New Monthly: B-Girl Bench DJ Workshop and Mixer!

Free, All Ages DJ Workshops starting every 1st Wednesday of the Month in July! Hosted by DJ's B-Girl, Miss Broadway, Lady Jane, Joy and Ricki Leigh. Turntables and equipment will be available during the workshop for hands on learning. This is an opportunity for you to learn how to DJ, get into the music industry, learn from the pros, and network with other ladies. Learn to DJ with vinyl, Serato and/or CD's! The first session will be on July 1st, which is a Wednesday, from 6-9PM @ Electric Tea Garden located at 1402 E. Pike St. in Seattle, WA. The workshops will continue every 1st Wednesday of the month, same time, same place. Come through and chill and/or learn to DJ!

Visiting female MC's together for the first time in Seattle!

Seattle, WA - June 8, 2009 - MC Invincible (Detroit) and Sabreena Da Witch (Baltimore/Palestine), together for the first time in Seattle, will be headlining two hip-hop shows this week: Thursday June 11th 7pm w/ MC and songstress Toni Hill and DJ B-girl at the UW Ethnic Cultural Theatre (3931 Brooklyn Ave NE) and Friday June 12th 8pm w/ MCs Canary Sing and DJ B-Girl at Hidmo Eritrean Cuisine (2000 S. Jackson St).

"One of the most talented emcees I've ever heard black or white, male or female..."

-Talib Kweli

It is truly rare to find an artist like Invincible. Her spitfire wordplay has gotten her acclaim from Hip Hop fans all across the world, while her active involvement in progressive social change has taken her music beyond entertainment, and towards actualizing the change she wishes to see. Repping Detroit, MI, many are already familiar with her work with Waajeed and the Platinum Pied Pipers, Finale, the all-female ANOMOLIES crew, Black Star, and many others. Dubbed by XXL Magazine as "every A&Rs worst nightmare" for rejecting major label deals and general industry politrix, Invincible started her own record label, EMERGENCE, self-releasing her long-awaited full length LP, ShapeShifters, June, 2008.

Palestine's First Lady of R&B, Abeer aka Sabreena da Witch is a Palestinian R&B singer and educator born and raised in Lyd, Palestine/Israel. The challenges of being a Palestinian woman living inside of Israel led Abeer to express herself through art. She studied film and photography in the Israeli art academies and became active in political and social events in the Israeli and Palestinian territories after the second Intifada started in 2000. Abeer writes and composes all her music. Her lyrics are about the struggle for freedom and justice in the world and in Palestine specifically. Abeer also is one of the only musicians in the world to discuss the subject of honor-killing, and of women's struggle for independence in the Arab world and beyond ; singing and rapping mostly in Arabic, using her unique Eastern R&B and Dancehall style.

While Invincible and Sabreena Da Witch have collaborated on such songs as "People Not Places" (ShapeShifters, 2008) and have both been to Seattle before, the UW Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), UW Women's Action Commision (WAC) and Hidmo Entertainment present them together for the first time in Seattle, along with a talented line-up of local artists. Thursday's free all-ages show at UW's Ethnic Cultural Theatre will feature Toni Hill (Only Love, 2009) and DJ B-girl (Knox Family, 2009), both legendary NW artists in their own right. Friday's all-ages benefit show at Hidmo will feature the fresh faces of Canary Sing (The Filthy, Filthy EP, 2008) and DJ B-girl back on the 1s and 2s. Donations of $5-$20 (sliding scale) will be taken at the door of the Hidmo show to raise money for artists and activist from Seattle to attend the Allied Media Conference in Detroit this summer, which Invincible will be participating in and performing at.

The ASUW Womens Action Commission is a student-run, University of Washington based organization working toward increasing womens visibility and advocating on behalf of women on campus.

Students for Justice in Palestine UW is a group of students dedicated to promoting the principles of justice, human rights, liberation, and self-determination for the Palestinian people.

Hidmo Entertainment is a producation crew consisting of local artists and community organizers whose mission it is to support and grow local and/or independent music and art through innovative, engaging and socially responsible programming and providing a space and opportunities for community partners and collaborators to engage in dialog that uplifts humanity; with a special emphasis on the empowerment and engagement of youth and women.

B-Girl Be Screening April 23-25 in Seattle!

Please be sure to check out the B-Girl Be movie this Thurs, Fri and Sat in Seattle! Desdamona, a spoken word artist and one of the head coordinators of B-Girl Be will be in Seattle to build with us. If you don't know about B-Girl Be, it's an annual festival of women in Hip Hop that all gather in Mpls, MN to do their thing. I've had the chance to go and take workshops and also get down with the girls. It's such an honor to have this right here in our city. Julie C. and Beloved 1 will be hosting, so come through. Hope to see ya there!

B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip Hop

B-Girl Be

rap . graffiti . dj . dance . panels . fashion . poetry . visual exhibition . film

B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip-Hop is an annual multimedia festival encompassing the four elements of hip-hop: MCing, DJing, break dancing and graffiti. Created by Intermedia Arts in 2005, B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip-Hop was the first international female-focused hip-hop summit in history. Since its inception, this wildly successful multidisciplinary summit has brought over 200 international, national and local girls and women in hip-hop together in Minneapolis for dialogues, art-making, screenings, performances, workshops and networking opportunities. The annual four-day summit showcases women’s aesthetic vision and creative leadership in hip-hop through live performances, fashion, films, videos, workshops and panels.

The mission of B-Girl Be is to influence and inspire leadership to change the perceptions and roles of women in hip-hop for current and future generations.

Founding Curators: DeAnna Cummings, Desdamona, Leah Nelson, Melisa Riviere and Theresa Sweetland.

Laura "Piece" Kelley-Jahn

Seattle spoken-word artist has music in her blood, poetry in her soul.

Laura "Piece" Kelley-Jahn performs with her band at the Nectar Lounge on March 22.

By Marian Liu

Seattle Times staff reporter

Laura "Piece" Kelley-Jahn has a presence about her that radiates
"artist" — even before you spot her fierce knee-high boots and sky-high
'fro.

"She has the ability to wake up the room and captivate the
audience," described Shomari Jones, senior director of the Black
Achievers Program at the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA. "Piece has
the ability to wrap them with the words coming out of her mouth."

The accomplished spoken-word artist is a staple in the Seattle arts
scene, teaching community workshops, performing at schools and clubs
and winning plenty of contests — such as the improv poetry contest
Seattle Grand Slam, of which she was named champion in 2004 and 2005.

"I use music as a way to help heal," said Kelley-Jahn, who will be
singing with her neo-jazz/hip-hop band, Queenz Ransom, at the Nectar
Lounge Sunday. "It constantly defines your purpose."

Through her decadelong career, Kelley-Jahn has shared the stage with
artists like Gil Scott-Heron, the Last Poets, Saul Williams, Gwendolyn
Brooks, Angela Davis and Bobby Seale. She was also a featured artist on
HBO's "Def Poetry Jam" in 2005.

But she was performing long before that. At a young age, Kelley-Jahn
was rapping with friends in the Central District, while breakdancers
spun on cardboard. Hip-hop was her rite of passage.

Musician Bob Lovelace remembers meeting her at 14, and how he
underestimated her — until she earned herself a spot in his group with
her sweet rhymes. Now 38, he's joined her band, playing bass.

Kelley-Jahn boasts she can still best anyone at freestyling. She wows her workshop students all the time.

"She was inspiring," said former student Trina Felicitas, a
sophomore at Franklin High School who commented after watching a recent
Kelley-Jahn show. "She said that if you believe it, then be it. ... The
pen is her weapon."

Music is also in her blood. Kelley-Jahn's grandmother is none other
than Ruby Bishop, a mainstay in the Seattle jazz scene. The 89-year-old
Bishop plays every Monday at Martins Off Madison, a Capitol Hill piano
bistro.

"She has influenced me in music, artistry and spirit," said Kelley-Jahn, who is currently producing her grandmother's album.

At just 31, Kelley-Jahn has a worldliness about her, of a weathered
and wise soul. Multiracial (her mother is black and Native American,
her father is Croatian — they met in Chinatown), Kelley-Jahn, like her
funky music, is hardly categorizable. Her last album, "Street Smartz,"
was is an introspective one-woman play, produced in her basement. And
lately to keep her creativity up, she keeps her Blackberry on hand,
texting flows of phrases in stream of consciousness style to herself
throughout the day.

The pieces are metaphorical and spiritual, drawing from her own
experiences. Kelley-Jahn — who became a mother at 17, and was in and
out of foster care and on the streets from age 13 to 17 — has a message
of empowerment. For example, she asks, what kind of lesson does it
teach kids to idolize 50 Cent after he's been shot so many times? She
breaks these raps down in her workshops, critically analyzing the
negative gangster themes and the glamorization it creates.

Her music embodies that truth. An education set to sound.

"That's my job," said Kelley-Jahn.Permalink: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2008883750_zart19kelley.html?cmpid=2628

For more on Piece please visit www.piece.be

and look for her album "Street Smartz" on iTunes and Amazon.com

Enjoy some videos...

Breakdown FM-25 Joints to get U Through the Day-Women Speak Their Minds

Northwest Women Featured on 25 Joints!
by Davey D.

25 Joints to Get U Through the Day #11
Sista's on Point-Like There's No Tomorrow-
Unbrought and Unbossed

Catch this weeks show by clicking the link below:
http://odeo.com/episodes/24282..588-25-Joints-11-Sista-s-On-..Point


In celebration of International Women's History Month
we decided to highlight the voice of many who are often overlooked,
taken for granted or forgotten about. Those are our sisters in Hip Hop.
Women have always been on point from day one when it comes to
architecting this culture called Hip Hop. We can start with Cindy Campbell-the sister of Hip Hop's father Kool Herc.
had it not been for her suggesting and ultimately setting up the now
landmark party on 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in August of 1973, we might not
be on the mic, yes yes y'alling at all today in 2009.


During the pioneering years we had stellar emcees like Zulu Queen Lisa Lee who was down with Afrika Bambaattaa, Pebbly Poo of the Masterdon Committee and Sha Rock who was down with DJ Baron & Breakout-Funky 4 Plus One More.. Of course we have to tip our hats to the one and only Mercedes Ladies-the first all female Hip Hop Crew.. We have an interview with original member Shari-Shar about to drop real soon-so be on the look out..


Over the years lots of women have blessed the mic and left their mark from Salt-n-Pepa to Roxanne Shante to the Real Roxanne to Queen Latifah to MC Lyte..
The list goes on.. Sadly we've had a situation within the music
industry that had decided that women artists are not marketable. The
conventional wisdom has been that the average listener can't
distinguish their voices. Hence its always been situation where you
always find maybe one or two females at most on a major label with them
being released and marketed at different times.


Of course here at Breakdown FM, we see it differently. There's a world of difference between MC Lyte and Queen Latifah, just like there's a world of difference between Chuck D and KRS or 50 Cent and Ice Cube. Different looks, rhyme styles, subject matter etc. So much for industry wisdom


This week we went and dug deep and highlighted some folks you need to check for.. We kick things off with Seattle sensations Canary Sing and their dope new song 'Heroines'.
We proceed their cut with a short tribute to Shirley Chisolm who kicked
down the doors for both Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama-She was the
first to run for President back in '72 around the birth of Hip Hop.


Also out of the Emrald City which has plethora of female emcees. To
be honest we could've done a 25 Joints just with Seattle women-that's
how deep they're rolling. Artists like Toni Hill, Felicia Loud, Southern Komfort, Sis Moni Tep, beyond Reality, Christina Orbe are just a few of the many. On this 25 Joints, we feature DJ B-Girl and her cut 'Murder She Wrote' featuring Julie C and Sister Hailstorm. We also have pioneering emcee Laura 'Piece' Kelley and her classic song 'Soundwave'.


Right next door to Seattle is Portland which has a wealth of talent in the form of groups like Siren's Echo. We featured Queen Nasim who has been doing her thing for minute with a song called 'I'm Original'.
It has that old school sound and feel. Because of Seattle and the NW's
deepness in talent we'll probably have to do pt2 on the all female 25
Joints. So stay tuned.


The midwest came hard as we drop gems from artists like Invincible out of Detroit with her song 'Regonize'. her album 'Shape Shifters' is what Hip Hop should really be about. We have Nefertiti and with her slamming joint 'Addicted' and San Jose transplant to Grand Rapids Brazen who has a wonderful spoken word song called 'Grand Plight'. Not to be missed is TMD who we'll have to highlight next go round.


Also out the midwest and holding down Minneapolis is Maria Isa who we featured last year. Her piano laden Latin flavored joint 'Die Not Kill' is pure butter.

Lastly we have Chicago native Lah Tere from the group Rebel Diaz. She's currently working on a solo project. She laced us with a head nodding cut called 'You Are'


Mystic blessed us with an exclusive cut that will be a cornerstone to her upcoming album bearing the same title 'Beautiful Resistance'. This Grammy nominated artists has serious fire and deep insights to our minds and souls. Don't sleep on her.


In the same vein is Pittsburgh native Kellee Maize
who recently was cited as one of the best in the city that now calls
itself 'Sixburgh' because of the Steelers 6 Superbowl wins. Last year
Kellee hit us over the dome with an album called 'Age of Feminine'that centered on Women's empowerment and spirituality She returns with a new song called 'Third Eye' which takes us deeper.


Chuck D of Public Enemy has been backing an all female crew called Crew Grrrl Order. They came hard with a new song that pays tribute to the First Lady Michele Obama. Longtime producer Johnny Juice
does a nice remix which accenuates these sister's flows and lets us
know that they will be around for a minute. he also gets busy cutting
in excerpts from Michelle Obama


Like Seattle the Bay Area comes deep with female talent. We have Mystic who we highlighted along with Jennifer Johns who is on fire. The Conscious Daughters of course who we'll feature on pt 2 are the best known names. But the Bay has a lot of folks like Aya De Leon, Joyo Verlarde, Kofy Brown, Goapele are just a few of the other names that are stellar in talent and presence.


On this 25 Joints we bring the spot light to Queen Deelah who comes out of East Oakland the the Silence the Violence Movement.
She's part of a larger collective of artists who have dedicated
themselves and Hip Hop to stopping the carnage that plagues the mean
streets of Oakland. Deelah's song 'Mind Yours' is dope and captures that vintage Bay sound.


Another up and coming talent starting to make noise is Kenyanna Bean. Her new song 'Good Wit Me'
is also popping. Like Queen Deelah Kenyanna is also out there making
noise in the community trying to make a difference. Big shout out to Simone Nia Rae
who could've also been on this episode if we had more space. She too is
also a part of the new school of Bay talent. Her new song 'Jealousy' has been featured on local radio stations in nearby Stockton. We'll be rocking her in upcoming 25 Joints.


As we close out we'd be remissed not to acknowledge the Queens from
the Big Apple who are seriously on point. If you never heard of Tiye Phoenix you're slipping. her joint 'Nicewitis' lives up to its name. When her project finally drops, I guarante she'll be turning Hip Hop upside down. She's joined by Jean Grae
which whom no all female showcase would be complete without her in the
building. Grae can do no wrong when she touches the mic. Her song Supa Jean makes you wonder why people have been overlooking her.


Eve, Queen Latifah Isis aka Lin Que hold us down with some classic joints from their catalogue. We also have a dope joint from Hip Hop MC Lyte produced by DJ Premier called 'Wonder Years'. That song which dropped in 07 is vintage on Breakdown FM. Medusa
is also a pioneering figure from the west coast who is still snatching
heads when she gets on the mic. She's blesses us with a new song called
'Cali Fame' which proves that assertion.


Zulu Queen Rha Goddess and Sarah Jones show us just how potent spoken word can get. The lyrics to the songs 'Revolution' and 'Immaculate Conception' will make a whole lot of artists step up their lyric game.



Catch this weeks show by clicking the link below:
http://odeo.com/episodes/24282..588-25-Joints-11-Sista-s-On-..Point


Here's the playlist

01-Canary Sings 'Heroines' (Seattle)
02-Kellee Maize 'Third Eye' (Pittsburgh)
03-Isis 'Rebel Song' (NY)

04-Jean Grae 'Supa Jean' (NY)
05-Eve 'Life Is So Hard' (NY)
06-Mystic 'Beautiful Resistant' (Bay Area/ LA)
07-Laura 'Piece' Kelly 'Soundwave' (Seattle)

08-Nefertiti 'Addicted' (Grand Rapids, Mi)
09-DJ Vadim w/ Sarah Jones 'Revolution' (NY)
10-DJ B Girl w/ Sista Hailstorm & Julie C 'Murder She Wrote' (Seattle)

11-Queen Latifah 'Latifah had It Up To Here' (NY)
12-Rha Goddess 'Immaculate Conception' (NY)
13-Invincible 'Recognize' (Detroit)

14-Crew Grrrl Order 'Official First Lady (Johnny Juice Remix)
15-Macy Gray w/ Mos Def "I Committed Murder' (gang Star rmx)
16-Tiye Phoenix 'Nicewitis' (NY)

17-Mala Rodriguez 'Ajierro' (Spain)
18-Queen Deelah 'Mond Yours' (Oakland)
19-Bernice King & Sister Souljah meet the Rhondo Brothers (interlude)

20-Medusa 'Cali Fame' (LA)
21-Jennifer John 'Painting on Wax' (Bay Area)
22-Queen Nasim 'I'm original' w/ Rosa Clemente (Portland)

23-Maria Isa 'Die Not Kill' (Minneapolis)
24-Lah Tere 'You Are' (Chicago/NY)
25-Brazen 'Grand Rapid' (San Jose/ Grand Rapid)

B-Girl Bench Spotlight - B-Girl Yoda Laneski

Street Performing in Seattle Back in the Day circa '83

Lane Davey, known in b-boy circles as Laneski, was one of Seattle's very first b-girls. Of course, back in '83, "nobody used the term B-Girl," she writes. "Being a girl [breaker] was such a novelty, it wasn't really a problem." And dancing as a career? "Not in my day. That really cracks me up. I would have to watch MTV all day long just to see one Hiphop video, if I was lucky." At the age of 14, Laneski was inspired by the dance moves in Michael Jackson's videos to take a breakdancing class offered at the Bellevue Athletic Club by the Seattle Circuit Breakers Crew. Her gymnastics background gave her the strength and agility to quickly pick up the tough moves they taught, and "the guys in the crew sort of adopted me by the end of the six week class and began asking me to dance with them whenever I could."

She was mentored by Dee Rock, a b-boy, dj and leader of the Seattle Circuit Breakers now known more famously as DJ Mr Supreme. "He taught me all about the culture, the style, and gave me a tape of b-boy footage which became my learning tool. You weren't a b-boy if you didn't know what was up with the culture and the style, and you had to be able to tag your name and walk all funky. You had to know what was new and fresh in every element." Laneski and her fellow breakers paid close attention to fashion and style. She remembers sailor hats with graffiti on the flip, Adidas suits, kangol berets, Pumas, name belt buckles and chains, Lee jeans and plaid Gotcha shorts. "It was strictly New York. Anything from L.A. was considered wack."

DeeSki, aka Joe'l Herd, taught Lane how to dance in the clubs: the prep, the peewee herman, the cabbage patch. "People would battle with those dances too. Some got so funky, they would literally be dancing with their heads just a few inches from the floor. The clubs had so much crazy energy. I got in all those places at 14 and 15 years old. It wasn't strict back then, even the lamest fake IDs were fine." Battles certainly weren't restricted to the clubs, though. "I went to the mall to find a battle, and if you had your shoes tied b-boy style, you were fair game. My girlfriend used to get mad at me for walking around looking at everyone's shoelaces all the time." Now, though, things are more organized. "We all kinda know each other and we know what everyone's going to do."

"It was about power moves back then," Laneski explains. "It was raw and we were making it up as we went along. You didn't hear people saying that's the right way or wrong way to do something; it wasn't wrong, it was new." Though b-boys today may look more polished with their moves, "it looks so practiced that it all starts to look the same after awhile, and everyone's worried about if they did it right or wrong instead of just getting funky and being spontaneous." Laneski specialized in the power moves, such as flairs, swipes, turtles, and suicides, and this was more than good enough. "I would go in the circle and not even uprock or footwork or anything, just pop into a move and I would win."

As one of the pioneers of the b-girl movement, Laneski has a unique perspective on what it's like to be a woman in the breaker culture. "Too many girls think because they are cute they can go in the circle and do the same basic footwork ten times in a row to get attention., but they are preventing the guys from keeping the momentum of their circle….The women need to earn their respect. Girls try to be a spectacle and push the girl thing sometimes when they need to just fit right in with the guys and practice hard enough to keep up with the circle. There will always be those guys who don't want to see a girl in the circle, but…for every guy who insults you, there are probably 100 who secretly admire your dedication to do what you do."

For Laneski, being white was more of an issue than being female. But that doesn't mean she's not angry about the hiphop industry's insults to women, or that she's happy with the way media portrays her fellow females. She writes about attending B-Girl Be in Minneapolis and encountering many unheard-of female hiphop artists from all four elements, some of whom had been performing as long as she has. "We are talking some seriously talented, intelligent and beautiful b-girls that never get acknowledged, which makes it hard for other women to get inspired to have skills."

Is the outlook bright? "Women are coming together, discovering our own roots and embracing our own impact. We are almost our own element since we do things our own way without own flava." That's a yes. And Laneski's advice to women in hiphop: "Remember that fame and fortune does not bring you happiness, but following your destiny does. Hiphop is a calling, as much or more than it is a career."

Check out Laneski’s website, http://www.usgirlshawaii.com/lane/Bgirl/BGIRLMAIN3.html, or on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/USGIRLSHAWAII.

By Katelyn Hackett. Katelyn covers local hiphop and other topics for Seattlest.com and writes freelance for other publications.

Rocksteady 31. The Ladies Represented.

Written by Beloved 1
August 2008

This year's Rocksteady Anniversary felt like the year of the B-Girl, with strength in numbers, and long over-do recognition. Who would believe that the Legendary Rocksteady Crew is 31 years old? Founded in 1977 by pioneering New York breakers, the Rocksteady Crew were some of the first b-boys to blow up and tour the world, officially putting "Breakdancing" on the global map. Every year their Anniversary is celebrated as only hip hop can celebrate- with jams and battles. I had the good fortune of accompanying B-girl Bean and B-girl Naj of Seattle's own Fraggle Rock Crew to witness and partake in the 2008 festivities. Although not as well-attended as last year's landmark 30th anniversary, this year's 31st celebration was definitely a weekend to remember. The 5 on 5 crew battle was in full swing at Grand Hall in NYC's famous SOHO district, with the 206's own DJ DV1 on the one's and two's for the entire six-hour event. The ladies definitely represented, comprising a full crew, and coming out full-throttle. B-girl Bean and B-girl Naj of Fraggle rock battled with Jess Rock from Ohio, Lady J of the Mighty Zulu Queens, and an Arizona B-Girl. A-B-Girl of Domestic Apes won this year's well-respected "Spy Award."

Also included in the Anniversary festivities was a free, outdoor festival including hip hop pioneers and architects. This year included the likes of the Artifacts, Marley Marl, Diggin in the Crates Crew, Craig G, KRS-One, the great Bahamadia (yes, Bahamadia), and Fat Joe. Concert-goers could buy a Barack Obama T-shirt and a plate of soul food while absorbing the sounds of true hip hop legends. The highlights of the show were a 3-minute accapella spit by Bahamadia including hot-like-fire delivery never before heard from this jazzy, butta-soft vocalist. She also tore apart the freestyle cypher with her quick wit and social commentary. (Bahamadia's recent album "Good Rap Music" has been released only in Europe, but can be purchased as an import, and features a harder Bahamadia than we've previously heard). Fat Joe held it down, spitting songs from the old school and new school, keeping it real, and advising those who only knew him from "Lean Back" to "get the f*%! out." Rocksteady Crew of course performed an outstanding showcase featuring 19 members on stage, including Seattle's own B-boy Fever. All artists performed strictly for the love of Hip Hop, free of charge and without compensation.

DJ Evil Dee of Black Moon could be found spinning at the Rocksteady after party that evening. Underground celebrities like Sway, Tony Touch, and Popmaster Fabel came through to get down and spread love, while b-boys and girls did their thing in the cypher. The entire Rocksteady Anniversary was dedicated to the loving memory of well-loved hip hop pioneer, Frosty Freeze, who passed earlier this year.

Beloved 1 is an intern for B-Girl Bench, an MC, a B-Girl and a hip hop teaching artist.

B-Girl Bench Spotlight - Kylea of Beyond Reality

Kylea of Beyond Reality

Kylea aka Beyond Reality's Album on iTunes

Erika White, aka Kylea of Beyond Reality, is a Seattle icon and veteran of Northwest hip hop. "I was in the sixth grade when hip hop started coming along, so I've been involved in hip hop culture since the '80s," she explains. "Look at a picture from 1985 to 1987. Everyone has a picture with your Run DMC shirt and your arms crossed." But unlike many of her fellow hip hop enthusiasts, Kylea took her high school passion for rhyming to the next level: she released, marketed, and received critical acclaim for her single, "I Reality," and, years later, for her solo album produced by Bean One called A Soul's Journey. Kylea's involvement in hip hop, however, goes well beyond her released work.

In the mid-'90s, Kylea co-founded Jasiri Media Group and was at the forefront of the burgeoning Seattle hip hop scene. She can tell you stories about everyone from Sir Mix-A-Lot ("In high school he would dj and make mixtapes, compilation tapes, put on little shows… Anyone who was hating on Mix, that's just because they're haters") to Jonathan Moore, aka Wordsayer, from Source of Labor ("He was the founding person getting the local scene opened up, doing shows with artists coming through town like Ice Cube and The Roots"). Kylea can track the growth of the scene from virtually no local performers back in the late '80s to the present day, when "a rapper in town is a dime a dozen."

"The Seattle hip hop scene is about who you know, and who they know," Kylea says. "More than money, you have to have support. And money can't necessarily buy you that all the time." Beyond Reality is a family business these days, though it began as a collaborative effort between Kylea and one of her best friends from high school. Kylea's son, now 10, acts as hype-man and her nephew, AB, backs them up on the 1's and 2's. Organic, feel-good, soulful: The Stranger has dubbed Beyond Reality "true school" and named Kylea the top female emcee in Seattle "since the mid-90s".

Performances are few and far between nowadays, but Kylea's not complaining. "I feel like I'm a dope emcee. I can put out a lot of these cats that think they're dope emcees hands down, with my mouth covered up. … I could still pull it off if I wanted to, but anyone who knows the history or wants to know, they can go to EMP, holler at me, do some research, and they can find out about me. …There's other things in life I want to do that don't necessarily involve me being an emcee."

What is Kylea doing now? "I'm djing. I throw parties, and I cook… My son's getting ready to be ten. I don't have to be rhyming, but music, food and friends are always gonna be something that I'll be involved in." Kylea's also talked about opening a restaurant. Her advice to women getting started in hiphop: "Stay true to yourself, build alliances with other people, and do your research. Take criticism, but don't let anyone tell you to dress like this or do this or say it like this if that's not really you. Go out, check out the scene, find a way to find your place and do what you have to do."

Check out tracks from A Soul's Journey on Beyond Reality's website, http://www.beyondreality206.com, or on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/beyondreality206.

By Katelyn Hackett. Katelyn covers local hiphop and other topics for Seattlest.com and writes freelance for other publications.

B-Girl Bench Spotlight - Angel 179

Angel at work

Album art for B-Girl "Love or Fate"

Logo art for Ladies First, C.A.R.A.

Angel 179's colorful murals dot the Seattle-area cityscape with whimsical creatures and graceful lines. She's been painting for a decade, and shows no signs of slowing down; given the opportunity, the opinionated artist behind the murals will deftly transform not just concrete but skateboards, sneakers, and stretches of canvas. "If you don't love it, don't do it," Angel says firmly. "Go into everything with that intent." Angel isn't in it just for the love of art, though: she is dedicated to making her community a more beautiful place both visually and spiritually.

Angel got her start tagging in the CD, and though she made a quick and earnest foray into breakdancing, her true element was the visual. In middle school, she began to paint murals as a volunteer for community organizations and schools. "I had a really good upbringing from the community. Seattle's good for that," Angel says, and credits a tight group of friends and mentors with helping her to clarify her calling. "They were able to help me come up with my own definition of what hip hop is, what I think graffiti is. And from there I was able to develop my ideas of what being a woman in hip hop is, a person of Mexican descent in hip hop is."

The talented painter shows her artwork nationally and makes a living doing freelance graphic design. In addition, the community support she received as a teenager meant so much to Angel that she has returned as an adult to teach classes to youth at Seattle public schools and community centers. "I want to help people who were like me growing up, who were confused, of color. There were people who came back for me, and I want to do that for others," she says. "I can't live off that, but it's something I've dedicated myself to doing."

Though she firmly believes in the power of community affirmation and mentoring, Angel doesn't shy away from controversy. Her work often features religious symbols, a choice not always popular with her family. "My grandparents don't like that I paint Catholic things, they think it's blasphemous. It's scaring my grandma," she says. But as an artist, Angel knows that provocative symbols can be the perfect way to explore universal and personal human emotions. "The cranky baby Jesus that [Angel's Virgin Mary] holds, that's kinda like me, scared or confused, angry or hungry," she explains. "When people look at my [work featuring Virgin Mary], they say, "oh, is that woman you?" And I say, "No, that little crying thing is me!"

A woman in the male-dominated world of hip hop, Angel has seen and experienced her share of sexism. "Everybody thinks you're a ho or someone's girlfriend, and so they overlook you. I've had that happen at art shows, even, with people on the inside of the community… A lot of my artwork is mistaken for men's artwork, they would think it was my boyfriend's art, or that it was my boyfriend who got me into graffiti. But I was into graffiti before I met anybody," she says, making it clear this is not about impressing a guy or following someone else's lead. "Seattle was always a little bit more open for women… But we're always gonna have to deal with sexism."

With so many jobs and an increasingly hectic travel schedule, when does Angel paint? "I get up super early. I love the quiet. I don't think if I was working a real-deal 9-5 job that I would be able to do art, and I would just come home and watch TV. Which is not what I want to do." Ever moving forward, Angel's excited about her plans for the future. She talks about doing murals with kids in Mexico, or pushing the boundaries of her artwork here in the States: "I want to take my paintings and make them three-dimensional. Make it a performance."

Find out more about Angel 179 and her art on her website, onesevennine.com and on her Myspace at myspace.com/onesevennine.

Written by Katelyn Hackett. Katelyn covers local hiphop and other topics for Seattlest.com, Seattle Sound Magazine and writes freelance for other publications.

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