Hip Hop South Festival

Rapsody

In the saturated market of music and entertainment, consumers live with a constant craving for outliers and one-of-ones. In the sphere of hip hop, Rapsody is that outlier. The Jamla/Roc Nation artist has spent the better part of the present decade lapping peers and counterparts while mesmerizing fans whom still prefer their rhymes detailed and nutritious. The Snow Hill, North Carolina native has more than held her own alongside greats like Kendrick Lamar, Black Thought and the late Mac Miller (in 2011, she toured with Miller on his Incredibly Dope Tour). She has been broadcasted and hailed by media giants — from NPR to USA Today to TIME Magazine to BET (2013’s Hip Hop Cypher) to NBC (The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, 2015). In 2014, XXL named her one of the 20 Greatest Female Rappers of All Time. The following year, Dr. Dre crowned her his “favorite female emcee.” In 2018, the Netflix/Mass Appeal 8-part documentary series, "RAPTURE," featured Rapsody as the only female artist and role model in Episode 6. The one-of-one is Rapsody’s latest album "EVE." Named after the Bible’s original woman, the summer release is dedicated to the celebration and empowerment of brown sistas worldwide. Each song is titled after a legendary black female. From the beautifully jazzy “MAYA” to the melanin-affirming “IMAN” to a summertime breezy “MICHELLE,” Rapsody’s latest — produced primarily by 9th Wonder and Eric G of The Soul Council production team and featuring giant guests like J Cole, D’Angelo, Queen Latifah and GZA, to name a few — is a collector’s item in a current climate of disposable compositions.

The lead single “Ibtihaj” introduces the succeeding 16 tracks (including an interlude) and their historic theme. Rapsody’s pen accomplishes much as she weaves the story of the first black, Muslim woman to get an Olympic medal for fencing in the Rio 2016 games. The incomparable features of The GZA and D’Angelo make the track swing “it’s been a long time coming since we had someone swarming with the bees (Killah) the bird and the Killah bees.”

The follow-up track of “AFENI,” in the form of separate love letters to black men and women, smells award-winning. 9th Wonder’s sonic bed is made with the Deniece Williams classic “Free,” Tupac’s “Dear Mama” a capella and decorated by the golden vocals of New Orleans crooner PJ Morton. On “OPRAH,” Rapsody ensures that the girl party is as fun as it is inspiring. Over a stream of buoyant baselines, she and masked sparkler Leikeli47 spit with the freedom of ocean water. “It ain’t uncommon to borrow a dollar/Invite me over to eat with your mama/I like them checks with the commas on commas.”

"EVE" is Rapsody’s third studio album, succeeding her 2012 debut "The Idea of Beautiful" and 2017’s "Laila’s Wisdom," named after her grandmother, which featured a constellation of guests (Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, Busta Rhymes, Musiq Soulchild, etc.) and launched the spitter into a rap star. It was nominated for both a Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song GRAMMY. The groundwork laid prior to "Laila’s Wisdom" included her outstanding verse on Paak’s 9th Wonder-produced “Without U” (off of his beloved major label debut, Malibu) and her first GRAMMY nomination for her exceptional performance on Kendrick’s sophomore standout "To Pimp A Butterfly." Rapsody would later earn an invitation from President Barack Obama and Herbie Hancock to perform at the International Jazz Fest with Aretha Franklin, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin and Terri Lyne Carrington in honor of the late great Prince. With her finest work ready for release, the Carolinian’s horizon forecasts more triumph, success, and, most importantly, little brown girls around the world who will love themselves more. They will have Rapsody to thank.

Shirlette Ammons

Shirlette Ammons is a Durham, NC-based musician whose sophomore solo album, "Language Barrier," was co-released by SugarQube Records and Churchkey Records in February 2016. The album features guest appearances by The Indigo Girls, Meshell Ndegeocello, Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso), Hiss Golden Messenger, Median (The Foreign Exchange), Heather McEntire (Mount Moriah), Phil Cook, and Jocelyn Ellis with musical compositions by Daniel Hart (St. Vincent, Broken Social Scene).

Shirlette’s first solo album, "Twilight For Gladys Bentley," was released in 2012 by Springstoff Records (Berlin, Germany) and is a ‘re-imagining,’ of 1920′s blues singer, Gladys Bentley. Shirlette has toured throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the U.S. in support of the work. In 2012, Shirlette travelled to Belgrade and Novi Sad, Serbia with Next Level Program, a collaborative international exchange program that engages underserved communities in various countries around the world and uses artistic collaboration and social engagement to enhance people-to-people diplomacy, especially among young audiences. Using multi-disciplinary hip hop collaborations, this unique arts-based exchange explores and addresses conflict resolution strategies by sending up to 20 American beat makers, DJs, B-Boys/B-Girls (or experts of other types of hip hop dance), or MCs in teams of five artists to lead four- to six-week exchange programs in various countries.

Shirlette has served as a producer for Emmy award-winning PBS series "A Chef's Life," and "Somewhere South," and co-directed a half-hour documentary special entitled "The Hook," which aired on APT.

Shirlette’s past works include a 2011 release with Chapel Hill based rock band, The Dynamite Brothers called And Lover’s Like. The album includes guest appearances from Justin Robinson (formerly of The Carolina Chocolate Drops), Kelly Crisp (The Rosebuds), Juan Huevos, Greg Humphreys, Yahzarah, Jocelyn Ellis, and Pierce Freelon. Her most recent collection of poetry, Matching Skin featuring The John Anonymous EP was published by Carolina Wren Press in 2008. Shirlette’s first collection entitled Stumphole: Aunthology of Backwoods Blood was published by Big Drum Press in 2002. Her literary work has appeared in The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South, What Your Momma Never Tod You: True Stories About Love and Sex, The Asheville Revielw and The Journal of the Academy of American Poets amongst other publications. She has received a John Hope Franklin Grant for Documentary Studies, The Ebony Harlem Award for Literary Achievement, as well as Emerging Artist Grants from the Durham Arts COuncil and the United Arts Council. She is also vocalist for the hip hop rock band Mosadi Music whose debut album, The Window, was released in 2006 and songwriter and vocalist for the fusion electronic duo, Jon Anonymous. As a freelance writer, Shirlette has contributed to The Independent Weekly and Duke Performance’s Blog, The Thread.

Shirlette resides and creates in Durham, North Carolina and is set to release a new album entitled "Spectacles," in 2022.

Carolina Waves

Carolina Waves is an Award-Winning, multi-platform brand founded by Mir.I.am in 2017. It promotes aspiring and independent artists through concerts, a podcast, showcases, industry mixers, festival activations and stages, open mics, and a radio show featuring Carolina artists weekly on K97.5.

Big Boi

Atlanta indisputably set the pace for modern hip-hop. However, Big Boi set the pace for Atlanta, and by proxy, the culture at large. If the genre of hip-hop ever gets its own "Rap Mount Rushmore," a legacy as the region's foremost wordsmith, funkiest gentleman, and resident ATLien certainly guarantees a place for the diamond selling artist, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, philanthropist born Antwan André Patton.

Big made history as the preeminent spitter of the Dungeon Family and one-half of OutKast. The legendary duo sold 25 million albums and garnered seven GRAMMY® Awards, becoming the first and only hip-hop artist in history to win the GRAMMY® for "Album of the Year" upon release of their 2003 RIAA Diamond-certified Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

Big Boi made his proper introduction as a solo artist in 2010 with Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. A modern classic, it captured #3 on the Billboard Top 200 and landed on Pitchfork's "100 Best Albums of the Decade 'So Far.'"

Following a succession of high-profile album releases, Big Boi released his most recent album Boomiverse in 2017. The smash single "All Night" sound tracked a high-profile Apple Animoji commercial, blew up radio, and clocked 40 million streams within a year. The song also hit the Top 30 on the pop chart and Top 10 at Rhythmic. In addition to his music career, the Hip-Hop legend recently announced that he will be the executive producer for a new crime series titled Government Records. He also signed a deal with Bread and Butter Content Studio to produce Big Boi's Gotta Eat, an upcoming series to find the freshest seafood and unique food culture coast to coast, with an energy that only Big Boi can bring.

Sa-Roc

Assata Perkins (born December 28, 1981), known professionally as Sa-Roc is an American rapper. In 2016, she became the second female rapper to sign with the Rhymesayers label.

In 2002, Sa-Roc met Atlanta-based producer Sol Messiah and the two began a long collaboration. Although she recorded albums, Sa-Roc did not start performing on stage until a 2011 benefit for Mutulu Shakur.

In 2013, she released her album "The Book of Light," which included "Just Us" written in honor of Troy Davis. In 2014, she collaborated with David Banner on the single "The Who?" for her "Nebuchadnezzar" album. She also performed with Black Thought at the 2014 A3C Hip Hop Festival. In 2015, she released her mixtape, "The Legend of Black Moses."

In May 2016, Sa-Roc signed with Rhymesayers. Her first official appearance on Rhymesayers is a collaboration with Brother Ali on his "All the Beauty in This Whole Life" album. She also toured with Brother Ali on The Own Light Tour in support of the new album.

In February 2018, she debuted her single "Forever." In October 2018, she debuted her single "Goddess Gang." The track was featured in the 2019 racing video game Need for Speed Heat. Her first Rhymesayers album, "The Sharecropper's Daughter," was released on October 2, 2020.

Radio Rehab

RADIO REHAB CAROLINA celebrates life, love, and music!

Since 2012, RADIO REHAB has created an outlet for inspirational good vibes through exhibiting love of culture through music, dance and the visual arts. RADIO REHAB showcases international, national and local artists, providing diversity to anyone craving a different flavor and filter for music than what's popularized in mainstream media. RADIO REHAB creates an atmosphere that extends beyond physical boundaries, enticing the mind, body, soul and spirit!

Raleigh Rockers

The Raleigh Rockers B-Boy Crew was originally founded in 2007 as the breaking club at NC State. The club hosted open practices to the Raleigh community and served as a place where people could come to learn, and grow as dancers. 2010 marked the first year that members of the Raleigh Rockers battled together under the Raleigh Rocker name. As members began to connect with other dancers outside the NC State community, the club grew into the family of dancers forming what you know today as the Raleigh Rocker B-Boy Crew. We now travel to compete, teach workshops, host competitions, perform, and do community outreach, all with the goal of creating a positive movement within our community, using the artistic medium of breaking.

The Soul Council

Looking towards the musical ancestry of his great predecessors, 9th Wonder followed in his own unique way by creating The Soul Council. Just as Public Enemy had the Bomb Squad and OutKast had Organized Noize, The sound of Jamla Records is represented by the Soul Council. In July of 2010, 9th unveiled this group of musical producers that consisted of Khrysis, E. Jones, Ka$h Don’t Make Beats, AMP, Eric G., and 9th Wonder himself. Later on in August 2014, 9th Wonder introduced the hard knocking, mind blowing Nottz as the newest member of the Soul Council and later in 2021 he introduced Sndtrak. Overall, the Soul Council is a conglomerate of what great music is: diverse, soulful and timeless.

Marcus Kiser

“Kiser’s work draws inspiration from a broad range of sources ranging from classical art to comic books and graffiti. He’s an artist and designer who’s comfortable in an equally broad range of media, from studio art, illustration, branding, UI design, motion graphics and more — all distinguished by his ability to distill ideas to a striking, almost iconic image that is often dense and multilayered, yet always accessible” - Manoj P. Kesavan

Artist Statement: My work broadly focuses on presenting contemporary conversations about American black experiences, using the aesthetic and conceptual prisms of popular science fiction comics and digital design.