SPEAKERS & ATTENDEES

 The most successful Cold Crush single to date is “Fresh, Wild, Fly & Bold,” released in 1984. It sold 16,000 units in its first week of release in the early 80’s, which was a big deal. With the ability of foresight, it was A.D.’s idea to have Tape master Elvis Moreno record all of their shows live, with high-quality audio engineered with perfection, to ensure that duplication on cassette tape would still sound crystal clear. The clarity of the tape recording provided a virtual experience, bringing the true essence of the party and Hip Hop culture to life for the listener, allowing them to feel as if they were in attendance at the performances of the Cold Crush Brothers. In later years, A.D. added video recording to document the live Hip Hop experience further. This marketing strategy, the brainchild of A.D., enabled their music to be distributed worldwide, including to the armed forces, which led them to be the first Hip Hop group to tour in Japan and Europe. 

Easy A.D.’s historical appearances have been preserved through his vast collection of treasured Hip Hop artifacts in their original form. His unique collection has been on exhibit at the L.A. Grammy Museum, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Bronx Museum, Harlem YMCA Aaron Douglass Room, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington, and most recently, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (a Smithsonian Institution museum) in Washington, D.C. As a Hip Hop veteran, A.D. continues to preserve the history and culture of Hip Hop through several business ventures. He mentors young people to help mold the next generations of Hip Hop. 

In recent years,  Easy A.D. has lent his expertise to numerous roles. More specifically, he serves as (1) the Hip Hop Health Ambassador/ Health M.C for the nonprofit Hip Hop Public Health, (2) a Research Coordinator for the Columbia Neurological Institute, (3) a Hip Hop Health Ambassador for Harlem Hospital Hip Hop Public Health Educational Center, (4) the Hip Hop Historian for the Apollo Theater Oral History Project, (5) a celebrity judge for Hip Hop competitions, (6) a celebrity tour guide for the Hip Hop Hush Tours throughout New York City, and (6) a keynote speaker and lecturer for colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad. A.D.’s speaking engagements and appearances include but are not limited to, K-12 public schools, Boston College, and the Artsucation™ Academy Network’s New Haven Hip Hop Conference held at Southern Connecticut State University and Neighborhood Music School in collaboration with the International Festival of Arts and Ideas. 

She’s also executively produced several projects, including her most recent documentary, Fulfill The Promise: The Rise. The Fall. The Promise. (2024), which explores the cultural impact of Seattle’s Central District, focusing on the late Rev. Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney’s efforts to combat systemic poverty through one of the nation’s first skill-based centers. His vision lives on through the McKinney Center for Community & Economic Development, launched in 2020.

Beaver is also a first-time author. Her book, Words of Wisdom: A Compilation of Life Principles, Inspired by Truth & Guided by Purpose, Vol. 1 (2024), provides readers with positive insights to live a fulfilling, purpose-driven life. To learn more about Chardonnay, visit chardonnaybeaver.com.

The group exploded on the scene during the summer of 1991 with “O.P.P” and “Everything’s Gonna be Alright” from their self-titled debut, Naughty by Nature. Their second album, 19 Naughty III (1993) featured another crossover smash, “ Hip-Hop Hooray,” which rivaled “O.P.P” as the national catch phrase of the early ‘90’s and is still heard around the world today.

As a speaker, Vin consistently wows audiences with his #VinTalks to colleges and education based audiences focused on the Metaverse, virtual reality, NFTs, Crypto and more. In 2022, speeches to diverse audiences include #VinTalks ranging from for the HBCU Celebration Game Career Fest at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to the Hip Hop Science Project, sharing the stage with scientist David Spergel. Other recent speaking engagements include the Legacy Classic Career Summit at the Prudential Center (Newark) where he shared the stage with Fortune 500 global leaders from Invesco.

Vin is highly sought after for his powerful delivery as a tech entrepreneur, keynote speaker, MC/host, activist and role model. He uses his influence as the founder of Nerdy By Nature, an organization with school programs that spread positive messages to youth. As an MC, he uses his voice to impact and engage influential organizations, such as recently hosting a Black Tie Gala for Mayor Ted Green (East Orange, NJ).

Visit His Website: www.NaughtybyNature.com

AP has over 25 years of professional experience and service. Prior to assuming his duties in Seattle he served as the Executive Officer of LA City Parks and was a City Attorney in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office where he handled and litigated hundreds of matters in the Criminal Branch and as a specially assigned prosecutor in the City’s Neighborhood Prosecutor Program. Thereafter, he served in the Civil Division’s Municipal Law Branch as legal counsel to the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, and General Services Department and as lead contract counsel for the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments. He also served as one of the principal City Attorneys assigned to advise and staff the Los Angeles City Council.

AP also served as General Counsel for LA Recreation and Parks, helping guide the Department on many high-profile and important endeavors, most notably the transformation, restoration, and management model for the historic and iconic Greek Theatre and the preparation of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

AP is a member of the NRPA Board of Directors & serves as an instructor at the NRPA Director’s School and on staff at various leadership academies teaching Adult Development Theory, Diversity & Cultural Awareness, Communication & Marketing, and Transformational Leadership.

AP is Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court and is a member of the California State Bar.

AP is a member of the Seattle Sports Commission and an Ex Officio board member on the Seattle Zoo, Aquarium, Seattle Art Museum & the Washington Arboretum boards. He also is an Executive Board member for World Urban Parks.

AP was born in Hollywood and raised in Santa Monica, CA. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Politics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Washington DC, a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and a Spanish language proficiency designation from the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain.

In addition to direct research, she has a strong interest in science management. For seven years (2003-2010) Sarah was the Executive Officer of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project where she combined her research efforts with organizing multi-national science initiatives, workshops and conferences.

As a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow Sarah participated in field campaigns (SEAS, LINC, INDOEX, ACE-Asia) measuring aerosol optical properties, with the goal of quantifying how light scattering and absorption by aerosols affect climate. Her work then focused in specifically on the effects of black carbon (soot) aerosols on climate. With colleagues at UW, she helped develop an instrument to quantify light-absorbing particles from snow samples, then the team did a survey of black carbon in snow that spanned the Arctic, northern China and central North America. The resulting data set is being used to test and improve climate model estimates of the impact of black carbon on climate.

Responding to a request from the policy community for a better estimate of black carbon effects on climate, Sarah co-lead a multi-national paper on “Bounding the role of black carbon in climate: A scientific assessment”, which has now been cited more than 2,000 times in the scientific literature. She was also a lead author on the 2017 U.S. Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume I, and was the Assessment Coordinator for the 2018 Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion.

Sarah recently returned to her roots in field measurements of atmospheric aerosols, participating in the five-year NASA ORACLES project. The goal of ORACLES is to quantify how biomass burning aerosol from agricultural fires across south-central Africa affect climate, both through direct scattering and absorption and by affecting clouds over the southeast Atlantic Ocean.

Since 2018, Sarah has been the Program Manager and now Program Director for the Marine Cloud Brightening Program, which is a consortium of teams from the UW College of the Environment, SRI (formerly PARC) and SilverLining. The goal of the MCB Program is to determine whether the addition of sea salt particles to low marine clouds could be used as an effective climate intervention mechanism to mitigate climate warming. The science questions involved with answering this are many of the same questions that need to be addressed in order to understand how inadvertent emissions of aerosols from human activities are already affecting climate. The team is simultaneously addressing the engineering, modeling and observational-design efforts needed to carry out this research.

During his community college days, Nya would spend most of his time tutoring students in chemistry in the classroom, out of the classroom and everything in between. With the help of friends and family, Nya was able to participate in a research internship at Clemson University. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Nya plans on earning his masters in bioengineering and start his own business. Nya’s ideal world is a world without limitations. We all have the potential to start our journey, however, there will always be roadblocks. To reach such a utopia we all need to create a world where people don’t need to worry about surviving. Nya’s role is revolutionizing the world of bionics and artificial organs to create a long-lasting society. 

nyathescholar@gmail.com

In 2009, Pridgen was briefly signed to Cash Money Records, although his next three albums: Philadelphia Freeway 2 (2009), Diamond in the Ruff (2012), and Free Will (2016) were released independently. He returned to work with Jay-Z in 2018, signing to his successor label Roc Nation to release his sixth album, Think Free in June of that year.

(Credit: Wikipedia)

Gagnier is a multimedia artist, working as a wood carver, metalsmith, printmaker, performance artist, music maker, and gardener. Currently they are working with a collective called Black Well Red Thread Collective. This collective creates multimedia art installations with community engagement elements. Within the last year Gagnier has had the opportunity to work as a project coordinator in community lead projects. Much of Gagnier’s work as an artist is done in collaboration, as is their teaching pedagogy. Gagnier works as a coordinator and an artist mentor. This learning exchange is one of the most generous and transformative. Working as an artist mentor is deeply enriching work, the young people bring new perspectives, curiosity, skill, adaptability, and courage. As an educator these engagements continue to shape and enrich Gagnier’s approach to teaching, creating, and connecting. It is through community arts engagements that future projects emerge such as “7 Blankets for The Future Project.

From an early age to today, Bruce has drawn from the experiences of his parents and lessons learned from his youth to challenge injustice, celebrate the diversity of our communities, and bring people together around our shared Seattle values.

The Harrell family lived in Seattle’s redlined Central District, where Bruce graduated from Garfield High School in 1976 as valedictorian of his class. Bruce went on to attend the University of Washington on a football scholarship – declining offers from Harvard and Stanford to stay in his hometown. At the University of Washington, Bruce earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, won a Rose Bowl, and made the national Academic All-American First Team in football. In 2013, Bruce was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame as a College Player.

Bruce later earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law. As an attorney, he spent his early career in technology and telecommunications as an in-house attorney. He later joined a downtown firm representing employees, youth, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. He frequently served as a mentor and coach for students and young people across South Seattle.

Bruce was elected to the Seattle City Council in 2007 citywide, and re-elected twice, later serving his home district of South Seattle after City Council positions became districted. He was twice elected City Council President by his peers, one of just a few to ever serve multiple terms in that role. And, in 2017, Bruce served as interim mayor.

On the Council, Bruce was a leader on issues of racial equity, public safety reform, and economic and educational opportunity for all. He sponsored the law to “Ban the Box,” led efforts to pass Seattle’s first bias-free police law, and was the first to advocate for the use of body cameras by SPD officers. He championed Seattle’s Race and Social Justice legislation, requiring all Seattle policies to be reviewed through an equity lens.

Bruce was the first to enact the pilot program that eventually became the Seattle Promise, providing free college education to Seattle Public School students, and he originated the Great Student Initiative that provides 20,000 Seattle Public School students with access to computers and high-speed Internet access. He helped lead negotiations to pass the $15 minimum wage and supported other groundbreaking pieces of legislation to advance support for workers and small businesses before retiring from the Council in 2019.

In 2021, Bruce was elected mayor of Seattle on a commitment to address the homelessness crisis with urgency and compassion, to ensure public safety for all communities, and to restore trust, hope, and unity in local government and civic life. He is a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and chair of their Standing Committee on Technology and Innovation.

With a belief that we can accomplish more when we work together, Bruce is working every day to drive innovation and effective solutions addressing the challenges – and opportunities – in front of Seattle. He believes creating One Seattle will be critical to address the needs of the day; a Seattle where we embrace our differences and celebrate our commonality.

Bruce and his wife Joanne are proud to be the parents of three children and the grandparents to two grandchildren.

Joy played basketball in high school at Seattle Preparatory School and in college at the University of Arizona. After playing professionally in Athens, Greece she returned to Seattle and earned a Masters in Education from the University of Washington. Joy later spent three seasons at Seattle University as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach.

From 2012-2014, following her time at SU, Joy worked as Girls Program Director at Seattle’s A PLUS Youth Program where she helped create access to sports for girls in underserved communities.

In 2014, Joy’s brother Raft started Hollingsworth Farms, a family-owned and operated cannabis company located on the Olympic Peninsula. The farm focuses on sustainability and responsible practices, including the use of solar power, sustainable growing methods and local resources for plant production. She joined the family business serving in operations, helping grow and manage one of Washington’s few independent, Black-owned cannabis operations.

Building on her lifelong commitment to policies that support community solutions, Joy currently serves as part of the Food Access Network team at Northwest Harvest. In this capacity, Joy and her team connect community organizations to resources by growing food justice through collective action.

Joy lives in the Central District with her wife Iesha, who is the Senior Diversity and Equity Officer at a local community college. For fun, Joy and Iesha enjoy walking their dog “Santana”, exploring new vegetarian eateries, YouTube surfing, making candles, and zipping around Seattle on their bicycles.

The film went on to be their greatest box office success, winning an Image Award and grossing over $150 million worldwide. In addition to proving himself in the world of feature films, Albert has directed successful commercial campaigns for A-list clients including Adidas, American Express, Budweiser, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, DirecTV, Heineken, Nike, Pepsi, Reebok, Sprite and T-Mobile. He also executive produced television series,”Touching Evil”, “The Good Lord Bird” starring Ethan Hawke, and “The Continental” starring Mel Gibson.

As a fixture in the Seattle nightlife circuit, DJ HUSTLEMAN’s relentless dedication to his craft has earned him a reputation as one of the city’s most sought-after selectors. Whether he’s spinning at an intimate lounge or commanding the stage at a massive concert, this Louisiana-born trailblazer continues to push the boundaries of what a DJ can achieve.

DJ HUSTLEMAN is a premier DJ for the Pacific Northwest’s most prestigious events. With a resume that boasts high-profile gigs like spinning for the Seattle Mayor, the MLK DAY, NAACP, Benu House, Africa Town, Tabor 100 Gala, UBC Black Vendors Market, The Seattle Music is Real Showcase, and The Seattle Sound Music Awards, And Part Of The RUSH PROJECT,,,, ETC .. this in-demand DJ has solidified A reputation as a true master of the turntables.

He has also worked closely with the Washington State Department of Agriculture to wirelessly track the invasive “murder” hornets, which resulted in the destruction of the first nest in the U.S. His current work seeks to adapt these technologies for use in wildlife conservation and medical devices, as well as exploring novel bio-integrated sensors and building computing platforms with sustainable materials. vsiyer@cs.washington.edu

During the 2023-2024 academic year, he supported 153 different AVELA instructors in teaching to more than 2,000 K-14 students across Washington State. Findings from this wide-scale outreach will soon appear in STEM education journals and conferences. His work has been recognized by the NSF GRFP, Quad Fellowship Program, Amazon Science Hub Fellowship, Google Generation Scholarship, Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium, SPEEA ACE, Clean Energy Institute, Graduate Fellowship for STEM Diversity, Cadence, and the National GEM Consortium. His publications have appeared in Science Robotics and the ACM MobiCom conference and have garnered widespread media attention including by the NSF, GeekWire, Popular Science, and IEEE. In 2020, Kyle also co-founded the UW’s Black Graduate Student Association; with his community work reminding him of the wise words of Maya Angelou: “when you learn, teach. When you get, give.”

Khazm serves as a board member of paralysis support organization The Here & Now Project, board member of King County arts funding agency 4Culture, manager of the historic venue Washington Hall and executive director of Hip Hop community organization 206 Zulu.

She served on the Indigenous Global Steering Committee for the first ever United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in 2014 and recently worked with Tribal leaders to build Native Vote Washington, a permanent project of WCA focused on strengthening democracy and Native voting access in the region. In 2023, she received the Indigenous Leadership Award from Ecotrust (read more here), recognizing her efforts to protect and uplift tribal sovereignty, advocate for salmon protection, and her leadership in Washington state’s environmental community.

She is a breast cancer Thriver, an avid photographer and is happiest adventuring in nature.

The coffee business, combined with trips to various locations around the globe, got McLaughlin interested in one of the key ingredients to coffee – safe, clean water.  McLaughlin was struck by how much of the world didn’t have reliable supply of safe water, whether for drinking, cooking, or even brewing coffee.  

McLaughlin saw a compelling global need for safe, clean water.  He started researching the issue, finally signing up for online courses from Sacramento State University in California to get a degree in water management.  From there, he created his own company, the LAM, LLC, (the name drawn from McLaughlin’s initials and the predecessor to the Clean Water Foundation) to deliver water to developing countries and areas hit by natural disasters such as floods or hurricanes. 

McLaughlin came up with an approach elegant in its simplicity.  Like a child’s Lego® set, McLaughlin envisioned a water purification system that could be snapped together like the plastic blocks, not dependent upon written instructions, that could be assembled and put into operations anywhere in the world.  He identified US manufacturers of purification equipment, piping, water bags for storage, and individual containers so children could get fresh, clean water at a school or hospital and take it back to their families. 

 Leon McLaughlin is a man of many interests and many parts.  He likes to travel, often to far-flung parts of the world.  He loves the arts, especially music and theater.  By day, he runs a shoeshine stand in a Seattle office tower.  By night, he spends his time working on his passion – bringing clean water to the world. 

Leon McLaughlin is a passionate, visionary leader, a man with a compelling story to tell.  So Leon has been telling his story.  The Seattle Times has written about him several times.  His story has been carried by the wire services around the country.  KING 5 News has broadcast stories about Leon’s efforts.  And NBC Nightly News (January 9, 2009), featured Leon’s trip to Bolivia as part of its special series on people “Making a Difference”.

KOMO News “Heroes story” by Eric 

My America on FOX News 

NBC Making a difference 

AWWA Award 

A talented and skilled producer, Sol Messiah eventually linked up with Atlanta legend and veteran producer Dallas Austin. For years, Messiah would work alongside Dallas to create a deep catalog filled with timeless tracks for TLC, Madonna, Monica, Boyz II Men and more. At the same time, Messiah would continue to build his reputation as a DJ, securing several club residencies and gaining popularity and acclaim for his classic Sol Messiah Mixtape series.

After separating with Austin in 1997 to pursue his own musical path independently, Sol Messiah spent years building an impressive catalog and further established himself as a go-to producer for a wide range of acts. Some of his most notable credits from this era include “Rain” and “Picture Perfect” from Chamillionaire’s platinum album The Sound Of Revenge, Nappy Roots’ “Roll Again”, David Banner’s “Ridin’” featuring Talib Kweli & Dead Prez as well as Dead Prez’s “Hell Yeah”, featuring Jay-Z.

Soon, Sol Messiah would embark on a fruitful musical partnership with a fierce lyricist named Sa-Roc. Together, Sa-Roc and Messiah have released over a dozen projects thus far, including Sa-Roc’s groundbreaking 2020 debut on Rhymesayers, The Sharecropper’s Daughter. As a duo, Sa-Roc and Sol Messiah have amassed a global reach, touring internationally and rocking crowds across continents. They have performed at the legendary Jazz Cafe in London, performed live for BBC and have shared the stage with luminaries such as Common, The Roots and Jay Electronica.

On his latest album, GOD CMPLX, Sol Messiah connects with some of the finest MCs in the game to create a collection of head-bopping Hip Hop music that’s both innovative and inspiring. Featuring guest performances from KXNG Crooked, Sa-Roc, Evidence of Dilated Peoples, Locksmith, Stic.Man of Dead Prez, Che Noir, Lyric Jones, Mickey Factz, Cambatta, Planet Asia, TriState, Narubi Selah, Murs, Da BackWudz, Slug of Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, and Baba Zumbi of Zion I, GOD CMPLX is a powerful and engaging project.

The album comes out swinging with the title track, “GOD CMPLX,” which features KXNG Crooked and Sa-Roc trading slick and fiery bars over an epic, grandiose beat. Showcasing the versatility of Sol Messiah’s sound, “Limitless” finds Evidence getting busy over a dramatic, piano & string-infused track. From the brassy, drum-heavy sound of “The Hard Way” (feat. Che Noir, Sa-Roc & Lyric Jones) to the haunting vocal harmonies of “Sol Supreme” (feat. Cambatta), GOD CMPLX is not only full of bangers, it’s also a diverse gallery of sounds that serves as a testament to Sol Messiah’s skills as both a producer and a visionary.

The journey that Sol Messiah began so many years ago, as a youth discovering Hip Hop in Atlanta, has no ending in sight. With his gifted ear and fierce dedication to Hip Hop culture, he continues to use his craft to build his own body of work as well as help maintain and elevate the culture of Hip Hop as a whole.

Noticing a lack of minority involvement in the S.T.E.M. fields, he created Hip Hop Science with the goal of encouraging minorities and youth to pursue more advanced career paths.  His background in engineering, acting, business, and credible work within the music industry as an artist, make him uniquely qualified to engage on a wide variety of topics from an entertaining perspective.  This is highly reflected in his daily social media posts which provide both humorous and informative SciComm content.

With the impact of science being felt in every aspect of life and new technological trends paving the way, it’s important to be able to communicate scientific topics in an easily palatable format for aspiring students and general audiences.  Maynard’s distinct personality, energy, and enthusiasm for science have made him a key contributor to the educational understanding of a wide range of communities.

His creative storytelling and ability to host, speak, and engage with audiences has sparked collaborations with many high profile organizations, brands, and institutions that trust his authentic voice and expertise.

Also having success as an entrepreneur on Shark Tank, he looks to continue his work of changing the stereotype of “what a scientist looks like” by sparking curiosity about the opportunities in STEM to help propel the next generation into the scientific frontier.

This research was part of the NSF Reinventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt) engineering research center at Berkeley. Dr. Ray received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009. Upon graduation, Ray remained at Washington University in St. Louis to obtain a M.S. degree (2010, funded by the NSF GK-12 Graduate Research Fellowship) and a Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering (2015, funded by the EPA Students to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship). During her Ph.D., Ray employed surface chemistry techniques to investigate interfacial reactions of nanomaterials in water. At the University of Washington, Ray’s research program utilizes a multidisciplinary platform that bridges materials science, and environmental and surface chemistry to increase urban water supply sustainability.

Education
Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 2015
M.S. in Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 2010
B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 2009
Previous appointments
Miller Institute for Basic Research, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley, 2015-2018

Research Statement
Ray is developing, characterizing and applying new composite materials for selective contaminant removal in water and for enhanced degradation of persistent contaminants in waste streams. We explore structure-function relationships and survey physicochemical properties during synthesis and application of novel composites to understand their capabilities under conditions representative of real water sources. Currently, our group is creating low-cost, engineered media to remove and/or degrade contaminants in urban stormwater. We are also generating functionalized composite materials to target and destroy persistent organic compounds such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Ray is committed to nurturing an inclusive, diverse and anti-racist environment within her research group and within the department. Ray served on the department Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion faculty committee from 2019 – 2021 and worked with colleagues to institute the first faculty diversity training. In 2020, Ray’s group launched an anti-racism book club for group members to grow and learn together. So far, we have read books relating to environmental racism, race relations in contemporary America, and color-blind racism. Our group is dedicated to creating and maintaining a welcoming, supportive and inclusive atmosphere through our research, mentorship and outreach activities.  

jessray@uw.edu |  (206) 221-0791

There was no lack of early influences; she was raised by an artist father and an avid reader for a mother who would expose their young children to black writers, musicians and performers. She was raised on everything from the syncopated rhythms of hometown Go-Go acts like the Rare Essence and the Backyard band, to the prophetic poetry of Gil Scott Heron and Nikki Giovanni. It was the work of writers like these and more that helped Sa-Roc foster a love for language and writing and while still young, she began to pen her own poetry and short stories. She attended the Sankofa Institute, a Pan African centered school where her writing, social and creative expression was nurtured by Hasinatu Camara, an educator and civil rights activist. Camara would introduce Sa-Roc to close friends like Kwame Ture (f.k.a. Stokely Carmichael) MutaBaruka, and Haile Gerima. It was through these personal encounters that she began to see how artistic expression could be used as a tool to educate, inspire, and create change, a set of principles that she continues to live by.

Sa-Roc was on the verge of graduating from Howard University as a biology major but decided to leave college and, eventually, to leave Washington D.C. for Atlanta. It was in Atlanta where she was introduced to famed DJ and producer, Sol Messiah. Inspired by one of the acts he was working with, Sa-Roc decided to record some of her poetry and rhymes to his beats. The result was her first EP, Astral Chronicles which dropped in 2008. She went on to drop a project titled Supernova that same year, and quickly began to gain recognition within the cultural and activist community in Atlanta, performing at social justice and political prisoner fundraisers, and other community based events. Still the full breadth of her artistic expression didn’t arrive until later that year when a surprise introduction at a Mutulu Shakur benefit concert thrusted her on stage for the very first time.

Sa-Roc had finally found the full range of her voice and there was no looking back.

Her powerful performances, metaphysical lyrics, and skills as an emcee, quickly caught the attention of the independent Hip Hop community in Atlanta. In an effort to maximize her momentum, as well as continually sharpen her skills, Sa-Roc and Sol Messiah continued to release a strong series of collaborative projects between 2008-2014, including Journey of the Starseed (2010), Ether Warz (2011), and Babylon (2013). Additionally in 2013, she also performed at the historic Zulu Nation 40th anniversary event, a performance which led to her gaining the attention of some of Hip Hop’s most respected pioneers. Sa-Roc was making waves as an emcee with notable stage presence and a prolific output — by 2014 she had dropped a stunning eight projects in six years, including 2014’s Nebuchadnezzar.

Sa-Roc had gained widespread recognition. Black Thought pulled her on stage at A3C to perform an acapella verse. This led to several opportunities to open for The Roots as well as future creative collaborations with Black Thought. She has opened for the likes of Common, Jay Electronica, and has shared the stage with legends such as Rakim, De La Soul, and Talib Kweli. Sa-Roc continued her prolific output in 2015, dropping the albums Extraterrestrial, The Gift of the Magi and The Legend of Black Moses mixtape all within the same year. Around this same time, she caught the attention of Rhymesayers CEO Brent “Siddiq” Sayers, leading to her being booked for the seminal Hip Hop festival Soundset in 2015. Witnessing her captivating and commanding presence in person and on stage, talks began immediately to bring her to the label. Signed in 2016, Sa-Roc has thrived within her partnership with the influential label, touring with Brother Ali, in 2017, and releasing a string of powerful music videos along the way, including “Hand of God”, “Goddess Gang”, and “Forever”, as well as her skill-heavy Wisdom Wednesdays series.

Alongside Sol Messiah, her exclusive DJ and producer, Sa-Roc has amassed a global reach, toured internationally and gained fans from South America to Europe. She has performed at the legendary Jazz Cafe in London, performed live for BBC and has shared the stage with luminaries such as Carrie Mae Weems and David Byrne (Talking Heads).

Sa-Roc, by her own admission, was painfully shy and reclusive as a youth. In 2018, she channeled the pain of her childhood experiences and came up with the self-empowerment anthem “Forever”. The song struck a chord with many, creating a viral sensation that led to worldwide critical acclaim, amassing over 4 millions views on YouTube. In 2020, she embarked on a national tour with rapper Rapsody and made her debut on the world-renowned NPR Tiny Desk At Home series that led fans to describe her simply as “the truth” and technically “the best lyricist in recent times.”

In addition to her music career, Sa-Roc is a health and wellness advocate and public speaker, having led Hip Hop workshops and lectures both nationally and internationally. She is also an ambassador for Hip Hop is Green, an organization that uses the power and influence of Hip Hop music and culture to expose and educate underserved communities about the benefits of plant-based eating.

Her Rhymesayers debut album, The Sharecropper’s Daughter, the title of which pays homage to her father’s experience growing up sharecropping tobacco, is in Sa-Roc’s own words “a sonic reflection on the generational inheritance of trauma and triumph that shapes our humanity and influences the way we see the world.” At a time where people all around the globe are calling for social change, Sa-Roc is an MC whose energy and conscious lyrics are here to shake up the rap game and remind us all that Hip Hop was always about giving a voice to the people.

She began her career as the Legislative Aid to Washington State Senator Rosa Franklin in 1998 and has gone on to serve as the Legislative Liaison to the Governor’s Office of the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs (1998–2000); Legislative Assistant to Pierce County Councilman Harold Moss (2000); Governor appointed Steering Committee Member of Closing the African American Achievement Gap in Public Education (2006–2008); and serves as the Deputy Director of Craft Cannabis Coalition (2020–Present).

As an advocate, Secrest currently serves on the Washington State Heal Act Steering Committee. The Heal Act (Healthy Environment for All Lives) is Washington State’s first statewide law created to coordinate a state agency approach to environmental justice.

Sheley Secrest serves on: The Peace Keeping Institute (2022); The Washington State Social Equity in Cannabis Taskforce (2021); Washington Defender’s Association (2007–Present); Washington State Bar Association (2005–Present); Acts on Stage (2020–2022); and Federal Way Black Collective (2022).

Since immigrating to the United States in 2015, Afi has been committed to expanding education access for marginalized students. To that end, she serves on many national and state boards, designing affordability policies, establishing tuition-free scholarships, designing STEM museum exhibits, and building centralized offices to support independent research and experiential learning. Afi is a Goldwater, ACCR, and QUAD fellow.

After moving to King County in 2007, Jamila worked as the central area network coordinator for the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, where she oversaw community interventions and supported young people facing family, peer or gang conflict; court involvement; school suspension or expulsion; homelessness or other risk factors for youth violence.   

Jamila launched a legal practice and nonprofit consulting business in 2014, before later joining Northwest Justice Project in 2017. As NJP’s statewide advocacy counsel, she managed a network of attorneys representing domestic violence survivors and other crime victims. 

A Federal Way resident, Jamila was elected to the Legislature in 2020. She serves as Chair of the Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee and serves on the Housing Committee and the Human Services, Youth & Early Learning Committee. She chairs the Developmental Advocacy Caucus and is the First Vice Chair of the Members of Color Caucus. Jamila is also the immediate past chair of the Legislative Black Caucus.  

In 2020, Tyler created and produced the International Peace Day broadcast, Hip Hop 4 Peace, which included hip-hop artists from over 20 countries. The video was included in the United Nations International Day of Peace broadcast. Currently, Tyler is the Founder and CEO of Hip Hop 4 Peace, a global NGO dedicated to peace through hip-hop culture, and a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Clubs, Centres, and Associations. She also serves as the President of the California Chapter, United States Federation, UNESCO.

In 2024, Tyler was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award for Lifetime Achievement, bestowed by President Biden, for her tireless advocacy for peace and racial parity. Tina Marie Tyler was also recognized by the California State Assembly and the California State Senate for her outstanding contributions to West Coast hip-hop. She was also recognized by Los Angeles Councilmember, Curren D. Price, 9th District and California State Senator, Steven Bradford, District 35 for her leadership in reducing gun violence in hip-hop through her Peace In The Streets livestream. In 2023, her organization partnered with the United Nations Global Compact, Latin America to promote positive peace through Latin ancestral music and local creative economy. 

A graduate of the University of Washington in Communications, Tyler is a member of the Recording Academy, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), ForbesBLK, Rolling Stones Culture Council, the National Association of Television Art and Sciences (NATAS). She has served on the Nominating Committee, NAACP Image Awards, judge, Robert F. Kennedy Excellence in Journalism Awards, and member, Compton Empowered initiative.

She is married and has three children, two grandchildren, and dogs Ripley and Luna.

As a musician, Dr. Tyson’s rap name, “Ellect” is short for ‘The Intellect’. His music has gained over 1.5 million streams across digital platforms.

He has performed at legendary venues around the globe and has written and produced music for renowned entertainment and education programs, including StarTalk hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Ellect has also been featured as a guest on Shade45’s “Sway In The Morning” on Sirius XM, where he discussed his passion for Hip Hop culture and performed a live freestyle on-air. He also produces electronic dance music as DJ EAR.2.EAR.

As a documentarian, Stephen documents cultural and historical events related to the African-American experience. He has traveled around the world, capturing unique moments in time in conflict zones, travel destinations, landscapes, nature, and more!

In addition, Stephen’s work as a director and videographer has included collaborations on music videos that have been nominated and won awards at international Hip Hop film & music festivals.

Vitamin D’s journey in hip hop began in high school when he established the label Tribal Music Inc. and produced many of its releases. He initially gained recognition as a member of the group Ghetto Chilldren, contributing to various compilation albums. The original Pharmacy started in his mother’s basement and has since moved several times, upholding an open-door policy for community collaboration. He has been referred to as “the architect,” “the godfather,” and “the foundation,” highlighting his crucial role in shaping the Northwest music community.

In a 2005 article in The Stranger, Larry Mizell, Jr. remarked, “If one man were to represent Seattle in a worldwide hip hop Olympics, I can think of no better person than producer/MC/DJ Derrick ‘Vitamin D’ Brown.” For decades, Vitamin D has influenced numerous musicians with his unwavering dedication to his craft, consistently innovating and guiding emerging artists into new sonic realms. His career encompasses a vast array of compositions, productions, engineering, and mixing of timeless classics. He once reflected on his influence behind the turntables, saying, “I’ve given a lot of people the best night of their lives.”

Vitamin D’s expertise goes beyond hip hop; his musical passion is deeply rooted in a background rich in soul, funk, and R&B. His father, Herman “Pops” Brown, was part of the Motown family and an acclaimed guitarist who performed with artists like Teena Marie, DeBarge, The Sylvers, Billy Preston, and Sammy Davis Jr., and was an original member of the band Ozone. This significant influence is evident throughout Vitamin D’s musical works. With a deep knowledge of rare grooves, funk, soul classics, and hip hop, Vitamin D remains committed to building community, creating inspirational art, and encouraging others to do the same.