Tag Archives: Yonna Jones

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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