The Word Beat & Life organization held its first three-day event, “The Bootleg Festival,” celebrating hip-hop through music and film. The festival is a key step in building greater awareness in the District about WBL’s community focus.
The festival’s film portion included several pieces from local independent directors. Topics included hope for the future and celebrity opinions on how the nation should be governed.
The headlining film for the festival “A Weigh with Words” by Straight No Chaser Productions, was a discussion about the power of words and the material impact they can have. The film used the words of hip-hop artists to note how racial epithets and other defamatory references have impacted our society.
Nicole Foley, 34, owner of Quiet Minds Yoga in Columbia Heights, frequents hip-hop film events and felt the festival’s film selection did a good job of highlighting the power of hip-hop.
“I’m really happy about this event; films like these give our culture a speaking voice and presents it in a positive light. Hip-hop is often used as an easy scapegoat,” Foley said.
Foley was most prideful to see how hip-hop has the power to bring the community together to have substantive conversations on real issues, contrary to the belief by many that the music only brings rise to the moral decay of our society.
To combat these misconceptions, WBL not only works with artists to showcase local talent, but also has been working to use hip-hop as a tool for educating the youth.
Mazi Mutafah, executive director of the organization, is working with Goldie Deane to run the youth-focused Urban Arts Academy. Deane is a Howard alumna and the director of the academy.
The two hip-hop artists work out of their office in Saint Stephens Church. With five sites throughout the District, the academy, which is active Monday through Thursday, teaches various elements of hip-hop through a selection of classes including B-boy dancing and graffiti art.
Devin Royell, 18, has participated in the UAA for the last two years by attending its graffiti workshops and has enjoyed “the general experience of being around other artists, to come in and participate in whatever it is that you want to do.”
Royell said, “It just broadens your horizons about hip-hop life and culture.”
Mutafah’s main goal for the evening was to bolster support for the program and “identify individuals willing to contribute their time and their talent to be a part of the mentoring programs.”
Mutafah is also working with Bomani Armah, who is most known for his highly publicized
“Read a Book” song that promoted attaining real wealth instead of rims, with edgy lyrics. Armah is the development director for WBL and is working to make WBL a “local organization that will be a national resource.”
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