The EQ. Magazine: Issue 2

The Words Beats & Life

CONTENTS

THE LIFE WE CHOSE

words by: Madison Hunt

Towards 2040 fellow Queena Bergen elevates her community through inspirational spoken word.

09

INSIDE THE EQ EVENTS ON DECK

Poetry, Live DJ Sets, Art & Music Podcasts, and our upcoming Words Beats & Life Festival. Check out what events we are rolling out over the next six months.

PEOPLE TO KNOW

Introducing the five fellows selected to participate in our Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship.

TOWARDS

2040 MENTOR: ROBERT

KARIMI

words by: Madison Hunt Karimi’s diverse work and impressive career in the art industry make him an invaluable mentor to our Towards 2040 inaugural fellows.

28 67

43 49 53

HUMBLED TO SERVE

words by: Yahsmin Mayaan Binti BoBo

Brilliant muralist CheLove spreads joy with her unparalleled talent.

A STAR TO LIGHT UP THE SKY

words by: Madison Hunt

Former Academy student Ahmad Woodward tackles gun violence with his new music video “Shoot 4 Da Starz.”

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY THROUGH ART: PAKISTAN

This photograph collection showcases the public art painted across Pakistan by master muralists Mas Paz, Maxx Moses, Isaias Cro, Cita Sadali, Rose Jaffe, and Addison Karl.

ENACTING CHANGE THROUGH OUR FIVE PRIORITIES

Words Beats & Life’s core values live and breath in our five programs; Arts Education, For The Culture, Centering Marganilized Voices, and Creative Employment.

DJS SPINNIN’ AROUND THE GLOBE

Meet the DJs from our exclusive virtual dance party, Off The Couch. Live from around the globe, we journey from Brooklyn to Paris, Lagos, and Los Angeles, to experience the unique DJ culture that lives through hip-hop, house, old school, and EDM.

COVER STORY

PATRICK WASHINGTON Q + A

words by Mazi Mutafa

Cover Art By Richard Soben

Catch up with Patrick Washington to discover how he is redefining the art of slam as Words Beats & Life’s Director of Poetry.

POP, LOCK & DROP IT

Go on, dust your shoulders off and lean back. Take in twenty years of movement through hip-hop dance in this collection of photos.

Letter from the Executive Director

If you are reading this, you are a part of our heroic community of difference-makers. You have felt the transformative power of hiphop culture. In our 20th year of service, we dedicate these pages to telling the story of our origins as witnessed by our founders. We share the highs and lows we experienced while we pioneered our hip-hop after-school program for D.C’s youth. In truth, you can learn a lot from 20 years of collaboration with the right teachers. I know I have. I feel so blessed to be a part of this global hip-hop community. I have dedicated the last 20-plus years of my life to promoting love, peace, unity, and having fun. I have found purpose in advancing freedom, justice, and equality. We are fortunate to be trusted to develop the DMV’s young creatives to make a difference in their lives and our larger community. This issue highlights some of the differences we are making today, as told by the people leading that difference.

When I sit back and think about all we have accomplished, I say with total assurance that

the best is yet to come. There is more work to do and more people we can empower to harness their creative brilliance to uplift our communities. Our lives are better when we celebrate and empower each other’s gifts. This participation is part of the journey toward uncovering our brilliance. This magazine issue is your call to action. Be a witness to our organization’s work and our impact. We need you to join us. We are ready to call you into our cipher, our sacred circle of interconnectedness. We each play our role, giving what we can and receiving what we need. You are welcome. You are most welcome to be in community with us.

- Mazi Mutafa

CATCH UP WITH PATRICK

WASHINGTON TO DISCOVER

HOW HE IS REDEFINING THE ART OF SLAM AS WORDS BEATS & LIFE’S DIRECTOR OF POETRY.

Q&A

words by Mazi Mutafa

Pen for hire, Patrick Washington discusses his journey as an independent artist to his current role as Director of Poetry at Words Beats & Life.

A poet during the golden era of hip-hop, Washington forged his fame as an activist through lyricism. An OG of D.C.’s Black Broadway on U Street, the king of lyrics, a.k.a. Black Picasso, toured the country as a member of the legendary poetic group the POEM-CEES.

Washington has spit the illest of rhymes on Russel Simmons’ HBO series Def Poetry Jam and the NFL Network. Washington is a published poet with his literary work found in distinguished academic journals such as Rom Publications: Life Through Black Eyes and the award-winning Beltway Poetry Quarterly.

Washington narrated Tavis Smiley’s National Museum exhibition ‘America I Am’. In 2011 he stood alongside prominent leaders of the civil rights movement during the dedication ceremony for Martin Luther King Jr.’s National Memorial. This significant moment in history included a keynote speech from President Barack Obama, a poem curated by Washington, and a performance by Aretha Franklin.

MAZI

Since the mid-nineties, you have been a staple in the DMV [District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia] poetry scene and are known as the Black Picasso; how did you get your stage name?

PATRICK

Black Picasso was a name that I was given back in high school. Like most kids, I wanted to be a rapper, well, most kids around my way at the time. I was in a duo with Anton Baxter; his stage name was Gangsta Hip-Hop and he looked the role. He had swag very much like Just-Ice, you know? Anton Baxter, a.k.a. Gangsta Hip-Hop gave me the name Black Picasso, partly because I sprayed graffiti in PG Country; I was hitting up the walls behind the school and overpasses.

MAZI

As a child, you lived abroad in Japan, and then as a teen, you moved to Prince George’s County, landing you in the DMV during the height of the go-go genre. What role did go-go play in your development as a poet?

PATRICK

Moving to the DMV from Japan, I felt like an outcast once again. I was so into hip-hop, and the DMV was all about go-go. I felt like literally the biggest “bamma” on earth. In high school, I started playing instruments, I played the sax and the trumpet. I became valuable to musicians, and I gained popularity. I felt better because I found my creativity once again through playing in neighborhood bands.

MAZI

How long did you stay in your artistic duo with Anton Baxter, a.k.a. Gangsta?

PATRICK

In our early twenties, after we graduated, we got an apartment together in Temple Hills, MD. We started going to studios, and for a short time, our mentor was a dude named Robert Reed, a.k.a. Dyke. Dyke played keyboards in the go-go group Trouble Funk. We would go to his house, and for a discounted rate, he helped us learn the industry’s business side. He would tell us about his exploits and what it was like being in a founding group of go-go. He even took us up to his job

at Omega studios.

MAZI

For decades you dominated the poetry game, sharing your voice to enact change. You are known for spitting game in a unique hybrid of rap and poetry. How did you go from a hip-hop head who aspired to be a rapper to mastering the spoken word?

PATRICK

I started to notice that hip-hop was being presented in a way that I wasn’t feeling. There was an ultramasculine and aggressive vibe; “I’ve got to be ready to pop off at a moment’s notice,” and that wasn’t me. I was like Justin Warfield (for those who know), and I’m still kind of like that. I backed off, and instead, I started writing poetry about hip-hop. That’s when things changed for me. I went to an open mic at It’s Your Mug, and that’s where I met Toni Asante Lightfoot, Holly Bass, and DJ Renegade. I showed up, spit a poem, and it blew up! Oh, they loved it. That is when I knew I had found my people.

MAZI

When did you, Perry, and Anderson form the POEMCEES?

[POEM-CEES is a poetic group consisting of three artistic wordsmiths; our very own Patrick Washington, also known as Black Picasso, Darrell Perry, who goes by Naturalaw, and Rhome Anderson, a.k.a DJ Stylus]

PATRICK

POEM-CEE’s formed in the early nineties as an offshoot of the larger group Generation 2000. Before we established POEM-CEES, we began to see a lot of artistic groups form, like-minded individuals who found each other and started creating together. Groups like The Modern Urban Griots (Toni Lightfoot’s group) and Collective Voices.

For a while, myself and a few others were just floating on the fringes of those other groups. Eventually, some of us brothers got together and created a group. Keep in mind this was like early to mid-nineties, so we needed a cool name. We decided on Generation 2000; at the time, the looming turn of the century was a big topic, so it just made sense, and we were

representing the future.

Generation 2000 became the crew & we rocked together for a couple of years. We made a good name for ourselves on the college circuit. Eventually, a couple of brothers fell off, and we added a few sisters to the group, Tiffany Thompson and Lisa Pegram. From there, we really took off because it was a whole different energy.

Black Broadway (U Street in D.C.) was our homebase. We had an open mic series that we ran out of a place called the Kaffa House. 1212 U Street was the address; I’ll never forget that. Thursday nights at the Kaffa House, Howard University would show up, and we would just blaze the mic until the

MAZI

How did becoming a father impact the trajectory of your career?

PATRICK

I was 28 when I first became a father. That was the beginning of my career as a teaching artist. I realized I’m bringing the next generation, and I need to be on point. I need to know what they’re talking about; I need to understand. I need to understand their fears, their hopes, and how they communicate with each other.

Being a teaching artist was helpful for my development as a person and as a father. I wanted to be able to communicate with my own kids that were on their way. So I practiced with the kids at the WBL Academy. That is when I started taking teaching the arts more seriously; up until that point, I was a hired gun, or a hired pen, entertaining students by dancing around & beatboxing.

I was the cool guy to the kids at first, but it’s fifteen years later. Nobody wants to hear me beatbox a poem for 20 minutes.

So, I’m at a point now where my game had better be

tight. I need to be better than just entertaining.

MAZI

I appreciate your humility, but I’ve also seen you show up and leave the audience dumbfounded by your ability, over time your pencil has gotten sharper.

PATRICK

I appreciate that.

MAZI

What are some of the organizations you’ve worked with over the course of your career as teaching artist?

PATRICK

I have worked alongside just about every active local organization when it comes to poetry and youth development. I’ve collaborated with D.C. Scores, the D.C. Creative Writing Workshop (which I still work

with to this day), the American Poetry Museum, and the Washington Performing Arts Society. I spent several years working with incarcerated youth, state organizations, and the Poets of the People’s Army in Political Exile. You name it; I’ve probably done it. I’ve worked with them all, and I learned something from each experience.

MAZI

How has that experience impacted you as a professional?

PATRICK

Wisdom is gained by experience and by failure. I think of the places where I fell short and try to learn from them, personally and professionally. I think a lot about the “L’s” man and how not to repeat them. The places where I could do more are the things that I tend to focus on as I look forwards.

MAZI

What do you see in the future for the Poetry Department of the Academy at Words Beats & Life?

PATRICK

That’s the dope part; we are witnessing that unfold before us right now through our former Academy students applying to become teaching artists at the Academy. We see that cycle, and it’s beautiful.

My mentor, Askari, who my son is named after, was an elder poet that took care of us younger artists as we were coming up. When Askari passed away, it deeply affected a lot of us. I remember during a WBL staff meeting, I mentioned Askari’s passing. Dom [WBL’s Director of Marketing] responded to me with, “yo, doesn’t it seem like you’re picking up that mantle and taking over for him?” and

I got choked up, cuz I didn’t realize it until Dom pointed it out.

These things are happening right before our eyes. Whether we wanna recognize it or not. We wanna act like we’re here forever, but yeah, man, time is undefeated.

I’m very happy to see that these young artists are picking up the lessons or picking up the mantle, and they’re coming up right behind us. I wouldn’t be mad at all if, one day, Sasa [2022 Youth Poet Laureate] took over the poetry department at WBL. No matter what the organization is, that is always a beautiful goal.

Be like water. Understand that we gotta fit in where we can. We may need to relinquish

and let go when it’s time. You may become ice, or you may become steam, but it’s all a part of the process.

MAZI

Creatively do you see the POEM-CEES making more music?

PATRICK

Naturalaw and I talk almost weekly; we’re currently shooting ideas back and forth, so the POEM-CEES will be getting together and creating new work soon.

MAZI

How do you see your creative future - you have a comic book, too, right?

PATRICK

I have a comic book called Ynegma; it’s available to read at [younaversecomics.com]. I’m sitting on my first book of poetry and working on a screenplay based on true stories from my 30 years as a 911 dispatcher. I’m excited to get back because a huge creative part of me is screaming to get out, and it’s gonna happen. Stay tuned.

Washington performs an original poem to dedicate the MLK Memorial in Washington D.C.

Dance has always been a pillar that holds up one of the four cornerstones of hip-hop culture. From the first Breakers hit the linoleum at a park jam in the South Bronx during the mid-70s to a global stage, Urban dance is a phenomenon that is as industry standard as ballet and contemporary. WBL’s mission has been to preserve the competitive roots of breaking, popping, locking, house, and other hip-hop dance forms through our annual dance competitions, Freshest Of All Time and Top Notch, and the production of dance stage shows like Footsteps In The Dark. In 2023 WBL will hold our first dance competition in Brazil called King Of What, in addition to much more.

LOOK BACK AT THE AMAZING TALENT THAT HAS PARTICIPATED IN OUR DANCE EVENTS OVER OUR 20-YEAR HISTORY.

words by MADISON HUNT

INAUGURAL FELLOW QUEENA

BERGEN STRIVES TO USE HER INSPIRATIONAL SPOKEN WORD POEMS TO SPREAD POSITIVITY AND PROMOTE CHANGE IN HER COMMUNITY THROUGH WORDS BEATS & LIFE INC.’S TOWARDS 2040 CREATIVE LEADERS FELLOWSHIP.

Queena Bergen is an aspiring muse and young poet who radiates positive energy and encouragement. Her upbringing in a tight-knit hip-hop community influences her inspirational spoken word poems, driving her to use verse to kindle the flames of young artists who may not have the confidence to follow their dreams just yet. Our vision of 2040 includes collaboration, access to resources and technology, and youth empowerment, all of which Bergen plans to make a reality through our Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship.

Bergen holds her hometown Franklin Township close to her heart. Her mother immigrated from Jamaica and set down roots in the area along with the rest of her family. As a fellow in our Toward 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship, Bergen plans to collaborate with our mentors to develop a virtual reality software program. Bergen’s VR program will provide young poets, lyricists, and hip-hop artists a safe, interactive platform to share their art. This virtual experience program highlights Bergen’s passion for hiphop and the beauty of the performance. She hopes this VR experience will allow the youth to express themselves through poetry and the spoken word, just like she has been able to. The younger generations are undeniably tech-centered; this integration of technology and poetry provides a modern take on ancient art that may better inspire rising artists.

From nursery rhymes to rap, rhythm and harmony inspired Bergen’s pursuit of wordsmith fame. Her journey into the world of the spoken word began at summer camp when she was eight years old and felt she had no voice; inspiration struck when her counselor did a poetry performance. Bergen believes that poetry and music can so successfully connect with others because “when you say things that rhyme, when you add flow to the English language, not only does it make it exciting, it makes it entertaining, and it makes it much easier for you to grab.”

Bergen recognizes the intrinsic connection between poetry and hip-hop and attributes the development of her spoken word voice to her life growing up in a hiphop community. Hip-hop was how she “learned how to talk, how to speak,” the culture led Bergen to share her stories, her vision of the future, and to stand up for what she believes in. What started as stories about swing sets and recess evolved into inspirational verses about making

yourself heard and pursuing your passions. Nowadays, the young poet’s inspiration comes in various forms and could be anything from a documentary to an Instagram post. Bergan shares that if something can enter her “mind and spark a thought, it could likely turn itself into a piece of poetry.” Along with a passion for the spoken word, Bergen is interested in tech and has found creative ways to blend the two. Before pursuing poetry full-time, Bergen worked as a software developer creating digital content.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many high school seniors missed out on important life moments, like graduation. Bergen saw a creative solution and worked with her alma mater, Franklin High School, to develop a virtual reality experience, which seniors could use to roam their high school halls virtually one last time. Bergen performed a poetry piece during the school’s virtual commencement ceremony and debuted her gift to the graduating class.

In our Towards 2040 fellowship, youth will absorb the wisdom of their elders and ancestors and use it to lead. Bergen plans to listen to those who have taken her same journey and learn from their experiences. She believes there is power in knowledge and that the best way to understand where you’re going is to learn from someone who has already been there. Bergen is excited to collaborate with the mentors in our Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship and says that it is a transformative opportunity to connect with people “who believe in the same things that I believe in and fight for the same things that I fight for.”

When looking towards the year 2040, the New Jersey native envisions a world where no one has to live in fear due to who they are, where everyone can coexist as we instead of I. Bergen hopes to give rise to a new generation of artists and dreamers and believes that “we each can create the lives that we want.” She encourages aspiring artists to remember that “if you can see it, then you can also put in the work and effort to make that vision a reality.” Bergen made her vision to be a poet her reality and attributes manifesting her dreams to her mantra “the life we chose.”

Poet, author, performer, educator, no title encompasses the work of Robert Farid Karimi. Karimi has explored every corner of the art industry, from spoken word to game design and theater. Being Iranian and Guatemalan influences his work, allowing him to explore complicated topics from a unique perspective. As a mentor in the Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship, Karimi will utilize decades of experience to stoke the fires of young artists.

Karimi wants to normalize exploration- one day, live in a world where anyone can pursue their passions without fear of being looked down upon or discounted. He does not believe in being forced to live either-or, that you either need to stay on your path or explore new horizons. He posits that living in such a binary way prevents us from achieving our true potential, “usually the time when we lose the most hope is when we confine those possibilities.” Karimi has written, directed, crafted, and performed, yet he continues to step outside his area of expertise to gain more knowledge. To him, anyone should be able to

words by MADISON HUNT

feel comfortable doing the same if they desire to.

As the first generation of a multicultural family born in the United States, Karimi has always lived his life between multiple worlds. He has come to see himself as a bridge. Karimi does not exist on one side or another; instead, he resides in the middle, bringing over bits and pieces from both. He has embraced living in between, constantly exploring new territory and learning from it. He has never felt overwhelmed by all the gear shifting, “what I do, how I do, and how I am– to me; it makes sense.”

In many ways, hip-hop is how Karimi learned to be American and survive. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, he was surrounded by various DJs and artists. He saw hip-hop as a way for those “that felt in the inbetween, and didn’t feel part of the majority, to find their place.” Karimi resembles himself to a bunch of samples; in one moment, you may experience him as one track, but in another, you could meet him as an entirely different mix. This ability has been invaluable in his life as an artist and a human being, traversing a cruel and unrelenting world.

Robert learned to utilize art and comedy as social commentary at a young age. “The people who were the funniest in my house were listened to the most,” he shared. “Talking about politics and difficult things through humor was always part of my household.” Art allows Karimi to engage and communicate with his audience about uncomfortable topics while bringing everyone together positively. At his first one-man show, Karimi included a DJ to make the audience a part of a party before he discussed intergenerational trauma and politics.

Karimi has had more mentors in his life than he could ever name. Some of his most influential mentors are close to home; his mom and dad. Karimi has also learned under well-known industry professionals such as director Ellen Sebastian Chang, actor Harry Waters Jr., and performer Laurie Carlos. Karimi echoes that, in a way, his students are his mentors because he learns from them just as they learn from him. When asked what important lessons Karimi has learned from his mentors, he happily reflected on the wisdom he implements in his work. He says to be humble yet be fabulous. You can let your work talk for you, so you don’t have to talk all the time. To take risks, “and just because somebody says no, doesn’t mean it’s over.”

Until the obstacles pop up, there is no way for Karimi to know how he will help the fellows overcome them. He does know that in his life, the best mentors have been those that listen. He plans to do that with the fellows in the Towards 2040 fellowship– listen. Karimi will help guide the fellows when they feel lost. He will motivate them to keep flying when they feel they may stumble and fall. When Karimi looks towards the year 2040, he hopes to continue to do the same for future students. To nourish the world with his art and be a beacon of light for those who need it.

Robert Karimi has lived a life like no other, and he is not stopping any time soon. When we spoke, he was working on four separate projects, all of different forms and nature. The diverse nature of Karimi’s work and his extensive history in the art world will allow him to be an invaluable mentor to our Towards 2040 inaugural fellows.

WBL continues to network with DJs from around the globe thanks to our virtual party, Off The Couch. From Brooklyn to Paris, Lagos, and Los Angeles, DJ culture lives through hip-hop, house, old school, and EDM. Learn about a few of our recent DJs, then check out their sets on our Youtube or Mixcloud channels.

DJ ALIZAY WASHINGTON D.C.

Regarded as one of Washington, D.C.’s best disc jockeys, DJ Alizay’s life story is propelled by his love for the turntables. Turntablist blood runs thick and deep through DJ Alizay’s family lineage, as his father and seven uncles all practiced the art in New York City during the 1980s. Inspired by his family, he fully began to own his craft at the tender age of 12. Growing up in Hyattsville, Maryland, he stood out from his peers, who preferred go-go music to hip-hop. While his peers were listening to the funky sounds of Backyard Band, Rare Essence, and Northeast Groovers, Alizay was fascinated by A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, and Outkast.

The unique influence of the go-go sound and hip-hop culture set the foundation for Alizay’s love of music. He worked tirelessly to perfect his skills by incorporating different genres and continuing to explore his roots. At 19 years old, he became the youngest DJ on the radio at that time and broadcasted live from major D.C. establishments; Dream (now Love Nightclub), H2O, and D.C. Live. In addition to breaking records on the radio, in the clubs, and becoming recognized as D.C.’s most notable DJ, he expanded his reach in the music industry outside of D.C. by DJ’ing a weekly show on Sirius XM’s Shade 45. In 2004, rapper Wale approached Alizay at The Mall in Prince George’s. After listening to Wale’s music, he recognized his talent and potential for stardom. This launched his career in A&R, and

he began managing Wale in 2005 through his company, Capitolville Entertainment. Through this partnership, he got Wale’s music played on the radio, gaining national awareness of the talent in the D.C. area. After achieving notoriety, they were given the opportunity to join the Rock the Bells tour in 2008. After the tour, Alizay and Wale entered the international scene by traveling to Australia for the Good Vibrations Music Festival. While touring together through the United States and Europe, they supplied sold-out venues with an authentic hip-hop experience. DJ Alizay has continued to take his craft global, spinning in Africa, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. In addition to appearing at the BET Jazz Festival in Turks and Caicos. As a DJ who predates the digital era, his knowledge of what will rock a crowd, matched with his careful selections, make him an elite DJ. In April 2012, he spun at President Obama’s first fundraiser for his second term in office and later performed at events for the Democratic National Convention. In recent years, Alizay has expanded his reach to N.Y.C and L.A., DJ’ing events for Major League Baseball, Spotify, Dell, Shots App., Purple Brand, and serving as tour DJ for King Bach.

From playing music for the President to teaching LivingSocial classes with Biz Markie, Alizay remains one of the

most respected DJs in hip-hop history and has no intention of relenting. DJ Alizay’s love for music is something he believes should be shared with everyone, and he remains driven by his passion for hip-hop culture and the community. You can now find his mixes streaming on Apple Music. Although DJ’ing is his first love, he is now making his mark in the production world. His beats continue to reach the masses with 2019 singles from IDK and Wale.

What’s more exciting is that he’s just getting started. Regardless of the future, you can always catch Alizay spinning an unexpected blend of records at your favorite local spots. If you’re lucky, you may even catch him showcasing his mastery at one of his all-vinyl events across the country.

PEDRO NIGHT

Montgomery County, Maryland

A Nicaraguan by way of Montgomery County, Maryland, and a veteran in the Washington D.C. music and nightlife industry, Pedro Night is one of the top openformat DJs in the area. He has performed at Miami’s Art Basel Festival, New York Fashion Week, the Kennedy Center, and the Capital One Arena. He has been featured on the radio through EL ZOL 107.9 in D.C. and KPFK 90.7 in California. Pedro’s primary goal is to use music to support Black + Indigenous communities throughout the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, and the DMV area.

In addition to his impressive DJ career, he is the founder and CEO of Adobo DMV. Previously, he worked as a music history teacher, artist manager, and marketing coordinator for ten years.

MAZE X MXTREME

Lagos, Nigeria

Artists, producers, remixers and performing DJs, Joshua Erhunwmnese Okunzuwa, a.k.a., Maze, and Godfrey Osenemandia Imhanwa, a.k.a., Mxtreme is Maze x Mxtreme, an afro EDM duo in Lagos, Nigeria.

Maze and Mxtreme are Afro EDM pioneers who have performed globally at notable events, delivering hypnotic DJ performances that combine the art of disc jockey with live synth. They are known for creating and mixing afro-electronic dance music (afro EDM) by fusing afrobeats with EDM synth and sound elements. You can also catch the sounds of dancehall indie, future bass, and house throughout their music.

DJ LADY X Belize

City

DJ Lady X is a Belizean disc jockey known as the first female DJ in her native country and an international sensation rocking venues across the United States. Lady X makes waists wine, heads nod, and fists pump to the sounds of dancehall, reggae, soca, punta, hip-hop, pop, EDM, and more.

You can find her playing alongside friend and mentor DJ Rampage in New York City and rocking venues in Las Vegas, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Belize City.

DJ MONALISA

Los Angelos, California

Monalisa Murray has been associated with quality music and events in Los Angeles and across the country for 30 years. She supported various DJs, artists, and musicians as both a music industry professional and a fan before taking her love of music to the turntables 16 years ago. Monalisa’s extensive knowledge across music genres is present in her mixes which feature music ranging from soul, funk, and hip-hop to rock, pop, jazz, and world music. She describes her music as “anything with a groove,” but be warned; her groovy mixes contain unknown gems that quickly become listeners’ new favorite songs.

Monalisa has a monthly show on Dublab called Paths Of Rhythm, where she explores various styles of music.

Karlainthemix

Karla is a DJ, dancer, and bona fide club head from Finland, living in Paris, France. She is a resident DJ at the underground music temple Djoon, a soulful club known for delivering deep house vibes that will surely get the dance floor moving.

From a young age, she has been bathing in different genres of music as a dancer and artist, but she has created a special and close connection with house music and the culture surrounding it. You can surely find her on the dance floor until the break of dawn when she is not on the decks.

HUMBLED TO SERVE

BY: YAHSMIN MAYAAN BINTI BOBO

Murals contain and deliver a special kind of message. Whether to passersby, tourists, or aficionados of art, there is much meaning and interpretation to unlock. Cita Sadeli, affectionately known as CheLove, has more murals than I can count. The quantity and quality are overwhelming in a spectrum from collaboration to solo pieces. Rob Regal used one of CheLove’s panoramics as the backdrop for his music video, and another illustrious piece, measuring 20’ x 50’, graces the community garden in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore. A space converted to gather,

and for growth, CheLove collaborated with MasPaz, and they named it “Abundance.” Also set in the urban landscape was an innovative opportunity to (live) paint a shipping container for a summer pop-up. In 2014, Trillectro hired CheLove to create an epic display dedicated to Michael Brown, who was tragically murdered by Ferguson police that summer.

Perhaps most creative was the 33’ x 45’ floor mural in NoMa Junction, Storey Park. Although temporary in its installation,

the outcome featured 14,000 square footage of art, sprawling from asphalt to structure. Fifty-five artists from the East Coast congregated to complete this massive display. CheLove was one of two leading artists for the entire project. And again, Murals DC Project commissioned her craft in the painting of a four-story mural at Upper Cardozo Health Center. “You Are Welcome.” is its title, intended to communicate oneness between indigenous and immigrant communities.

CheLove illustrates a music festival in the D.C. area in nearly every season and in every calendar year. These commissions include branding bundles for events illustrated with colorful, lively graphics and animations almost like something seen on Adult Swim. She enthusiastically embraces a chance to roughly sketch promotional flyers for local happenings or apply gold paint to longboards ready for the road or simply situated as decor. Speaking of skate culture, CheLove gives love to the culture. The Fridge D.C. hosted

the “Skate Your Fate” exhibition, which displayed CheLove’s work. A few years later, CheLove’s miniature halfpipe was exhibited at the “Create and Destroy” from February to March 2016.

If it isn’t skate decks, it’s other items of customization. She painted an instrument honoring El Hajj Malik El Shabazz for the Lion Dance team and created custom Jordans, flasks, and pizza boxes. If hydration is your new year’s resolution,

Adobe, Patagonia, and Trillectro. Here, she’s rendered the services of art direction, creative strategy, branding, typography, graphic design, interactive design, and 2D animation. CheLove still prides herself on being independent. Commercial work and commissions pay the bills but are probably mundane compared to participating in events like AfroPunk in both DC and Brooklyn. CheLove was privileged to create promotional illustrations for their Most

representative of her “formative years” in the eighties and nineties, celebrating all sorts of subcultures. Her style is fresh and sophisticated but feminine and floral at the same time. Masculinity is communicated but not centered, and sometimes it’s not about gender at all. Like the four-storied immigration mural, it’s simply and purely about the human experience, no matter your assignment or identity. But that’s not to diminish those things either. Many of her murals

CheLove does bottle design. As a hashtag in 2014, Wat-aah!’s #TBTSH2O national exhibition offered another bottle service for their Healthier America initiative.

Somehow she strikes a balance between serving street art and contracting with clients like Apple, Smithsonian Institution,

Wicked Party in 2015. She was painting live all night at the same event, then featured at their Fort Greene party, where she titled a piece “DISPLACEMENT.” The art itself begs for context and elaboration, but naming that art, actually titling it, makes me curious in an entirely different way. So much of her work is nostalgic and

depict people with tribal masks up top, streetwear on their bodies, and trendy shoes on their feet. The fusion is eclectic, to say the least. That’s probably where her sense of multiculturalism is employed and expressed, as CheLove represents Java, Indonesian ancestry, proudly.

When your ancestry is so firmly planted in your identity as an artist, you garner the attention of changemakers on an impressive level. That explains her consistent collaborations with MasPaz, which opened a window of opportunity with Miami Dade College. CheLove was chosen to participate in the MDC Live Arts initiative three years ago. This residency included three female artists whose cultures intersect Islam and hip-hop. Her way of engaging the

Colombia, South America. During the same year, CheLove painted a midcentury rocking chair to be auctioned for charity.

Two years ago, Artolution coordinated a group of teaching artists to work with displaced youth in Buritaca, Colombia. Connecting to the people, CheLove was instrumental in creating murals for their community. This artistic platform empowered rural youth to control

tall windows whose treatments allow light into the room with an option for ventilation if she wanted it. As determined as she appears, CheLove somehow radiates peace while in work mode. Or is it work? Her pleasure in her craft translates onto canvas, paper, or drywall. Whatever the medium, the output of CheLove could easily be interpreted as effortless. And what was she working on while photographed? Digital illustrations probably number in the hundreds.

community is commendable, without a doubt. In a similar spirit, CheLove openly and willingly creates and donates art to foundations and organizations, raising money for various causes. In 2015, she and sixty artists participated in the #KidsGroupShow, with all proceeds funneled to MasPaz’s orphanage in

their narrative through photography, performance, and sculpture.

There’s a photograph on her website that holds the attention. It seems idyllic and almost opens itself to envy: a scene picturing CheLove hunched over a device with a well-lit screen in a living space,

Merchandising on her website includes prints, collages, canteens, sticker packs, and jigsaw puzzles. This woman serves social justice, arts education, cultural preservation, community engagement, and charity in and through her art. The message is conveyed clearly.

WORDS BY: MADISON HUNT

What would happen if we all worked in harmony to achieve our goals instead of tearing each other down? Words Beats & Life Academy Alumus Ahmad Woodward explores this and the topic of gun violence in his new song “Shoot 4 Da Starz.” Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Woodward is a talented rapper, songwriter, and lyricist who has drawn his unique voice from the inspiration he receives through the work of some of hip-hop’s greatest artists. His new song calls on us to reevaluate our actions and priorities in a country where countless lives are needlessly lost every day.

Ahmad Woodward, a.k.a., Ama’d, works hard for his craft, and that dedication shines through in his work. He was originally recommended to the Words Beats & Life (WBL) Academy by a close mentor. After deciding that college was not the route for him, he began taking classes with Words Beats & Life to help him focus on honing his work. Ahmad prioritizes being authentic and speaking his truth,

which he sees as the foundation of hip-hop, being able to share our stories with our communities and the world. His close ties to not only hip-hop as an art but as a culture led him to connect with WBL and our mission.

Ahmad’s project, entitled “Shoot 4 Da Starz,” is dedicated to the effects of gun violence he has dealt with throughout his entire life. Not only has he experienced gun violence at home in Washington, D.C., but he has also lost peers to it. While Ahmad’s initial audience was his community, in light of recent shootings, Ahmad realized that “gun violence goes beyond just my community. Gun violence is something that we all are dealing with in some form.” The permeance of gun violence is becoming more and more prominent; it is a topic that increasingly more people can relate to. Ahmad hopes to bring attention to the issue of gun violence on all levels since it’s such a pervasive phenomenon in the United States.

In the hook of his song, Ahmad says, “instead of shooting for the stars, we shoot at each other.” On the surface, this quote is directed toward gun violence, but it’s also about unlocking your potential as an individual. The same energy that people use to hurt one another could be used to further yourself and your goals. Ahmad hopes to encourage people to look inward and focus on propelling themselves forwards instead of bringing others down. His entire piece holds multiple messages. While Ahmad’s main focus is on gun violence, he also wants to shine a light on the ability to better yourself and the community around you.

Ahmad also hopes to convey that each of us has our destiny to fulfill. “Living is a process,” he says, “finding ourselves is a process.” He wants to emphasize the idea of versatility, that we aren’t stuck. We have options. The change will likely not happen overnight, but we cannot write off the possibility of it happening. If we have a dream and the desire to work towards it, we should put in our all and strive to make it happen.

Artists like Tupac inspire Ahmad because of his ability to speak about hard, controversial topics in a digestible way to a broad audience. No matter your experiences, you could strip down Tupac’s work and understand it. Tupac’s ability to simplify complex issues and the emotional vulnerability of his lyrics is something Ahmad strives to replicate in his music. Outside of hip-hop, Ahmad also loves the work of Bob Marley. Marley worked well with metaphors and was similar to Tupac in how he incorporated heavy messages into his music. Ahmad describes Marley’s lyrics as poetic, quoting one line of his, “if you are a big tree, we are the small axe ready to cut you down.”

Ahmad shares a piece of himself with his audience in “Shoot 4 Da Starz.” Spoken straight from the soul, it is not only a song but a plea. The loss needs to stop. Stop the in-fighting, stop the needless violence, and instead look up. Follow those stars; you never know how far they’ll take you.

AKIST AKISTAN AN P PPainting in Painting in

Word Beats & Life’s Cultural Diplomacy platform has employed artists to perform their trades across 15 countries. In 2017 and 2019, while on trips to Pakistan, muralists Mas Paz, Maxx Moses, Isaias Cro, Cita Sadali, Rose Jaffe, and Addison Karl produced murals in the country that are some of the best in WBL’s long history of public art. Here is a look at the work we produced with these accomplished artists.

- Dominic Painter

MAGNETS OF CREATIVITY

Isaias Cro paints the artwork featured in the

center of the mural, a family on a motorbike.

Isaias Cro adds color and final details to his artwork.

Maxx Moses begins to paint beautiful animals on the left side of the mural

MAGNETS OF CREATIVITY

Artist: Maxx Moses

Artist: Isaias Cro

Artist: Mas Paz

Peacock Upright by Cita Sadelie also known as, CheLove.

Magnets of Creativity

By Rose Jaffe

Markarian by Addison Karl

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 network through alternative winter and spring break activities. We provide 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 School 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 Non Profits 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 artists from abroad 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..