Word Sound Power
“We’re sending a love letter to the culture as we pay tribute to the WORD!”
—Mikal Amin Lee, Co-curator
Apr 21—Apr 28, 2023
 
Word. Sound. Power. 2023: WORD—The New Storytellers
Music

Featuring
Dahlak Brathwaite
Helixx C. Armageddon
Pri the Honeydark
Silent Knight

Directed and hosted by MC Baba Israel
w/ DJ Reborn

 

As hip-hop’s 50th anniversary draws near, BAM pays homage to the rhythmic and verbal storytellers of the culture. Through dynamic flows and dizzying raps, hip-hop emcees carry the African oral tradition into the 21st century. They act as a new kind of griot—creating a vital record of experiences that have long been silenced and shaping the story of now through spoken word.

BAM’s annual showcase of hip-hop and spoken word includes performances by Helixx C. Armageddon of the gender justice collective The Anomolies; Brooklyn MC and activist Silent Knight; hip-hop and spoken word artist Dahlak Brathwaite; hip-hop artist and producer Pri the Honeydark; interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, and filmmaker Jade Charon; Dancers: Spydey, E Chakra, and Twice Light; DJ Reborn; Instrumentalist: Robotron and longtime host and co-curator MC Baba Israel.

 
 
 
VENUE
TICKET INFO
All performances will adhere to protocols developed in accordance with New York State regulations and in consultation with medical professionals for the safety of our artists, audiences, and staff. 

ACCESSIBILITY


Open Captioning

All public performances include open captioning provided by c2. The captioning screen is located above center stage, displaying spoken dialogue and other auditory elements that impact the experience of the production. For more information, visit BAM.org/visit/accessibility, email accessibility@BAM.org, or call 718.636.4100.

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Friday April 21, 2023
Performances no longer available.
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Leadership support for BAM Access Programs
provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

Jerome L. Greene Foundation

Major Sponsor of BAM Education Programs:

Santander

 

Major support for Word. Sound. Power. in the Classroom provided by The Emily Davie & Joseph S. Kornfeld Foundation

Leadership support for BAM Education programs provided by: The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation; The SHS Foundation; and The Thompson Family Foundation

Leadership support for BAM Education programs provided by: The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation; The SHS Foundation; and The Thompson Family Foundation

Major support for BAM Education programs provided by: The Constans Culver Foundation; The FAR Fund; Tiger Baron Foundation; The Joseph LeRoy and Ann C. Warner Fund

Silent Knight
Silent Knight
A prolific recording and performing artist from Brooklyn by way of New Jersey, Silent Knight's music has been featured in Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Hulu), commercials for Levi's, and the first hip-hop edition of World News Polka on ABC World News Now. He is the frontman for The Band Called FUSE, an Innocence Ambassador with the Innocence Project, and an Artist-in-Residence for the award-winning News Beat podcast. Credits include sharing stages and song collaborations with the likes of Craig Robinson, Nneka, and Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as being a featured performer at South by Southwest, CMJ, and Vans Warped Tour. Silent Knight also hosts all-ages art and music events in New York and New Jersey.
Helixx C Armageddon
Helixx C. Armageddon
Helixx C. Armageddon is a storyteller intrigued with the human condition. She is a performance artist weaving together poetry, music, and fashion to shift her audience from observers to participants. Known for impassioned performances, Helixx channels space for community, connection, and dialogue. For her, words are powerful and create more than narrative—words create action and momentum toward a more just world. Helixx has performed in notable venues around New York City including Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Bowery Poetry Club, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre, Hammerstein Ballroom, Gene Frankel Theatre, Howl! Happening, Blue Note Jazz Club, and the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art.
Dahlak Brathwaite
Dahlak Brathwaite
Dahlak is an award-winning playwright, composer, and performer whose work has been presented at prestigious venues such as The Smithsonian, BAM, The Apollo, and Lincoln Center, and on HBO's Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. Dahlak’s multi-genre trilogy of works—Spiritrials, Try/Step/Trip, and Adapting History—explores the criminal justice system and the relationship between Black American music and subjugation. Dahlak has received awards and support from organizations including The National Endowment for the Arts and the Doris Duke Foundation. He is a graduate of NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, where he received the Dean’s Full-Tuition Fellowship and served as the Assistant Director for the national tour of the Tony-winning revival of Oklahoma!
Pri
Pri the Honeydark
With her commanding voice and life-driven lyrics, Pri the Honeydark has been labeled underground hip-hop’s “Renaissance Woman.” The hip-hop artist and producer also creates in the fields of photography, carpentry, visual arts, and education. Pri (pronounced Pree) is an original member of the hip-hop collective The Anomolies and has been featured in music publications including Vibe, Blaze, and The Source. Pri was also featured in the film Gangstresses and the BET documentary My Mic Sounds Nice: The Truth about Women and Hip Hop and has produced music for independent projects and television, including MTV.
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