Category Archives: culture

Announcing Crescent City Crossroads: The Official NOLA MusiCon 2025 Showcases!

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We’re getting set to head down to New Orleans once again for this year’s NOLA MusiCon, taking place in the heart of the Big Easy Oct. 28-30.

What we’ve been dying to tell you is that there’s more to the story this year…

See, we got together with our friends from the conference, including partners Tunetrax and DAWn Audio, to plan something special. Now, we can officially announce that we’ve joined forces to create Crescent City Crossroads, this year’s official NOLA MusiCon after hours showcases!

What is Crescent City Crossroads? It’s two diverse nights of live music in New Orleans, featuring artists from all over the U.S. (with a healthy dose of NOLA artists on the bill, of course). We’ve spent the past couple of months working together to think of some of the most exciting artists we know, and put them all into a musical gumbo pot as flavorful and exciting as Cajun cuisine.

Dates, times, and lineups are below. Each one has its own ticket link, which you’ll see attached to the corresponding night. Advance tickets are $10, increasing to $15 day of show. The price remains at $10 for those with a NOLA MusiCon badge or Halloween costume (because it is #SpookySZN, after all).

Still need that conference badge? Get it here for 25% off using the coupon code UMC25 at checkout!

Tuesday, October 28 | 8:30 p.m.
Cafe Istanbul (2372 Saint Claude Avenue, Room 252)

NOLA All-Star Band | Rantz Davis | Amber Sweeney | Jason Da Hater | Darnell McKenzie & Esteban | c’beyohn | Craig Greenberg | Amelia Ray

Wednesday, October 29 | 8 p.m.
The Rabbit Hole (1228 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard)

Ray$av & Mac Infinity | Ronday | Brother Dusty | Lapis | Da’ Healerz | PLUS! A live Beat Battle, hosted by DAWn Audio

Sept. 20: UnderDogs Across Borders at the Nashville African Street Festival

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As though next week wasn’t already exciting enough, it turns out that our UnderDogs will be taking the stage not once, but twice in Music City!

We are proud to partner with the Nashville African Street Festival — now in its 43rd year — to present an UnderDogs Across Borders showcase on the Beats & Rhymes stage. The festival takes place all weekend long at Hadley Lillard Park (1038 28th Ave. N., Nashville), with the UnderDogs Across Borders showcase taking place Saturday, September 20 from 4-5:30 p.m.

Hosted by Kelsey Muse and Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess, this showcase will emphasize performers from across the hip hop and R&B spectrum, including:

  • Kelsey Muse
  • SADGURL
  • DJX
  • Nicolas Soul
  • Yonna Jones

The event is free to attend. As always, those looking to support the cause are encouraged to donate to our UnderDogs Across Borders campaign, which fuels live music experiences and activations for our UnderDogs in Nashville and beyond!

TONIGHT, 7 CT: UnderDogs Across Borders, Vol. 2

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TONIGHT! We’re going live from 7-9 p.m. for UnderDogs Across Borders Vol. 2. Tonight, we place a spotlight on pop, hip hop, and R&B artists from within the Underground Music Collective community.

By supporting UnderDogs Across Borders, you are empowering UMC to open the gateway to even greater collaboration. Your support bolsters UMC’s presence at major conferences and festivals in North America and Europe, while helping us build a stronger, more sustainable music industry that is ripe with fresh opportunities for our artists.

The lineup (in order of appearance):
Ryan Christopher
Yonna Jones
Kelsey Muse
SADGURL
Da’ Healerz

How to attend:

  • In person: Helping Our Music Evolve, 615 Main St., Suite G1, Nashville, TN 37206 (Doors 6:30 p.m.)
  • Virtually (from ANYWHERE!): Our YouTube channel (embed below)

How to support:

WATCH: Da’ Healerz Circle featuring… Da’ Healerz!

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For the season finale of Da’ Healerz Circle, we decided to do something special: invite Da’ Healerz themselves to share about the depth of their individual healing journeys.

And so, I volunteered to put my interviewer hat on to sit down with each Lord Goldie and Foundation Mecca, as they shared the details of their individual upbringings, the evolution of their healing journeys, and the changing narrative of hip hop.

TONIGHT, 6 CT: ‘Have You Met…?’ Tune-In Info + More

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Tonight is a great night to get to know some of the creative souls among us!

Join us at 6 p.m. CT for the latest installment of ‘Have You Met…?’, an interview series that allows you face time with the artistpreneurs who make up our UnderDogs community. Tonight’s edition will be hosted by Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess, and will feature three exclusive interviews and a Q&A.

DETAILS:

Guests: Lord Goldie, Brother Dusty, Mr. AdamsBTW
Time: 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)
Location: Helping Our Music Evolve, 615 Main St., Suite G1, Nashville, TN (in-person audience members are welcome!)
Where to watch: YouTube (see embed below)

UnderDogs Across Borders Benefit Concert Series Begins July 9

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2025 has been a breakthrough year so far for the entire Underground Music Collective community — and we’re here to make sure the magic lasts all year long (and beyond)!

That’s why we’re launching a new benefit concert series in support of our UnderDogs Across Borders campaign, with the first event — a hybrid in-person and virtual concert emanating from Nashville — taking place Wednesday, July 9 from 7-9 p.m. CT.

We’re taking you on a multi-genre thrill ride featuring four Nashville-based artists — including 2025 NEXT2RISE artist Nicolas Soul, alt-pop songwriter Virtues, R&B/soul singer and rapper Kfhox, and hip hop artist Southside MAB. Joining them on the lineup — all the way from the Lehigh Valley Underground in Pennsylvania — will be rockers Powder Valley Bang (who have been gaining some serious steam up there lately).

Need a refresher on UnderDogs Across Borders? Through this capital campaign, we aim to open the gateway to even greater collaboration. Your support bolsters UMC’s presence at major conferences and festivals in North America and Europe, while helping us build a stronger, more sustainable music industry that is ripe with fresh opportunities.

Our groundbreaking first half of 2025 featured major conference appearances, media opportunities, and the official launch of our new UnderDogs virtual community. This has established Underground Music Collective as an international super-connector for independent musicians, creative professionals, and notable brands.

Help us continue to build toward an incredible future where Creators Have the Power. Make your donation and RSVP here, and join us in Nashville or virtually (from anywhere!) on Wednesday, July 9!

Looking for an additional way to support UnderDogs Across Borders? Check out our GoFundMe campaign, or become an UnderDog today!

THIS THURSDAY: An All-New Heal Talk Experience in Nashville

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Da’ Healerz will be back at NECAT Network (120 White Bridge Pike, Nashville) this Thursday, June 12 for an edition of The Heal Talk Experience featuring all-new special guests.

Join Da’ Healerz — Nashville hip hop vets Lord Goldie and Foundation Mecca — as they bring you an immersive experience centered on live performance and healing discussions beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Supporting Da’ Healerz this time around will be a performance from hip hop artist and music industry educator T.R.A.N.E. Spitta, alongside a sound healing demonstration from singer, producer, and vibrational sound alchemist Milly Roze.

As always, it’s free to tap into The Heal Talk Experience. RSVP here!

WATCH: Da’ Healerz Circle ft. Ron Obasi

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The questions are fresh. The perspective is deeper.

Da’ Healerz Circle is BACK!

Join Da’ Healerz for their latest conversation on all things healing. This week, Lord Goldie and Foundation Mecca sit down with community builder, environmental activist, and father Ron Obasi, who shares the ways life’s journey has led him to a more mindful place.

Step Into the Heal Talk Experience

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Want an inside look at The Heal Talk Experience before you attend with us on Thursday, May 15?

Our debut Heal Talk Experience took place in February at NECAT (120 White Bridge Pike, Nashville). This was a powerful night of music, vulnerability, and transformation — a true celebration of healing through art and community.

The evening opened with the radiant Nikki Ray, who shared her personal healing journey and led us into deep relaxation with a beautiful sound bath. Psychic Marita guided the room with intuitive wisdom and a live reading, helping us open our hearts and minds. Da’ Healerz brought the soul with three original performances, each followed by a heartfelt conversation with the audience about the real-life stories and healing behind the lyrics. They were joined by the talented J Nix on bass and Urri Thames on drums.

To close, we asked the audience reflective questions about their own healing journeys — sparking deep thought and connection.

Filmed at NECAT Network, and edited by Mbeezy Media.

This is more than a show — it’s a movement. Join the next Heal Talk Experience in Nashville on May 15!

WATCH: Da’ Healerz Circle ft. Jaffee Judah

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Da’ Healerz Circle is back, featuring a conversation with author, environmental justice advocate, and health ambassador Jaffee Judah.

Sit down with Da’ Healerz (Lord Goldie and Foundation Mecca) as they welcome the Nashville-based entrepreneur to discuss his healing practices and journey.

Shot and edited by Nicolas Soul (IG: @nrnszn)
Follow Da’ Healerz (IG: @dahealerz615)
Follow Jaffee (IG: @rasjaffeejudah / ‪@Bang4Liberation‬ / ‪@recyclereinvest‬

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