Performing Artist at #HellaBlack Vol. 7: Shift

I am an artist-changemaker who utilizes music and visual media to explore themes that centralize marginalized communities via my production company, Black and Bold Productions. As an actress and classically-trained singer who is well-versed in Opera, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and R&B, I’m able to reach a broad range of audiences and craft a sound that is uniquely my own–including my most well-known, “Hip-Hopera”. I’ve had the pleasure of bringing these sounds to numerous audiences from the House of Blues to the United Nations. I’ve also served as the Season Partner for Boston Children’s Chorus’ 22-23 fiscal year, an engagement which consisted of composing for the choir, writing their MLK script, curating an accompanying music video and facilitating workshops in arts-activism. I provide workshops on Creative Disruption at various schools throughout New England. My upcoming album, African Import, provides a window into both the beauty and complexity of the black diaspora, and the significance of its consumption by mainstream society. 

Project Description: I would like to leverage the power of Hip-Hopera to once again expand the expectations of what blackness is and can be, and hopefully give permission to everyone else in the space to own the full breadth of their own identity as well. Hip-Hopera to me is a form of disruption that says “I will not ask permission to belong in any space, I will instead create my own”. My material is lyrically very pro-black as well, so I believe that the messages I share will resonate with the audience. The pieces I’d like to perform are the fan-favorite “Shades of Black: The Hip-Hopera”, which is essentially about embracing all the various forms of blackness we have and a perfect display of my opera and hip-hop blend. The other song would be the soon to be released “African Import”, which is the title track of my album and speaks to not only cultural appropriation, but the genius of black people who can never be replicated, no matter how hard the effort. My third option, if I am able to get vocalists to join me, would be to perform ”The Pledge” (also soon to be released), which is about black people collectively charting a new path forward that allows us to take action on creating the change we wish to see. My aim as an artist-changemaker is always to remind people of their own power and agency–especially black people. Audiences will experience the power of embracing your authentic self and will feel inspired, seen, heard, and reinvigorated.