Brother Ali began rapping from elementary school "as a means of survival" (Rhymsayers Entertainment). Growing up albino, with peers taunting his impaired eyesight, sensitivity to the sun, and light features, Brother Ali took solace in musical expression. He drew strength from his lyrics, and his immense talent brought him respect and a growing fan base. In an interview with Format Magazine, he explained, "if you base your music in your passions you'll never be uninspired." He promotes the use of words over violence and his raw honesty is captivating.

Three Generations is a traveling musical theater company dedicated to the preservation of Native American and African song and storytelling. This exciting troupe combines the elements of song, history, geography, language, rhythm, culture and dance to create an entertaining, educational, spiritually elevated performance full of audience participation. Three Generations is a family company formed in 1997 by our beloved medicine keeper and visionary Grandmother Mountain Eagle Woman. She taught her family to use the energy of sound to nourish the emotions, cleanse the spirit and wake up our collective ancestral memory.

Jorge "Pop Master Fabel" Pabon was born and raised in Spanish Harlem, NYC where, at an early age, he developed his dance and choreography career at Hip Hop jams and clubs throughout the city. His pioneering individuality has been showcased internationally since 1982. Fabel is Senior Vice President of the Rock Steady Crew and also co-founder of GhettOriginal Productions, Inc.  With GhettOriginal, Fabel co-authored, co-directed, and co-choreographed the first two Hip Hop musicals ever, "So! What Happens Now?" and "Jam on the Groove" (first official Off-Broadway Hip Hop musical). Along with fellow members of the Rhythm Technicians and The Rock Steady Crew, he won the 1991 Bessie Award for choreography. Fabel also gained world renown as a featured dancer in the Hip Hop cult classic movie, "Beat Street." Along with senior members of Rock Steady Crew, Fabel was an honoree at VH1's 1st Hip Hop Honors. He is currently a principle dancer and one of the artistic directors in Rennie Harris's theatrical production, "Legends Of Hip Hop". As an adjunct professor, he teaches movement in the Experimental Theater Wing at NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. Fabel gives lectures, demonstrations, master classes, and participates in outreach programs and conferences internationally. He is a historian of and activist within Hip Hop culture. His other forms of expression include "graffiti" art, DJ'ing and digital arts.

New York Gnawa Ensemble is led by Brahim Fribgane.  Born and raised in Morocco, Brahim Fribgane brings to his music the rich and varied musical styles he grew up with - North African, Gnawa, Berber, Arabic and Andulusian music.

His oud style ranges from the clear, "singable" melodies of folkloric Berber songs to beautifully complex and soulful Arabic music, to the fusion of jazz, samba, reggae or Indian music.

When Brahim picks up any of the numerous percussion instruments he favors, it's tough to sit still. And his singing voice is straightforward and honest... Brahim sings his songs, and you get the message.

A remarkably creative and diverse musician, Brahim's music reflects his openness and appreciation of all cultures and their music.

DJ K-Salaam & Beatnick moved to NY less than 3 and a half years ago with the dreams of putting together a major compilation album that would highlight their production skills. After just one year of moving to NY, and with little to no budget, no connections, and no prior
experience, the duo achieved their goal; releasing "The World Is Ours" through their own label, Shining Star Music. The album, which featured the likes of: Mos Def, Papoose, Sizzla, Talib Kweli, Dilated Peoples, Capleton, Dead Prez, Saigon, Black Ice, and more; became an instant cult classic. Shortly after the release, the project caught wind of many major and independent labels looking to re-release the project through major distribution. Finally, a new version of the album was re-released in July of 2008 retitled "Whose World Is This?" Through Reggae powerhouse VP Records. The album included new songs by: Young Buck, Buju Banton, Trey Songz, and many more...to watch under the age of 30.

Revise CMW grew up riding the subways. He was exposed to the world of graffiti at a very young age through the colorful rooftops the redline had to offer. It was not until he entered junior high that he decided to take on this very demanding art form.

Revise has always had an appreciation for the elements of style, color, form and composition in graffiti. In high school he began creating his own recognizable wild style. At the time, Revise was highly influenced by his peers in the Chicago graffiti community. However, he has come to stand out due to his constant experimentation. His artistic approach has stretched far beyond the graffiti standard of producing letters.

As a member of the famed Chicago's Most Wanted crew, Revise has been able to hone his skills. With CMW, he has painted numerous walls and hit high profile street spots offering inevitable, and often notorious, exposure. His experiences with the Chicago graffiti network, as well as his unique vision, are all expressed in the body of work you see today. Revise's pieces seek to encompass the magnetic, artistic side of graffiti as well as the love of illegal street art he will always possess.

Capital D, aka David Kelly, first gained acclaim in 1998 as the MC of ALL NATURAL. His talent for delivering lyrics with a social and spiritual content, in a manner reminiscent of old school hip-hop artists, helped place the group on the music map. Through work as MC for ALL NATURAL, as well as a producer and writer, capital D established himself as a prolific lyricists and hip hop voice. The Chicago Tribune named him one of "15 Hidden Talents" in the Chicago arts community, and the Chicago Sun-Times deemed him one of 30 people to watch under the age of 30.

EthnoSis uses poetry, movement, and theater to transmit stories that don't make the headlines, but are slowly shifting the balance of power. A.k.a. Su'ad Abdul Khabeer as an activist-scholar-anthropologist, her day job is to notice the things we take for granted. She is unashamedly black, undeniably latina, unapologetically Muslim, and she always reps Brooklyn HARD.