Hip-Hop Healing
Riders Against the Storm rain down hip-hop healing on Austin
Editor's note: CultureMap is proud to present the latest installment in our partnership with KLRU Collective. Collective is dedicated to finding and sharing unique, creative and interesting stories about the Austin art scene.
Starting this month, KLRU Collective will become part of the documentary series Arts in Context, currently nominated for 10 2013 Lone Star Emmys. Together, they will continue to tell stories about the arts in Austin and the people who make them as Arts in Context Shorts.
"There's a science to being able to take somebody from nowhere, give them some energy [and] connect them with other people through music," says Chaka Mpeanaji, co-MC and vocalist of Riders Against the Storm
Chaka Mpeanaji and Tiger Lily, co-MCs and vocalists (Tiger Lily is also a healer) are about more than just putting on a hip-hop show. Along with percussionist Ridd Lore, Riders Against the Storm facilitates artists seeking to build a community around love a love of hip-hop and healing. "There's a science to being able to take somebody from nowhere, give them some energy [and] connect them with other people through music," says Mpeanaji.
Their bombastic, genuine music leads the charge as they seek to enlighten audiences with their relentless energy and passion. This husband-and-wife duo envision themselves not as mere performers, but as conductors of the unseen currents of energy that flow between everyone in the room, as architects of fellowship and as a vehicle for connection. Art in Context profiled Riders Against the Storm for its season premiere episode airing on October 31.
Can't wait to join in the hip-hop healing? KLRU will be hosting a premiere party on October 29 at 7 pm for Arts in Context at KLRU’s Studio 6A. In addition to a live performance by Riders Against the Storm, they will also be showing a preview of the newest episode. The party is free, and you can RSVP at klru.org.