About mista lawnge and kokayi
mista lawnge
Producer. Writer. DJ. Emcee, Legend...Mista Lawnge
Twenty-nine years ago, a duo whose sound was decidedly different from what was popular at the time stepped to Hip-Hop with A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. Black Sheep’s debut LP was the result of two minds, Dres and Mista Lawnge, merged into a unit who existed within the parameters of the Native Tongues sound but who simultaneously were out to prove that they did not fit in with the crowd. Black Sheep was the first hip-hop act to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after the departure of Johnny Carson. The Choice Is Yours has been featured in major commercials and film such as Spiderman Into The Spider Verse. Photograph of Mista Lawnge and Dres of Black Sheep currently sits on exhibition Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2020, he launched a Hip-Hop Game Show on YouTube entitled Guess Who's Talking.
kokayi
Artist. Producer. Educator…Kokayi
Preeminent Improvisational Vocalist, GRAMMY-nominated musician, Creative DSGN for projects with Grammy-nominated artist Goldink and artist/musician Guillermo Brown (James Corden Show). He can be heard on Whose Hat is This? Everything’s Ok, Goldlink’s At What Cost, MTV's Rebel Music, Kevin Hart's Laugh At My Pain, A'Larrache (Canal +), I Ain’t Scared of You: a Tribute to Bernie Mac and over 60 titles spanning: Jazz, Hip Hop, Rock and R&B. School of Improvisational Music (guest faculty), \ OneBeat mentor, freelance music emissary with the U.S. State Department, Music Supervisor - Untitled Interactive Games. Chief Ideator and co-curator of BeatsnBeans: a discussion series on creativity, coffee culture and the re-imagining of creative spaces. Recipient of the Halcyon Artist Fellowship, DCCAH Artist Fellowship and Sister Cities Grants.
About Us
Who We Are
Social Art and Culture has been in existence for 2009 as a small arts organization with a strong foundation in the community and the art scene. Located in Anacostia SE, DC, we have been able to sustain programs when with a supportive board, loyal and consistent strategic partners and external funding.
Social Art and Culture (SAAC) - a 501c (3) located in the Anacostia area of Washington, DC whose mission is to use the power of the arts to educate and advance unserved and underserviced communities. SAAC's vision is to create an aperture for socially responsible artisans that collectively collaborate and participate in programs designed to reach neglected communities.
Our Mission + Vision
Our vision is to create an aperture for socially responsible artisans that collectively collaborate and participate in programs designed to reach neglected communities.
SAAC has a 3-prong strategy is to drive social impact through our artists and partners for the communities we service:1) Art becomes an integral part of the change for social causes for every initative that we foster and participate by offering an interactive user experience that celebrates and highlights its’ culture. 2) To design and execute programs that improve artists existing skills, more than likely increases artists’ opportunities in workforce development and builds a profitable creative business; and 3) collaborate with master artists and arts organizations on projects that show art as a change agent in their communities and foster engagement.
OUR AWARDS + RECOGNITIONS
- 2014, 2015, 2018East of the River Grant for Media Arts Training Program
- 2016 Sponsor of First High School 48-Hour Film Project produced by Straight No Chaser Films and supported by The Humanities Council Office of Motion Picture and Television Development
- 2013 DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Community Grant Recipient for The Black L.U.V. Festival
- 2005 Mayor Arts Awards Finalist for Excellence in the Arts
PARTNERSHIPS
Newton Media Group, LLC
The Adinkra Group
Our Projects + Programs
Programs
Media Arts Training Program with We Act Radio
2014-present
This program is now in its 6th year and continues to afford underserved and unserviced youth [18-24 years] the opportunity to be exposed to a different brand of media and arts than the corporate-owned outlets provide for them for 6 weeks during the summer.
Creative Entrepreneur Capital Summit
In partnership with Think Local First DC, annually we bring together creative entrepreneurs and business owners to discuss how they access capital using venture capitalist methods.
Projects
Charnice Milton Community Bookstore Literacy Campaign
May 2017 - present
Named in honor of the slain journalist, whose murder is still an open case, this bookstore is being built to fill the 25 year void of a bookstore in Anacostia will addressing the 50% illiteracy rate that stands in this community.
20 Black Years of Love + Unity + Vision Photo Exhibit | Sept 2018
20 Black Years of Love, Unity and Vision is a photo project featuring the transformational art and culture scene of Washington, DC through photographic lens of the Black L.U.V. Festival.
Exhibit runs Sept 1- Oct 11, 2018 at Blind Whino.
partnership with The Adinkra Group
BACK2Africa is a performance tour and documentary film that follows the Washington DC based Go-Go Band – The Backyard Band – on a journey from Washington, DC to Ghana, West Africa to connect with their ancestral roots through music and culture.
Donate Now
Your generous gift will help us fund our mission to help those in need. Together, we can make a difference. For sponsorship opportunities for any with any of our projects and programs, send us complete the Contact Us form. Thank you.
