Tag Archives: Yonna Jones

Barz in the Boro Returns to Middle Tennessee Dec. 6

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Barz in the Boro — a monthly hip hop showcase just down the road from us in Murfreesboro, Tennessee — will close out the year with a stacked lineup on Saturday, December 6 from 8-11 p.m.

The showcase — which occurs on the first Saturday of every month at Cedar Glade Brews (906 Ridgely Rd., Murfreesboro) — is hosted by E.T. and Raw Proof, with support from DJ Know Love on the 1s and 2s. Barz in the Boro is a platform for local and touring hip hop artists alike. Each month’s showcase features a uniquely curated lineup, along with an open mic portion, which provide aspiring performers with a chance to impress for a future opportunity.

The showcase’s official website offers this description:

Barz in the Boro is a monthly hip hop showcase and cypher where raw talent, sharp lyricism, and real culture take center stage. From local spitters to nationally touring acts, this is the spot where the underground and the spotlight meet. This event is designed to shine a light on performers, build connections within the culture, and bring something fresh and exciting to the Murfreesboro / Nashville music scene.

Presented and hosted by E.T. & Raw Proof and powered by the skills of DJ Know Love, every show is built to give you that authentic hip hop vibe, no gimmicks, just beats, barz, and energy.  This ain’t just another show, it’s for the artists, for the fans, and for the culture. Pull up, bring your skillz, and be part of the movement.​

The December 6 event will feature performances from UnderDogs Yonna Jones and Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess, alongside My Friend Wiley and New Orleans’ own Alfred Banks. Those interested in learning more or being considered for a future showcase are encouraged to reach out via Instagram.

THIS MONDAY: UnderDogs Across Borders Reaches New Orleans!

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Before NOLA MusiCon officially kicks off this Tuesday, we invite you to get a head start on the festivities — whether you’re in New Orleans, or anywhere in the world with internet!

Immediately following our Have You Met…? interview broadcast, we’ll stay put at Cafe Istanbul (2372 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans) to offer you a special UnderDogs Across Borders lineup, featuring artists from across the Southeastern U.S. Several UnderDogs are making the trip to perform alongside rising stars on the New Orleans local scene, offering an exciting preview of the magic to come throughout the week.

The event is open to the public for a $10 suggested donation, which will directly support our ongoing UnderDogs Across Borders campaign. And, if you can’t attend in person, we have good news: this one will be broadcast on YouTube, as well! Funds from this campaign help us connect our creative community to amazing opportunities across the musical landscape — just like those we’ve helped create this year in the Big Easy!

As for the lineup? We think you’ll like it! It features performances from (in order of appearance):

Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess
Ja Fearce & Azure Skyz
Yonna Jones
DJX & DJ Agie Gee
Kelsey Muse
Kyle Alexander

Want to reserve your spot? Get tickets here, or make your donation to support UMC as we bring our UnderDogs Across Borders once again!

Meet the UnderDogs (and Special Guests) Monday Night in New Orleans!

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We’ve been talking about NOLA MusiCon for months, and it’s finally almost time to take the Starship UnderDog down to New Orleans and do this thing!

We’ve already told you about this amazing conference, and the official Crescent City Crossroads showcases that we’re co-producing alongside our friends at DAWn Audio and Tunetrax.

But… what if we told you there is more to the story? (Around here, there always is!)

Before the conference officially gets underway, we’ll be at Cafe Istanbul (2372 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans) this Monday, October 27 as we preview this year’s NOLA MusiCon with a special UnderDogs Across Borders live event. Join us in-person or online beginning at 5 p.m. CT, as we present two rounds of our popular Have You Met…? interview series. Round 1 (5 p.m.) will feature some of our Nashville crew, while Round 2 (6 p.m.) will highlight creatives from the Big Easy and elsewhere!

Round 1 (5 p.m.):
Host: Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess
Guests: Yonna Jones, Joe Baze, Gerard Longo

Round 2 (6 p.m.):
Host: Mandy Ortiz (DAWn Audio)
Guests: DJX, Amelia Ray, Mac Infinity

You’ll want to stick around after that. Beginning at 7 p.m., we’ll remain at Cafe Istanbul to bring you an UnderDogs Across Borders interstate showcase, featuring live performances from an array of artists. We’ll be dropping that full lineup a bit later this week, so stay tuned!

OUT NOW: Yonna Jones Greets the ‘SUNRISE’

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A brand-new era of Yonna Jones’ artistry begins with the bright promise of a new day.

“SUNRISE” is an affirming anthem that encourages us toward seeing a life full of possibility. The new single is the first of a new batch of “movement music” from the Chicago native (and NEXT2RISE artist), who aims to motivate and inspire with messages of perseverance.

And, with empowering lyrics like these, it’s safe to say that Yonna has hit the intended target with this one:

“Everything that you need is right in front of you.
I know you don’t want to lose. We chase the ‘W’.
I was sitting, wondering what my life was coming to
Until I chose to open up and let the light shine through.”

Sonically, “SUNRISE” spreads its golden light upon us with a blend of pop and hip hop, complete with clean, jangly guitars and shimmering melodies. Let it brighten up your day!

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!

SAVE THE DATE: UnderDogs Across Borders Vol. 2 Set for August 13

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As announced on last night’s edition of Have You Met…?, we’ll be back at Helping Our Music Evolve on Wednesday, August 13 with an all-new lineup for Volume 2 of our UnderDogs Across Borders benefit concert series.

The concert — supporting our UnderDogs Across Borders campaign, designed to open the gateway to even greater collaboration for our community of creatives across genres, disciplines, and geographic boundaries — will once again be hosted on our YouTube channel, with those local to Nashville invited to attend in-person. Hosted by Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess, this fantastic evening will welcome a diverse lineup of artists from across our community, including:

You can attend either virtually or in-person for a $10 suggested donation — which you can make anytime by following this link!

Announcing Our First NEXT2RISE Artist Ambassadors!

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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:

  • FREE UnderDogs community membership for the next 12 months. (Learn more about our growing community.)
  • 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.

Want to be considered for the Class of 2026? We’ll be selecting from within our community later this year. Learn more about what it takes to be an UnderDog!

For the Love of Community — and Hip Hop

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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!

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