academy, Like a Boss: Arts Management Program, Walk It Like I Talk It, and the Entrepreneurship Program. Finally, we have our college and career mentorship program, College Material.

CREATIVE EMPLOYMENT

Our Creative Employment work focuses on engaging members of the larger creative community, to share their knowledge and experience as guest speakers, mentors, and potential employers. To that end, WBL hosts a regional Alternative Spring Break focused on Visual Arts and Performing Arts, and a national alternative Winter Break speaker series focused on the media arts. Each year we also host an annual Creative Economy Internship and career fair by partnering with creative nonprofits in the D.C. metro area. We emphasize creative employment as one of our core values at WBL. By engaging members of the larger creative community, we bridge the gap between the experienced and new through our Regional Alternative Break series, career fairs, and Creative Economy Internships.

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Since 2010, Words Beats and Life has been working to send artists abroad and bring overseas artists to the US. These collaborations have taken the form of master classes, musicals, dance performances, public art creation, and offering scholarships to pay for primary schools for students in partner organizations abroad. We are working to make more of these collaborations more focused in commerce. We want to develop cooperative agreements that allow for greater exchange and revenue generation for WBL and our international partners.

CENTERING MARGINALIZED VOICES

There is power in the margins. Power to innovate, create, and tell stories that are new for many Americans. Our priority is to expand minds, knock down walls, and build bridges between communities. Our approach to this work is interdisciplinary, people of color and often women-led. It has included theater, gallery shows, mural making, poetry performances, publishing, and documentary work. This work has allowed us to share the histories of people and places through the arts that would not ordinarily attend a hip-hop-based event.

FOR THE CULTURE

WBL creates work to reach outside the hip-hop community to continue to grow it across various demographics. We host events and create work that has the hiphop community and the process of building community, in person and virtually. These are done locally, nationally, and globally. This is arts for community-building and expanding sake through culture. This work is critical considering how common knowledge of hip-hop ends at rap music on the radio. This is our effort to showcase the culture in all of its forms by lifting up the work of artists from all over the world..