30 days before my 40th birthday, I wrote down 40 things that I wanted to do as I reached my mid-way point in life. One of the top goals was to journey to the Motherland.
This March, in celebration of Women's History Month, I joined Rhyme Like a Girl on their pilgrimage to Botswana, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon as the official tour DJ for #RLAG2023.
Becoming a Hip Hop Cultural Diplomat for the United States during the same year that we celebrate #HipHop50 is a dream come true. Not only is the work inspiring and uplifting, it is also a blessing to be the representation and source of visibility for so many young girls (and boys) across the globe.
(This picture above of DJ Mox and I doing an impromptu introductory dj lesson- GREAT JOB DJ Mox and I hope that you are practicing.)
I have to take a moment to give Toni Blackman her flowers. Ms. Blackman, aka Auntie Toni, is the first hip-hop ambassador to the U.S. State Department. Her work as a hip hop pioneer and her groundwork for Rhyme Like a Girl has help set the tone for hip hop and education globally and how girls (and women) see themselves in the culture nationally and abroad. <3 <3 <3 Thank you Toni for this opportunity- I will always sing your name. :)She is also the 4th special Toni in my life- shout out my Amazing Aunty Toni, Cousin Toni (aka Vette) and my Cousin TJ (the emcee from VA, yay yay). ha ha.
Right now, we are at our midway point in the tour and each day carries a new adventure. Each time we work with a group of students, I absorb just as much as they do- it's truly a cultural exchange. Today we worked with a group of competitive emcees who are all fighting for the title of becoming EG's Battle Champion.
I haven't battled in years, but that electrifying feeling always returns when I watch them spit impromptu bars and phrases effortlessly with the spirit of the Bronx flowing through every syllable. It feels like home.
The land is beautiful, the air is sweet and the water is serene. I am enjoying every moment- and savoring each memory.
I've met at least 3 girls that have asked me about DJing. I get just as excited as they do whenever I can share tips about my journey. I wish I could do more- offer more.
With that, I have to run- but first pictures. (Below). Love you, L is for Love,
<3 Fay
Catch all the fun: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cp2pW7rop0y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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