Representing NYC is a network of professional artists and educators living and working in Brooklyn, New York City. Representing NYC acts as a bridge between young artists making Hip Hop culture related art work in the context of social services programming in East Brooklyn with a broader cultural milieu socially, culturally, and professionally. Representing NYC executes their mission by fostering collaborations between young artists, social services organizations, and professional arts organizations and artists. Representing NYC helps to produce a series of Hip Hop CDs, a hand silk screened T-shirt line, and two teen radio programs. All of Representing NYC's youth work is carried out at The Beacon Center for Arts and Leadership in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Its network includes the Social Registry, True Panther Sounds, Sockets CDs, Solid PR, the Bread and Butter Collective, Radio 23.org, and a number of artists and educators.
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Mission
Representing NYC seeks to promote life skills amongst youth such as principles of leadership, professional instinct, and financial literacy through direct engagement with professional arts communities. Representing NYC is especially interested in promoting understanding of social and cultural capitol as it is mediated, and as it mediates discourse in culture, in the media and legal milieu.
While Representing NYC's primary goal is to provide a service to youth, Representing NYC also creates a meaningful way for artists moving into the rapidly changing neighborhoods of East Brooklyn to engage with the youth and the communities that surround them.
History
Representing NYC was founded in the spring of 2007 by Sam Hillmer.[1] Hillmer Initially pitched the idea to New York City school based organization Learning Through an Expanded Arts Program (LEAP), as a project to be executed at Brownsville, Brooklyn middle school PS 284. The original project was to produce a professionally manufactured CD featuring the Hip Hop music of the middle-schoolers from PS 284. LEAP and the school liked the idea and work began in the fall of 2007 on what would become the Fly Girlz record "Da Bratz Fron Da 'Ville" which was released on True Panther Sounds and Sockets CDs in April 2008 featuring production by Nathan Corbin aka Zebrablood (Excepter). During the production of the Fly Girlz record Hillmer moved the home base of Representing NYC from LEAP/PS 284 to the Beacon Center for Arts and Leadership, which is housed in the intermediate school IS 291, where he was invited to be the director of teen programming. The Fly Girlz moved their work there as well and finished the project with a record release show a NYC's New Museum, a documentary by Hanly Banks of the Fader, and performances with luminaries such a Mr. Lif, Prefuse 73, and Jorge "Fabel" Pabon of the Rock Steady Crew. The Fly Girlz' "Born To Be Fly" was a featured track on Pitchfork Media, and iTunes. In the winter of 2010 the entire Fly Girlz record was licensed by high fashion moguls Proenza Schouler for use in their contribution to fashion week.
During the campaign surrounding the Fly Girlz record, Hillmer and Representing NYC fostered the development of the teen rap radical phenomena Nine 11 Thesaurus, with the recording of their record Ground Zero Generals. The record features production by Time Dewit (ex. Gang Gang Dance), and Matt Mehlan (Skeletons). Nine 11 Thesaurus, originally Nine 11 GZG, began as a loose collection of MCs meeting at The Beacon center for Arts and Leadership's Teen Action Program, but has now congealed in an 8 strong rap team and are preparing for the release of their first record which is being pushed out into the world by seminal New York underground record label The Social Registry. Nine 11 Thesaurus also produce the radio program Real Talk, which is also run out of the Beacon Center for Arts and Leadership, and are building a community garden in East Bushwick out of a vacant lot.
Other youth work
While the production of Representing NYC's CD series has dominated the organization's work, in the past year Representing NYC has branched out to support more youth artists working in other mediums besides music. Youth artists whose work Representing NYC is helping to promote includes the United Systems Fashion Collective, Real Talk and Brooklyn We go hard internet radio programs, and Uniquely Intellectual Prestigious Young Ladies Dance Team. United Systems Fashion Collective have produced a T - shirt line in collaboration with Representing NYC and the Bread and Butter Collective that is available for purchase here. Real Talk and Brooklyn We Go Hard partner with Representing NYC and online radio station Radio23.org and can be heard here. Uniquely Intellectual Prestigious Young Ladies can be seen here.