It All Begins Here

Is Seattle hip hop on the rise? Pacific Northwest artist and icon Gifted Gab recently shared her insights on the growth and recognition of Seattle’s rap scene during her appearance on The Pop-Up! with host The Big O. 

She highlighted how Seattle rap has evolved into a widely recognized subgenre with enough unique artists and content to establish its own distinct identity alongside major rap hubs.

Don’t sleep on this one. Catch Gifted Gab’s full interview on The Pop-Up! at tinyurl.com/GiftedGab

Tap in with The Pop-Up! weekdays at 7 p.m. across all Converge streaming platforms. We’re keeping the culture loud and proud! 

What inspires you to create? Spoken word artist Darryl Foto recently appeared on The Pop-Up! with host The Big O where he dropped some wisdom and explained the core intentions behind his artistry. He shared his desire to validate the difficult experiences of others and the importance of making people feel truly witnessed and seen.

Watch Darryl’s full interview, alongside singer LIVt, at tinyurl.com/LIVtFoto

Make sure to check out Darryl on TikTok and Instagram.

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays at 7 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

A Lakewood icon joined The Pop-Up! last week. Singer and filmmaker LIVt shared her mission to break down barriers in the film and music industries by creating behind-the-camera opportunities for underrepresented voices, particularly women of color. 

Beyond artistic expression, her goal is to make a direct economic impact by providing experience and breaking down barriers that prevent creators from doing what they love.

Watch LIVt's recent interview on The Pop-Up! at tinyurl.com/LIVtFoto 

Stream LIVt’s fresh new songs now at greentea.lnk.to/SummerCrush

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays at 7 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

What advice would you give your kids? Seattle artist Cal Bonner recently joined The Pop-Up!, alongside Deaunte Damper, where he gave some touching words of wisdom to his baby son Lucky Love. 

Make sure to check out Cal and his organization The VI Family Studios on Facebook and Instagram. 

Catch Cal’s full interview on The Pop-Up! at tinyurl.com/BonnerCal 

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays live at 9 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

What inspires you to keep the grind going? Recently on The Pop-Up!, artist manager Curtis "Cuddy" Delgardo II shared that his inspiration to keep grinding comes from being part of something bigger than himself. He’s driven to overcome challenges and shift the narrative for his community, saying that life can come with ease, joy, and prosperity rather than always having to scratch tooth and nail.

Watch Cuddy’s full interview alongside recording artist Mafi D at tinyurl.com/CuddyMafi

Make sure you stay up-to-date on all things Cuddy Management Group on Instagram.

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays live at 9 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

“Never give up,” Seattle recording artist Mafi D said on The Pop-Up! earlier this week. Alongside his manager Curtis “Cuddy” Delgardo II, Mafi encouraged people to persevere through the emotional downs that life throws at them.

Watch Mafi D's full interview at tinyurl.com/CuddyMafi

Get your tickets to see Mafi D at the 206 & Park Festival at First & Bell, Saturday, August 8th.

See more details on the festival’s Instagram page. Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays live at 9 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

Don't underestimate the power of a good mentor. On the first episode of Erik Kalligraphy’s new spinoff of The Pop-Up! called All My Friends Are Dope, artist Justin Pinder said mentorship drives his efforts to give back to younger creative minds. He reflected on how spending time around older mentors accelerated his maturity and helped guide his trajectory as an artist.

Watch Justin’s full interview alongside his creative collaborator LA at tinyurl.com/PinderLA 

Check out Justin and LA’s new track "Boats 4 Sale" on all major streaming platforms. 

Tune in to All My Friends Are Dope weekdays live at 9 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

Do you have a degree from YouTube University? Last week on The Pop-Up!, DJ T.A.B. dropped some insight into how she started to make a name for herself as a DJ in the largely male-dominated industry in Seattle. The answer? Learning on YouTube and a whole lot of hard work.

Watch DJ T.A.B.’s full interview on The Pop-Up! alongside Takiyah “T-Dub” Ward at tinyurl.com/WardTab

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays live at 9 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

To what extent does AI threaten the creative process? On the most recent TACOMA TAKEOVER on The Pop-Up!, Tacoma-bred creative entrepreneur Sentu Taylor sat down with guest host Elisha Michelle where he shared his thoughts on AI art and its relationship with his own creativity.

Sentu is a multi-hyphenate creative, well known for his clothing brand Random Idiot. He built a brand around the idea that self-awareness beats self-absorption, symbolized by a lightbulb wearing a dunce cap.

Check out Sentu’s work on Instagram.

Sentu was recently selected to showcase his work at Threaded Together: A Celebration of Seattle Fashion happening July 10th at The 101, 101 S Jackson St, Seattle. Learn more at tinyurl.com/ThreadedTogether1

Watch Sentu's full interview, alongside Federal Way-based artist KGodd, at tinyurl.com/KGoddTaylor

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays live at 9 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

Are you bumping KGodd’s new remix with Bobby Schmurda and Chef Boy? Last week on The Pop-Up!, guest host Elisha Michelle sat down with Federal Way artist KGodd where he told the origin story of his new “BEND OVA BUSS IT” remix and shared his thoughts on the West Coast scene in the 253. 

Watch KGodd’s full interview, alongside Tacoma-based multidisciplinary artist Sentu Taylor, at tinyurl.com/KGoddTaylor 

Check out KGodd’s music on all major streaming platforms and social media.

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays live at 9 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.

Last week on The Pop-Up!, Wa Na Wari co-founder Elisheba Wokoma joined host The Big O in the Black Media Matters Studio to discuss the story of her organization (one part art gallery, one part anti-displacement strategy).

Watch Elisheba’s full interview alongside play director Jacqueline Ware on The Pop-Up! At tinyurl.com/ElishebaWokoma

Tune in to The Pop-Up! weekdays live at 9 p.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.