Local artists show off their talent at open mic

Last Wednesday night, an eclectic crowd of talented artists came to the Zapphire Club on Rockaway Ave to spout conscious raps and ingenious poetry at the first Dreamer’s Open Mic, hosted by Inspire Studios. Noting the need for places for artists to unveil their work, Baldwin native M.J. aka Dope Luke is working towards gathering local talent and helping small businesses.

M.J., founder of Inspire Studios, said this was only the beginning of their talent outreach and spotlight events. “We are currently speaking with other event spaces on creating more platforms [and] experiences for local talent across Long Island…I am looking forward to working with hopefully many more small businesses across the Island,” he said.

The diversity of talent could be felt during the night as artists from Valley Stream mingled with artists from Baldwin and beyond. M.J. said their mission is to give space to the “reservoir of talented artists [on Long Island]” while following his personal mantra: “Breathe life into everything you love.”

Thompson, a Philadelphia native, told the Herald about the lack of spaces for the arts. “Personally, I don’t believe there are enough creative spaces for people to come together and share art, philosophy, and experiences…this is also a testament to the lack of opportunity for creatives here, we had to make our own event to find out who’s around,” he said. 

Nathan Thompson aka HumanBien was the first performance of the night, with introspective rap songs that put himself and hard social issues under a microscope while hooking the audience. Valley Stream’s own Jesse Ulysse aka PicaSso Sight and Jonathan Macenat aka Swagger Dagger were second and third to perform their hip hop. Ulysse commended M.J.’s dedication to creating a meeting where creative minds can meet. “He’s a great leader that empowers the leader in others,” said Ulysse, who also hopes to gather fresh talent from these gatherings to expand his brand of creatives known as The Collective and Unsung Warriors.

Macenat, a fast-rapping lyricist who also grew up in Valley Stream, started by spitting rhymes in high school. Music allowed Macenat “an escape...a certain song or verse made me feel like I could do anything.” Taking part in the underground rap scene, he says a lack of local resources stifles the natural talent.

“The Valley Stream rap scene is very overlooked at times and should be paid attention to…we need more resources in our local area as far as studios and more showcases and events for the whole community to come out and enjoy,” he said.

Noting how they’re changing the mold by creating space instead of waiting for one to be created for them, he further stated: “There is such a good amount of talent in our hometown whether it’s music, art, poetry, or dancing, we do need to spotlight ourselves for a change.”

Mother and daughter duo Darlene Bristol and Idalis Jones came to support the local musicians at the one-of-a-kind event. Jones enjoyed the event and is encouraging Inspire Studios to continue the series. “They should have more open mic events like this for people who want to perform for the first time,” she said. Taking pleasure in getting out of the house, Bristol said, “It’s a nice way of getting our entertainment, local entertainment…Long Island rap rocks.”

The next open mic currently does not have a confirmed date but will be within the next two weeks. Those interested can go to the venue ahead of start time to sign up. For more information on upcoming events kindly check either M.J.’s business websites: https://inspirevitae.com/pages/contact-us or Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/inspirestudiosli/.