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MARIPOSA is an award winning poet whose poetry has been featured on the critically acclaimed HBO Latino series, “Habla Ya” and the HBO documentary “Americanos: Latino Life in the US”, produced by Edward James Olmos, Nick Athas and Time Warner. Mariposa has also been seen on BET, Lifetime and PBS. A Native New Yorker born and raised in The Bronx, Mariposa is a 3rd generation Puerto Rican whose work demonstrates pride in her Nuyorican culture and heritage and a deep commitment to her community. To the credit of her hard working parents and her mother’s vision, Mariposa is a 1st generation college graduate, overcoming many obstacles and barriers to earn a BA in Women’s Studies with a concentration in English Literature and a MA in Education from New York University. Mariposa is the author of Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival. She has published articles and poetry in numerous publications including the Norton Anthology of Latino Literature, The Afro Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States, El Centro Journal, The Hostos Review, Resistance in Paradise: 100 Years of U.S. Colonialism, Drum Voices Volume 23 and Def Poetry Jam’s Bumrush the Page. Over the years, Mariposa has worked as a teaching artist and and as a poet-in-residence at The Caribbean Cultural Center, Poets & Writers, Poets House, The Bronx Writers Center and Teachers & Writers Collaborative. She has passionately taught poetry and creative writing to elementary, middle school and high school students throughout New York City, The New York Public Library, The Brooklyn Public Library and senior citizen centers and has edited numerous anthologies of her student’s work. A producer, as well as a performer, Mariposa produces shows and fundraisers on an ongoing basis. Mariposa’s current project is called Crysálida: Cry of the Chrysalis, an annual showcase which raises money to support programs that empower young women. Over the past decade Mariposa has produced numerous open mics and poetry/spoken word, performance art and music showcases with her twin sister, poet and artist melleSOL which include Sol in the Heights, Sol in El Barrio, Sol Sistahs from the Underground and BX Bohemia. Mariposa has been recognized by El Comite Noviembre in New York City with Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award for writing her famous poem Ode to the Diasporican where she passionately states, “No nací en Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico nació en mi. (I wasn’t born in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico was born in me.” Other awards include The Van Lier Fellowship for Artists Under 30 awarded by the New York Council of the Arts and an award presented to Mariposa by the non-profit organization El Maestro for her dedication, service and commitment to the Puerto Rican community.
GIRLS ON TOP is Uk’s first all female aerosol crew EST. 2000. Girls On Top crew is made up of Chock, Luna, Claudia De Sabe, Syrup, Pixie, Lyns and Neonita. The Girls On Top host all-girl graffiti jams, which have gained popularity internationally. Building momentum within the scene and attracting interest from female talent, their popularity enabled them to build a wide contact base and travel plans (Europe, China, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa). As teachers of the art form in a plethora of settings to young and old alike, GOT spreads a positive message for graffiti artists across the globe.
HIMANEE GUPTA-CARLSON was born in November, in the midst of a blizzard, in Iowa City, Iowa, to parents recently arrived from India to the United States. Hence, her name Himanee: born of snow, the princess of snows, a derivation of Himalaya, and of the name ascribed to Parvati in her guise as snowy consort to Shiva.
After studying journalism at Northwestern University, Himanee worked as a reporter at newspapers throughout the U.S., including The Idaho Statesman, The Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat, The Fort Worth Star Telegram, The Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) Times Leader, The Kansas City Star, and The Seattle Times.
A mid-career fellowship for journalists interested in Asia brought her to Hawai’i in 1995, where she began studying the history, religions, politics, and society of India and other nations of South Asia, along with Hindi (the language her parents spoke but never passed on to her) and Hawaiian (the language of those indigenous to Hawai’i). Being in Hawai’i and experiencing the stories of oppression that Hawaiians shared caused Himanee to start looking more deeply at the legacy of British colonialism on her ancestral country of origin and the community of immigrants she was born into. Her probings led to a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Hawai’i as well as many scholarly and creative writings on the immigrant experience.
Himanee is completing a book manuscript, Muncie, India(na), and teaches a workshop on “Writing Immigrant Narratives.” She also is researching the teaching the roots and evolution of hip-hop as an American and global phenomenon, and probing what it means to be a Christian in a poly-cultural America. A 2011-2012 fellowship through the Wabash Center in Crawfordsville, Indiana, is supporting the latter project. Himanee also speaks extensively on hip-hop and is developing curricula for two future courses centered on the history and contemporary politics of hip-hop.
Walking a tightrope can be risky business, especially if you happen to be sporting high heels and a pencil skirt in the process. Since its inception hip-hop has largely been considered a man’s world. Few women have attempted to claim the “emcee” moniker and even fewer have done so with a feminine touch. Armed with a writer’s wit, and a short list of hip hop foremothers, RITA J has critically wounded the notion that an intelligent woman can’t be heard over an 808. Raised in the talent rich pockets of Chicago’s South Side, Rita J— Rita Jackson when not on stage—was born to entertain. A trained dancer, Rita J has spent much of her life on stage often showcasing her artistic prowess in competition. Her experiences as a dancer taught her at an early age the value of hard work and passion—characteristics beneficial to any artist, and essential to an emcee.
While her own musical talents lay dormant for much of her childhood, the seeds were planted early on. The offspring of avid music listeners, Rita was raised on a sonic diet of 70’s funk, soul, and R&B. Pilfering through her father’s record collection for fun, Rita found herself captivated by the soulful croons of Bobby Womack, the rhythmic musings of groups like Slave, Shalamar, and the Bar-Kays, and the vocal and artistic depth of artists like Stevie Wonder, Patrice Rushen, Prince, and Phylis Hyman. Already a seasoned entertainer, her rich musical indoctrination further fueled her desire to seek out new forms of artistic expression. It would only be a matter of time before Rita herself would carry the mic on her own personal foray into the music industry…..
ANDREANA CLAY is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at San Francisco State University. Her book, The Hip-Hop Generation Fights Back: Youth Activism and Post-Civil Rights Politics (NYU Press, 2012) explores how youth of color organize and identify as activists in the post civil rights era. Her articles on hip-hop culture, queer sexuality, youth activism, and hip-hop feminism have appeared in several anthologies and academic journals, including Home Girls Make Some Noise!: A Hip-Hop Feminist Anthology, the American Behavioral Scientist, and Meridians: A Journal of Race, Feminism, and Transnationalism.
queerblackfeminist.blogspot.com/
RESPONSE TO RICK ROSS RAPE LYRIC by ROSA CLEMENTE
Peace everyone I want to thank your thoughts, your support of women, your humanity. For the very few that seem to just be nasty, mean, violent, I only wish that your heart will open. As for me I will fight on to stop this, and if anyone reading wants to do something more, please email me at clementerosa@gmail.com. For those who hide behind a computer spewing hate, I suggest you let me/us be. At the end of the day I am a Bronx born Puerto Rican woman, and I will push back. Peace.
FRESH, BOLD, AND SO DEF WOMEN IN HIP-HOP
In celebration of Women’s History Month, this program will highlight the contributions and achievements of women in hip-hop through media, performances, and a panel discussion.
Presented by the Schomburg Center’s Hip-Hop 4.0 Initiative in conjunction with The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and its “Rhapsodic City: Music of New York” series and the Hip-Hop Education Center at New York University’s Metro Center.
Participants include: FM SUPREME, GENESIS BE, BEVERLY BOND, PIPER CARTER, MARTHA DIAZ, ROKAFELLA, BRITTNEY COOPER, AUTUMN ROBINSON, SHANEQUA GOLDING, EBONIE SMITH, AUTUMN MARIE, AND NUALA CABRAL.
BREAKING SILENCE SURVEY FOR TEENAGERS
We want to hear from teenage girls between the ages of 13-19 years old who listen to Hip-Hop music. Please take this survey and let us know how you feel about the images of women in Hip-Hop in music videos and television. Your feedback is important! We plan to release a report with the survey findings in spring 2014. Thanks!
FRESH, BOLD, AND SO DEF WOMEN SURVEY
We want to hear from women in Hip-Hop with four or more years of work experience. Our goal is to find out how many women have developed a career within Hip-Hop culture. We want to learn what concerns and issues affect women in Hip-Hop so that we can do something about it. We will release a research report in 2014 that will reflect the findings in this survey.
MAHOGANY JONES’s experience in Hip-hop began in New York under the tutelage of Toni Blackman’s FreeStyle Union. This mentorship led to competing on BET’s 106 and Park Freestyle Fridays, where she left her mark as a 4x undefeated champion in 2001. It also opened doors to share stages with such notables as Dead Pres, Rah Digga, The Roots, India.Arie, Gil Scott Heron, Talib Kweli, and Kem. In 2004, the New Yorker made Metro-Detroit her home and began recording with The Yuinon, appearing on 4 compilation albums (The Prequel, Genocide, H.E.R Project, and The Sequel), and released her own album, Morphed, with Ron Lee of “What’s the Irony Productions, the creative force behind her soon to be released collaborative project, Pure. Mahogany Jones also assumed the role of a community leader, using hip-hop to mentor Detroit’s youth multiple times a week with The Yuinon, as well as hosting an open mic with 5e Gallery’s Foundation on Tuesdays at Old Miami Veterans Bar. Mahogany is a co-organizer of the Foundation, started by DJ Sicari and photographer, Piper Caters with Detroit rappers Miz Korona and Invincible to celebrate women in hip-hop. The Mahogany Jones Live band is comprised of vocalist Roslyn Welch of Memphis, TN by way of New Jersey; percussionist Lauren “L Boog” HJohnson of Detroit; and Mixtape DJ Sean Blu of Augusta, GA radio fame and the Pepsi Scratch Off/ DJ Battle Competition Semi-finalist.
The number two is powerful. Not only does it signify NINA SKY’s tag teaming force, it also signifies the culmination of their independent EP release, “Nicole & Natalie.” Since their global recognition in 2004 with the reggae-infused pop jam, “Move Ya Body,” Nicole and Natalie Albino have spent eight years challenging their voices and learning more about themselves in life and in business. “ Just because we weren’t in the spotlight doesn’t mean we weren’t making moves,” Natalie explains. “These last 8 years were spent traveling, doing shows all over the world, writ- ing and working with other artists. We’ve really had time to mature into women and master our craft. The “Nina Sky” album hit the industry with a brand of R&B that was unprecedented, coming from two Puerto Rican twin sisters from Queens, NY. That same year, rapper N.O.R.E. called on Nina Sky for vocal assistance on “Oye Mi Canto,” featuring Daddy Yankee, which became the first reggaeton record to hit mainstream radio and showcased the ladies bilingual talents. While 8 years have elapsed, The twin’s unmistakeable harmonies quickly made them in demand collaborators in the worlds of Hip-Hop, R&B, Dance, and Reggae. Artists ranging from The Alchemist to Diplo, Sean Paul, and even Aventura have sought out the talented Queens-bred sisters to take their music to another level. As Nicole and Natalie ready for a fresh beginning, their musical abilities have never once failed to resonate with audiences. “We aren’t only singers; we write all of our music,” Natalie reveals. “Nicole plays guitar and deejays. We are very musical and try to show this while on stage. Our vibe isn’t like your typical group! Because Nicole deejays, she’s able to command the crowd and every once and a while, we’ll bring the guitar out on stage to show our versatility.” As a teen, Nicole mastered the turntables but relied on her guitar playing skills to support the lyrics she and Natalie wrote. Fast forward years later and the duo’s songwriting capabilities are displayed in catchy party starting records to poignant ballads. Their wide range of collaborations speaks to their versatility and growth, but never was this more apparent than on their newest album Nicole & Natalie. The project is the sum of their musical influences combined with the maturation of the duo as individuals. Die hard fans have always been aware of this evolution, from their electrifying stage show to Nicole’s emergence as a DJ playing in the most elite clubs around the world. Even casual onlookers can see their progression as their ever-changing sense of style has developed Nina Sky into fashion icons both on the New York City scene and in the pages of fashion magazines.
HEALS (Health, Education, Arts, Literacy, Sports) is an after school play therapy outlet for the war-affected youth of northern Uganda. HEALS is an outlet where kids can be kids. They come to our facility to play traditional instruments, learn traditional and hip hop dance, do art, photography, play football (both American and European), learn to read, and grow as positive figures in society. This amazing program is the dream of a remarkable woman called JOLLY GRACE OKOT. Many of you who are familiar with the movement of Invisible Children are already acquainted with Madame Jolly. Jolly was one of the first female child soldiers as a product of Joseph Kony’s nightmare of a war that has been oppressing the beautiful people in northern Uganda for now 24+ years. Now that the north is relatively peaceful, there is much rehabilitation to be done. Jolly Grace Okot, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, was among the first wave of children abducted and forced to be a child soldier in the beginning of Uganda’s civil war. She is the Uganda Country director for Invisible Children (IC) and has been involved with the organization since the beginning. Her guidance enabled Bouncing Cats‘ filmmakers to see and understand the plight of children in Northern Uganda, and her leadership and direction helped create IC’s initiatives on the ground.
http://healsgulu.blogspot.com/
THE REAL SUN was originally born in Anyang, Korea, and is now a proud resident of Jane-Finch, Toronto, by way of Peterborough and Kingston (Canada). The Real Sun, also known simply as SUN, channels her passion, drive, talent, and purpose in life into Art, Healing, Social Justice, and Education. These four things are the pillars and foundation of everything The Real Sun does, is, and creates. As an artist The Real Sun channels deep expressions of her soul through various artistic mediums of Performance Arts as well as Visual Arts; including Spoken Word Poetry, Rap, Song (Acoustic Soul), Theatre, Painting/Drawing, and Graphic Design. Though the artistic mediums may vary, the contents of The Real Sun’s creations all have one thing in common, they are messages molded with consciousness, awareness, and purpose, rooted in energies of the heart and spirit. The Real Sun has performed on stages across Ontario, the US, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. She released her first album titled “RISE” in 2008. The Real Sun was part of writing the script for a play by Nomanzland in which she also played the character Dee, titled “Known to Police”, a Mainstage Theatre Production at Young People’s Theatre in June 2012. She recently published her poem titled “Letter to Father” in an anthology titled Rattling the Stage: A Collection of Canadian Monolgues, Spoken Word, and Short Plays, published August 2012 by McGraw-Hill Ryerson. As an educator The Real Sun teaches in community settings as well as in schools, and has taught youth from a wide spectrum of ages, races, and socio-economic backgrounds. From community centers in Jane-Finch to private school in downtown Toronto to providing Professional Development for Artist Educators and Teachers in the public school system, The Real Sun’s approach in the classroom is centered around inclusivity, openness, and honesty. By centering on issues related to social justice, SUN encourages learners to explore and honour their own truths, and give voice to untold stories, through art, poetry, and the creative process. The Real Sun has delivered workshops and keynote addresses at several conferences centered on youth leadership and empowerment. She has also worked as an Artist Educator with several organizations such as Lost Lyrics, The Royal Conservatory of Music, Canadian Opera Company, Soulpepper Theatre, and many more. The Real Sun believes that healing is a key element in creating positive social change, and one that is not often prioritized enough in our day to day and in the community. One of The her goals is to help make alternative healing modalities more accessible to artists, community workers, people of colour and low-income communities, with the understanding that the movements we build for the future cannot be healthy if the people who are building the movements are not healthy. SUN is a certified Reiki Practitioner trained under Vivian Osal, and is currently studying at the Integral Healing Centre of Toronto in the disciplines of Psychotherapy, Bio-Energetics, and Energy Healing.
Through graffiti, EGR challenges archaic perceptions of women, by portraying physically powerful women in nature. She acutely delves into women’s place in the world in a metaphorical framework, which she spray paints on any given surface. With the use of aerosol spray paint, EGR sentimentally portrays women with a bit of nostalgia and much beauty. Her work pays homage to fairy tales, by colliding head-on with futuristic, fantastical female characters and creatures that are either blessed or burdened by modern day convenience. Angelic fairies, reminisce the evolving roles of women in both industry and leisure. Through this exploration, EGR is discovering the challenges of renewed perceptions of faith, mental well being and female empowerment. For over a decade, EGR (pronounced e•grr) has created artwork on just about any surface you could imagine, from canvas to concrete; inspired by fairy tales, fashion, music, city life, travel and graffiti. At 17, she studied Art and Interpretive Illustration at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario and began creating editorial illustrations for Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, in ‘98, regularly for The Facts & Argumentspage. Her illustrations have appeared in Revolver, Pound and Tommy Boy Records. Her love of music coincides with her passion for creating live art at concerts, festivals and events the world over. EGR has exhibited her work in Canada’s first national exhibit of street art at the Institute for Contemporary Culture at The Royal Ontario Museum; the Art Gallery of Ontario, Daniels Spectrum, as well as publications and city walls worldwide. Drawing from from everyday life, diverse cultural, spiritual and musical influences abound in the multi-media artwork of EGR.
‘NIQUELOVERHODES is inspiring, thought provoking, and socially relevant…classic hip-hop from a female MC is back! With her debut album Against All Odds: The Epic ‘NiqueLoveRhodes combines smooth lyrical delivery with penetrating lyrical content. Set against the backdrop of soul stirring and cinematic instrumentation, ‘Nique serves material that is truly universal, able to grasp the heart and attention of everyone who hears what she has to say.
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, ‘NiqueLoveRhodes is a hip-hop artist that provides social commentary and inspirational messages with every song that she writes. This can be seen in all of her songs such as “In Your Eyes,” “Rise Up,” and “Love Heals All.” ‘NiqueLoveRhodes is an artist that not only speaks to her audience but speaks with and for her audience as many recognize themselves in her lyrics. With what she calls third way music, ‘Nique creates feel good music that is universal yet subversively thought provoking.
‘Nique has a sincere passion to ignite positive change, provoke critical thinking, and challenge and inspire a generation of people through all that she does. With this passion, ‘Nique has expanded beyond the realm of music as she is a social activist, youth advocate, and motivational speaker. ‘Nique is also the Founder and CEO of Speak Out Loud Entertainment (a socially conscious entertainment company and artist collective) and Third Way Movement (an urban youth and community outreach organization).
‘NiqueLoveRhodes’ is currently promoting her debut album Against All Odds: The Epic that was released globally in May 2012 with distribution through iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. With her DJ and band, ‘NiqueLoveRhodes is planning to tour the album in the near future with her high energy live show that she calls “The NLR Experience.”
