Help Fund Hip Hop For Change Youth Studios!

Hip Hop For Change Studios:

We are very excited to announce that our long-time dream of owning our own professional recording studio is now a reality! We began construction on August 1st, and hope to have it completed by the end of the year to provide a free community resource to youth under 21.

From tracking and mixing, beat-making and rapping, to podcasting and video editing, we want this space to be a versatile environment for all things Hip Hop. Our POC youth need more free and safe spaces to heal from their collective trauma and transform their frustrations into art and activism. The studio will also serve as an additional space for our Education Department to program our Hip Hop classes and workshops.

Pipeline To Positivity Educational Program:

As an Oakland based non-profit, one of our key initiatives for the studio is to help Oakland transitional youth reintegrate themselves back into our community by providing them with an outlet to pursue their artistic passions. We believe that culturally relevant re-entry programs can offer possible methods for sustainable reform. Hip Hop is a powerful cultural tool for communities of color, for it encourages self-expression and creative storytelling. Hip Hop For Change will be partnering with Alameda County Detention Center under the purview of the Alameda County Probation Department in connecting their Oakland youth to our resources, artists, and organization as a part of their reintegration process.

Artist Development:

Our Education Director, Marlon Richardson, will launch "Pipeline To Positivity" by providing ten transitional youth with artistic mentorship and professional development from HH4C artists. Our artist development program will produce 50 songs from participants that will air on KPOO, an independent, listener-supported radio station from which HH4C broadcasts conscious music and dialogue. Our objectives include:

1. Connecting the youth with caring artist-educators.
2. Encouraging participant growth through culturally competent creative expression and giving them professional opportunities.
3. Giving the youth a deeper understanding of the critical role of Hip Hop Culture in and for POC communities.

But we still need your help! Can you help us fight for Black dreams?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have lost 25% of our donor base and have had to let go our entire grassroots fundraising team. Despite economic hardship, we are still doing inspirational work in the community.

We are calling on our supporters to help us maintain the studio, buy state of the art equipment, and help pay our sound engineer who will produce and mix songs for the youth. 

Black dreams and Black futures are worth fighting for! Please consider donating and being a part of this very special journey as we move our dream forward. Let's show our youth that we, as a community, can make their dreams come true. Thank you!