Rashidi Omari is a performance artist, writer and educator at Destiny Arts Center, a violence prevention and arts education organization in Oakland. Growing up, hip-hop was an outlet that helped Rashidi deal with life's challenges, and he works to provide today's Bay Area youth with the same creative opportunities. We stopped by his dance studio to learn more about this dynamic Oakland artist, and find what hip-hop means to him and his students.
After introducing Rashidi to your students, check out these two videos where he teaches us how to beatbox and breakdance. Follow along and add your own b-boy flavor.
Write a short rhyme about a childhood dream or ambition.
Introduction
"The written word can be poured into any vessel. I do it now. It’s poured into video, into a painting, into a public-domain practice. It’s the idea that holds it together for me."
- Mark Bradford on Art:21
On February 16th at SFMOMA, teens from the Bay Area Unity Music Project (BUMP) did a performance in response to the artwork of Mark Bradford, who has a new exhibition opening at the museum on February 18. His large-scale collages are made from recycled paper items such as signs found on the streets of his native Los Angeles.
Resource
Bradford also makes films, which he's been doing since he was a kid with a Super 8 camera. Watch this Art:21 video where he talks about a time when he had big plans to project his movies on the clouds, and how his friends were behind him whether the dream panned out or not.
Tweet a quick rhyme about a childhood dream of yours. You only have 140 characters. Make it a good one! For inspiration, check out students from BUMP records laying down beats on KQED's Spark.
To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDedspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow
Do Now is a weekly activity for students to respond to current issues through the use KQED's award-winning online media resources and social media tools like Twitter.
Rashidi Omari is a performance artist, writer and educator at Destiny Arts Center, a violence prevention and arts education organization in Oakland. Growing up, hip-hop was an outlet that helped Rashidi deal with life's challenges, and he works to provide today's Bay Area youth with the same creative opportunities. We stopped by his dance studio to learn more about this dynamic Oakland artist, and find what hip-hop means to him and his students.
