If you’ve been following our journey around here, you’re probably well aware that we took the UnderDogs on down to New Orleans to participate in this year’s NOLA MusiCon. We had a wonderful time connecting with the creatives in this vibrant community, and we look forward to spending a lot more time together in the months and years ahead.
We were also fortunate to have Nicolas Soul with us. In addition to being an UnderDog and NEXT2RISE artist, Nicolas documented the entire trip through his media company, NuRenaissance. He caught all of the action — from time spent at the conference, to the diverse talent on display during its showcases, to after-hours hangs from the studio to Bourbon St.
It’s an incredibly fun watch — one which illustrates what it means to be an UnderDog by providing a genuine view into the joy of the experience. Sit back and enjoy!
Thanks to NOLA MusiCon for having us, DAWn Audio for being our NOLA-based family, and our sponsors at Guidance Whiskey and Ether Nashville for their support.
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!
For too long, the music industry has been overrun by gatekeepers who have limited the reach and influence of independent artists. We’re here to create a new music industry Where Creators Have the Power. Through key local, national, and international partnerships, we connect creators across genres, disciplines, and markets, inspiring fresh collaborations and meaningful opportunities – anywhere music is made!
Since 2013, Underground Music Collective has provided independent artists with the resources they need to build sustainable, values-based careers from their creative pursuits. Our Nashville-based educational and multimedia platform has established a key presence in markets across North America through multimedia content, live music experiences, the UMC Academy artist mentorship program, and the UMC UnderDogs community.
Our efforts have received recognition from industry-leading brands and organizations, including SXSW, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Departure Conference, MusicRow Magazine, and many more. In 2025, this widespread recognition has led to multiple invitations for UMC to affect positive change on a global scale.
What is UnderDogs Across Borders?
With UnderDogs Across Borders, 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 Q1 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.
By supporting UnderDogs Across Borders, you ensure that we accomplish our remaining 2025 goals, including:
Increased presence at major industry events in key markets, including Departure Conference & Festival (Toronto, ON), Music Biz 2025 (Atlanta, GA), SXSW London (London, UK), Gussapolooza (Greater Toronto, ON), Confluence (Charlotte, NC), and NOLA MusiCon (New Orleans, LA).
Increased visibility in the United States, Canada, and Europe for our robust network of sponsors, community partners, and creative professionals.
Increased cross-market collaborations (in-person and virtual) between our NEXT2RISE Artist Ambassadors.
500 new UMC UnderDogs members by Sept. 1, 2025.
Click here now to donate and learn more about the rewards you receive for contributing to our mission.
Curious what some of our UnderDogs have to say about how UMC has helped them? Watch this!
If you’re in Nashville, we invite you to join us tonight at Helping Our Music Evolve (615 Main St., Suite G1), for Have You Met…? Live!
Be a part in our live studio audience as we broadcast exclusive interviews with UMC UnderDogs like Terri Lynn, Ender Bowen, and Roz Malone. Hosted by Joe Baze, co-founder of the Ether Community Co-op.
Then, join us from 7-9 p.m. for our first-ever Meet-a-Mentor round robin, where you’ll have the opportunity for one-on-one guidance with experienced music industry professionals including…
Aaron Stepp, Ph.D., composer, performer, and music technologist
Cidney Grady, artist manager for SymbaSyd
Gerard Longo, Founder/CEO of Underground Music Collective
Nicolas Soul, performing artist and founder of NuRenaissance Media
TRANE Spitta, performing artist and performance royalties expert.
Space is limited, and mentor signups will occur on a first-come, first-served basis. Be sure to arrive early!
Can’t make it in person? No problem — we’re livestreaming the Have You Met…? portion of the evening on YouTube — and we’ll be including a *very* speciall announcement about the exciting future of UMC and our UnderDogs community. Be sure to tune in below!
Today, we are excited to reveal UMC’s first-ever official artist ambassadors, as part of our new NEXT2RISE Artist Ambassador Program.
We have hand-selected bright, talented, career-driven artistpreneurs to spotlight over the next calendar year. Each NEXT2RISE artist is already making moves, and our goal is to elevate them further through the UMC platform.
We have selected two divisions of NEXT2RISE artists for the Class of 2025 — one based in Nashville, and one comprised of artists from different locations around the world (our Abroad Division). Our NEXT2RISE artists will receive:
Periodic feature opportunities through Underground Music Collective, including music reviews, playlist features, and podcast interviews.
More performance opportunities, including our NEXT2RISE year-end showcase in November.
Connections to partnership opportunities with aligned brand partners.
1-on-1 and group coaching via UMC Academy and Ether Collective.
Additional opportunities to collaborate with partner outlets, venues, festivals, and more.
Meet the first artists in our NEXT2RISE Nashville division below. An announcement featuring artists selected in the Abroad division is coming soon!
Da’ Healerz: A Heal Hop duo speaking light and affirmation into the creative landscape, featuring established Nashville emcees Lord Goldie and Foundation Mecca.
Izzy Rage: A Hyperpunk Warrior whose music pursues themes of overcoming violence, accepting imperfection, and embracing “Radical Expression Through Peaceful Chaos.”
Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess: A poet, author, coach, and speaker previously featured by TEDx, Sound Therapy, and more.
Kelsey Muse: A genre-defying, award-winning singer, rapper, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (featured by NACA, Nick @ Nite, and more).
Nicolas Soul: A Kenya-born, Nashville-based hip hop and R&B artist who aspires to inject honesty and soulfulness into his creations.
Roz Malone: Performing artist, musician, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur
Write the Block: A spoken word duo featuring poets and multidisciplinary artists NewLeeMade and Karimah Ariel
Yonna Jones: A Chicago-born, Nashville-based rapper, singer, and dancer who creates “movement music,” aimed at motivating and inspiring with messages of perseverance.
Big congratulations are in order for our community partners at Ether Nashville for the success of the 2023 Citywide Cypher tournament, which concluded with the Citywide Cypher Finals on Sept. 24 at The Pyramid Nashville.
The tournament — held at select locations throughout Middle Tennessee — was a summer-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Preliminary rounds were held throughout July and August, with eight finalists (plus a special round of Nashville hip hop legends) invited to compete for top honors at The Pyramid.
Murfreesboro-based rapper Izzy Rage took home top male emcee honors, while Nashville’s own Yonna Jones was named top female emcee. Throughout the evening, members of the Greater Nashville hip hop community presented the true artistry, sonic diversity, and cultural impact of the hip hop genre, while supporting Ether’s “Heal Hop” movement and overall mission to “empower leaders of the hip hop community with the tools they need to consistently deliver transformative work.”
Check out a few photos from the event below. Congrats to the Ether team on making an impact!
T.R.A.N.E. Spitta is a hip hop artist, entrepreneur, and music business genius who is one of the architects behind The Come Up Tour, an upcoming tour set to hit several cities this summer and fall at select cities throughout the United States. The tour aims to give emerging hip hop artists valuable professional tour experience — alongside a dose of industry knowledge that will help them further their careers and leave an impact.
Learn more about the tour, as well as valuable information about performance rights, the festival circuit, and more!
Looking around, it’s nice to see that we aren’t alone on this journey. We roll pretty deep with some incredible community partners, and it’s time to show them some love.
So, every once in a while, we’ll take a trip Around the Underground to see what our friends and colleagues are cooking up — and present ways for you to get involved!
