MANNAAH BLACKWELL

Mannaah Blackwell is a Hampton, Virginia based visual artist and battle rapper, focusing on digital art and music. He combines traditional techniques with modern technology to develop his own unique signature style of modern art, games, and animations that have undeniable roots in Hip Hop Culture, comic books, 80's cartoon series, science fiction, and kung fu movies. He raised by Vietnam War Era veterans who exposed him to the martial arts and visual arts. At the age of three, he painted his first mural on the hallway walls leading to a lifelong passion for the arts.

He studied game design and media communications from Full Sail University, combining his experiences to create animation and gaming experiences for all ages. Mannaah earned many Virginia state level visual arts honors and awards including student honors showcases for The Chrysler Museum in 1993-94; The 1994 National PTSA Reflections Arts Competition for a piece titled “Natural Man,” done on black paper with a white pencil; The NAACP ACT-SO Visual Arts Champion for Virginia in 1995 and competed at the NAACP National Conference, where he met President Bill Clinton. He presented a pastel piece titled "Thurgood," a portrait of Thurgood Marshall, who had recently passed away in homage to his legacy in American law. The piece is now owned by a private collector who donated a limited print to Howard University School of Law. In 2018, he earned the Virginia Teaching Artist of the Year Award for creating new curriculum for underprivileged school systems using comic book and hip hop cultural elements. He was the project leader for The Virginia Military Child Initiative, where he taught military children to channel their thoughts and emotions through collective mural projects and custom clothing workshops in 2018-2019.

Mannaah's focus remains giving back to his community and evolving his art through learning and using modern technology to teach the arts and hip hop culture.

DJ NATALIE

Originally from Ukraine, Natalie has become a favorite fixture in the the Virginia Beach music scene with her positive energy and upbeat House music sets. A great professional with a fun stage presence, she makes a great local addition to our solid family of DJ's who are experts in House, DnB, HipHop and open format spaces. Check her out at 2050C events and on our 2050C MixCloud.

DJ Natalie: "I believe in music that shakes the soul and requires courage. Courage to lose yourself in it, to heal yourself in it, to unite with others in it. I completed DJ schools in USA and Ukraine and learned from DJ's all over the world. Such different and unique styles helped me find my own.

Enjoy my house. If you are that person by the speaker looking for someone to hug I’m playing for you."

LAUNCH MIXCLOUD

PABLO POWER

Contemporary Artist Pablo Power was born in a log cabin in rural Maryland, but spent his formative years in the seamy, creative crucible of Miami. His work remains inspired by the years spent there, writing and painting murals in public spaces, to introduce something colorful and considerate into locations that may otherwise be overlooked or avoided. His work propelled him to New York City, to study at Parsons School of Design and School of Visual Arts.

Pablo spent time with the Con Artist Collective in NYC, and has conducted nearly a hundred exhibitions internationally throughout the 90s-2000s including Art Basel Miami, Frieze London, MoMA/PS1, bOb Gallery, across NY, LA, Tokyo, Paris and more. He is featured in film and books such as "Beneath the Streets" by Matthew Litwack and JURNE, 2014. He has accomplished commissioned works for an extensive list of global companies including MTV/ Viacom, Universal Pictures, Arnold Worldwide, Hugo Boss, Virgin Mobile, Sephora, Ray Ban, & Luxotica.

Power continues to live and work in Brooklyn, using a combination of media to build narratives that engage people in a search for common ground. He is currently the head mentor for our World Class.

Artists

DAVEY SANDY

ENTER EXHIBIT

We are proud to include Davey Sandy, "The Dread". Davey is of British West Indian decent, born blind on the island of Tobago, one of the Bacolet street boys. Growing up the last of eleven children, his brothers and sisters had great influence on him. They introduced him into the world of art, where he became greatly intrigued
and inspired.

At a young age he moved to Queens, New York and began skateboarding in 1983.
Dread skated with the Shut Skates crew, and was a model and skateboarder for early Supreme and Zoo York. The Dread has been all about that rock n’ roll lifestyle, and he continues to dedicate his life to art.

He is known for his highly instinctive and organic creative process. He is inspired by strangers and nature, he projects those feelings into his work. Davey uses ununusal materials and raw pigments made from flowers.

Check out his latest exhibit with 2050C member Massoud Ahmed.

COREY WYNN

Corey is a multimedia artist based in Norfolk, VA. He graduated from Old Dominion University with a BFA in Graphic Design/Illustration in 2017. Corey primarily expresses his art through the merging of meaningful figures throughout music, popular culture, fashion, and black history.

The majority of Corey’s work explores themes of evolution, black expression, and an overall celebration of life. A main goal of his is to change tired narratives/stereotypes in his community and to promote self love. In Corey’s artistry he aims to challenge himself by blending different methods. His blending methods include various mediums such as drawing, painting, photography, and collage. He believes in honoring those who came before us by repurposing both digital and antiquated material and putting a modern twist on it, much like sampling in hip-hop.

POINT BLANK

Point Blank is a graphic artist and animator from Nairobi, Kenya. He is a well-known presenter, radio, host, DJ and a member of BOOMBAPCLICKE hiphop collective in Nairobi. He focuses on urban storylines and heroes and uses a philosophical approach. He has completed projects for the British government, Disney, Coca-Cola, and multiple corporate and creative agencies.

ALEX TALAVERA
"HIERONYMUS BOGS"

Hieronymus Bogs’s is a former pro Skateboarder from the early days of 1990's street skating in NYC. He skated for Small Room, Blind, ATM Click and others while becoming a prolific artist and stage performer. His eclectic blend of orchestral folk, spoken word, and performance art nearly evades traditional classification altogether. It’s musical art that’s both unconventional and surprisingly embraceable.

Evoking an ancient crooner, Bogs’s voice sits comfortably between Roy Orbison and Scott Walker, with hints of Antony and the Johnsons’s theatricality. It is definitely performance art. He and his gallery the Artist Abbey are based in New Mexico.

WATCH INTERVIEW

DJ SWINGSETT

Known for his versatility, Swingsett DJ'd extensively for the historic Giant Step and Konkrete Jungle events in NYC, The Limelight, TWILO, more of our favorites. He has played alongside Gil Scott-Heron, GURU's Jazzmatazz , DJ Spinna, Roni Size LTJ Bukem, Shy Fx. Swingsett was also the first American DJ to play as a special guest at Gilles Peterson, Ben Wilcox & Straight No Chaser Magazine's "That's How It Is" monthly in London. Swingsett founded Ism Records (Broken Beat & Downtempo), Esho Recordings (Deep Soulful & Jazzy House), and Ism'assive Records (Jungle/ Drum&Bass. Based in Colorado.

WILLIAM HASKINS
"DJ CLASS"

William Haskins, is a 30+ year DJ veteran of Deep House, Afro House and serious House genres. He is also the owner and operator of Big Entertainment Productions & Class4UPromotions and a partner of 2050C. Will has played venues internationally, as well as NYC, New Jersey, Tampa, Miami WMC, Philly, Kansas Junction City. He had shows on Housestation Radio out of Italy and PhillyNites Radio out of Philly.

He is behind the success of the well-known Soulsation and Secret Disco house music parties and partner in the Dance Vibe events held with 2050Community in the ViBe Creative District, VB.

DENISSTONE

Dennis is a multi-faceted, multi-genre emerging artist from Ukraine, currently in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. He creates under the name "Denisstone" along with his own brand called FAEMILY. He is freeminded and expressive, and creates colorful, layered, meaningful visual art and music. He focuses on digital illustration and also makes clothes. Under his brand FAEMILY he organizes underground parties and events which have street culture and hiphop influences. He writes, produces and edits his own music and music videos and is strongly influenced by Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, J Cole, Pusha T, Rico Nasty, A$AP Rocky, Tame Impala, Aphex Twin. Dennis acts as a community leader since the war began, bringing support and hope to the circles he creates in: “Creating and helping others gives me joy. The main goal in my life is to be better and take everyone around to the top with me! I don’t like putting myself in a box, I sing and do whatever I feel on a track. I think my works have something from the past, the present and the future."

REWILDER

REWILDER, also known as Zach Garnes is a Virginia Beach native with a unique background, rooted deep into energetic dance music. He combines various influences from house, techno, trance, and hard dance. He has played larger festivals such as Fantasyland and Big Dub and well known venues in NYC, LA, and DC such as Soundcheck and Flash Night Club. Through his label Neorave Nation he is working to build a national platform centered around community, art, and underground dance music. We are super excited to have Zach on board to build and expand our mutual visions. Being members of the original rave scene, we are excited to support the new generation movements, and Zach's ability to hit diverse genres will make for upcoming great collaborations

TONNY KIBET

Tonny Kibet was born and raised in Nairobi Kenya. First influenced by Hip Hop, with an affinity for Soul Music, Funk, and Jazz, Tonny has joined forces with the wildly successful “BOOMBAPCLIKE”, a collective of deep hiphop DJs in Nairobi who are unmatched outside of Brooklyn in their love and knowlegde of hiphop. Both a vinyl and digital DJ, Tonny's musical knowledge, creative mixing style and technical skills are unique and recognizable. His DJ sets are renowned for their boundary-crossing selection of the funk, soul, rock & hip-hop.

DJ SPACE ONE

DJ Space One is a 25+ year veteran DJ of diverse background known for his exceptional mixing skills, unexpected track selections and marathon sets of House, mash ups, Drum and Bass & Dubstep. He is a triple threat of House, HipHop and D&B. Originally from NYC, he plays regularly in Virginia Beach and Norfolk with some of the most popular DJ’s and bands in the area. He was a finalist in the 2022 Ice & Music DJ Competition. He was part of the native NYC electronic music scene working for notorious original House music and Rave clubs and parties such as NASA, Limelight, Konkrete Jungle, Camouflage, and was the Co-Founder of Bubble and Sunday Night Chill Out parties in upper NY.

MASSOUD AHMED

Massoud was a student at the College of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, in Damascus, Syria when the civil war began in his country. He left his studies and this home and took refuge in a camp in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. His journey through loss and deprivation is reflected in his work, which was a vehicle he used to express this complex human experience. Many of his initial pieces were destroyed by the journey and weather during the first years. Yet, Massoud has continued to find ways and means to paint.

"I discovered my talent in the drawing when I was a child. I have been drawing on school benches and on the walls. One day I drew a drawing on the wall of our house in Syria, everyone liked it, they did not believe that I was the one who drew it! After seeing their admiration, I dreamed of becoming a painter one day.

In the camp, I practice my hobby despite my difficult situation, and I used to teach children how to draw for free. One day, I couldn't buy papers, so I cut a piece of cloth from the tent in which I was living, to draw a painting on it. I worked as a volunteer with an organization in the camp in teaching children and young people how to draw, and then they gave me a small income. I was also working in different jobs to make living for my family.

In 2016 I enrolled in the Erbil College of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, in Iraq. In 2020 I graduated second in my class, and third in the college. Now, I aspire to study masters at a reputable university in a developed country if given the opportunity."

RUSS JONES

Our brother RUSS JONES from Hackney, London 💫

FUTURE WORLD FUNK MIX available now on the 2050C Global Beats MixCloud channel!

Russ is a diverse creative with a long history in arts & entertainment. He was behind some of London's most successful parties including London Calling and No Room for Squares and Mixing it up with Gilles Peterson, James Lavelle, Fabio, Bukem & Norman Jay. Russ moved London Calling to the FAMED Blue Note and became the Artistic Director of the infamous venue. Russ jumped behind the decks himself to become one of the preeminent ‘global beats’ and world music DJs in the UK, with an international reputation and following. He has been all over the world from Beijing to El Salvador, Moscow to New York.

Russ's recent endeavour has seen him launching his own very successful cycle fashion label: Hackney GT. From funky cycle jerseys to a custom framesets and now a very successful Hackney GT race team.