Arrested Development - Speaks thru music to the world. Speech one of the vocalist for this collective says, "people have been through so much turmoil and strife. We get on stage every night with the mission to broaden the perspectives and give inspiration to rise up." Unsurprisingly, then, the Grammy award winning group Arrested Development has been devoted to nudging folks in the direction of freedom and spiritual evolution for over 23 years. The group describes their sound as "Life Music." A.D. respects women, and promotes family, spirituality and "male responsibility." They are dancers, vocalists, turntableist, and drummers. Arrested Development is a communal music force. Current members are: Speech, 1 Love, JJ Boogie, Za, Tasha LaRae & Fareedah Aleem. Former members are: Montsho Eshe, Rasa Don, Aerle Taree, Baba Oje, Ajile Axam, Dj Kemit, Nadirah Shakoor & Nicha Hillard. Others that have contributed to AD's kaleidoscope of sound are: Dionne Farris, Laurnea, Paulette, & Muwakana. AD's debut album 3 years, 5 months and 2 days in the life of...(EMI) referred to the amount of time passed between the start of the group and the signing of their first record deal. Singles like "Tennessee", is an open letter to God, which, not unlike Billie Holidays "Strange Fruit," gives new meaning to the term "Family tree." The song won an MTV music award for best rap single 1992. "People Everyday" another of their hits is a super funky treatment of the immortal Sly Stone anthem "Everyday People", also won them an MTV video award for best music video 1992. "Mr. Wendal" humanizes the "bums" on our streets. AD donated half of all the royalties to the National Coalition for the Homeless. AD has sold over 5 million albums to date. They've won 2 Grammy awards for best new artist and best rap single 1993. They were the first African - American artists to donate money to Nelson Mandela and the ANC in South Africa. AD has collaborated with director Spike Lee, on the Universal motion picture "X", Boomerang, among other movies. AD tours Australia, Asia, Europe, Canada, Africa and of course the U.S. to standing room-only crowds. They've shared stages with legends worldwide. In 2005, AD performed and won as audience favorite on NBC's, "Hit me Baby 1 more time". For that show they donated $20,000 to UNICEF for relief in Sudan, Africa. They are excited about their new projects and albums available at: www.ADtheBand.com #ADtheBand

Fans across America are talking about Syracuse-based Sophistafunk, the product of three multi-talented musicians — Adam Gold, Jack Brown, & Emanuel Washington — who combine spoken-word artistry, old-school hip hop, & funky rhythms to create a unique live band experience. The band met in 2007 and rapidly evolved into a national-touring live act. Known for their HUGE sound (created by only three members), the band has won over crowds with a captivating stage presence and tight musicianship. Rooted by old school funk / hip hop, the trio explores electronic dance grooves while infusing each tune with soul and positively charged lyrics. Sophistafunk is a multi-genre tour de force, jam packed with vintage tones and live instruments. For six years, this road warrior band has been hitting the pavement and blowing minds across the United States. They’ve collaborated live with greats spanning Bernie Worrell (Parliament/Talking Heads) to Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce/Dumpstaphunk) and were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives when Gold’s restaurant and music venue, Funk n’ Waffles, was featured on the show on December 25, 2012. Host, Guy Fieri, dug the band so hard, they’ve since played his birthday party in Santa Rosa, CA and became the first band ever to play the International Home and Housewares Convention in Chicago, IL on March 3, 2013, by Fieri’s personal request. Sophistafunk has played high-profile venues including The Blue Note Jazz Club (NYC), The Boom Boom Room (San Francisco), The Belly Up (Aspen), Brooklyn Bowl (NYC) and more and supported acts including Soulive, G. Love, Foreigner, Trombone Shorty, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, EOTO, Marco Benevento and more. They’ve also gained attention from publications including New York City’s Village Voice and Beyond Race Magazine.  

Level 7 Hip Hop is a curator of Dopeness. Keeping Hip Hop alive and well for decades. We are best known for the Hip Hop duo Level 7(Skribe&Dj 2way). We have been blessed to share the stage with bands, Mosaic Foundation, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Thunderbody, Subsoil, Sophistafunk, Danielle Ponder and The Tomorrow People, Skunk City, The Plaza, Hassann Mackey, Cha Cha & the Ndor Band and Big Mean Sound Machine just to name some. We will continue to play shows and release dope music and merchandise. Be on the look out for event posts and more. Bless Up.