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Parent Category: Onstage

If the history of the Black experience was edible, one of its most delicious entrees would be the creation of the independent nation of Liberia.

Of all our celebrations of enterprise and industriousness, few endeavors match the faith and courage required to set sail for the unknown and carve out a new reality holding the promise of freedom from the indignities suffered by people of color in early America.

We know in truth that the effort and its effects, like all colonizing efforts, was flawed and full of unintended consequences. Still, in historical terms, the founding of Liberia ranks second only to the successful uprising in Haiti as a milestone of black achievement in the 1800’s. What’s amazing today, in the age of special curriculums and annual Black History months is that so little recognition of Liberia is given despite the undeniable fact that genealogical ties remain between the descendants of that nation’s founders and blacks throughout America. Today Americo-Liberians as they are referred to, constitute a small minority of their nation; numbering only about 150,000 to 200,000 in a land of 4 million, but they and their extended families are America’s kin in every sense of the word.

In the same way that globalization has made African American culture a worldwide phenomenon; Americo-Liberians carved a unique American imprint on Liberia that lingers to this day. Liberia, whose name means “land of the free,” remains the most American of African countries. The Liberian flag, government, and constitution resemble those of the United States. The former residences of Americo-Liberian families (which still stand) resemble those of former majestic plantation homes in the old American South. Many native Liberians still talk with hints of African American vernacular English. Liberian immigrants to the U.S. have the highest passport acceptance rates and the longest extension rates of any African nation and easily integrate into African American communities. Because of these familial ties all Liberians, despite their heritage or tribal affiliations, have always looked westward for inspiration.

After years of a destructive civil war, Liberia is growing again. The government of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the African continent’s first elected female president, has identified and emphasizes tourism as an important factor in revitalizing the economy. As long ago as 2007 BET founder Robert Johnson called for, “African Americans to support Liberia like Jewish Americans support Israel.” He helped in the creation of a $30 million Liberia Enterprise Development Fund and has shown his commitment to revitalizing the historic relationship between Liberia and America by constructing a beautiful seaside hotel, the RLJ Kendeja Resort & Villas, in Monrovia.

This is the same spirit we hope to capture with The Liberia Project. For us, it’s mostly about music but music has always been a bridge that anyone can cross. We’re hoping that if we’re fortunate enough to take off with a plane full of Hip Hop artists and musicians and music producers, and filmmakers and project supporters that our city will be flying with us. There’s still a long way to go to make the dream a reality, but with your support this beautiful story is going to end up as a documentary no one is satisfied to wait until Black History month to see. #OnStage

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Parent Category: Onstage

Want to win some money and a lot of exposure? Want to help push the hottest brand in DC while you’re at it? Okay. We’ve got a deal for you….

One of the most unique trends in advertising is crowdsourced commercials. That’s when brands invite their followers, instead of an ad agency, to create a commercial that will really engage viewers. Everybody’s doing it, from Pepsi, to Dell, to Chevrolet for their Super Bowl ads. So we thought... if the mega-brands are doing it, why not do it at OnStage? After all, our site visitors are all card carrying members of Creative Nation. We’ve got the hottest artists, the hottest promoters, the best videographers, writers, stylists, fashionistas out the door, and just regular old cool folk checking in on the daily. Statistics don’t lie, and Klout can verify that everybody who regularly checks out our website is a certified tastemaker!

So, if you’re already qualified, why not do it? Shoot a 30 to 60 second commercial promoting OnStage as the number one online destination for music lovers. Be as creative, colorful, quirky, and soulful as you like. Get your folks to star in it, or shoot it solo in front of your webcam, do it in animation, or a combination of visuals and text. Then enter our new contest, upload your work, and ask your family, friends and associates to check it out and vote for it. Top vote getter wins the prize (and the fame!) Check back in a couple days for contest start date and details. Or just hit us up below with any questions or comments.

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Parent Category: Onstage

I want to refer every aspiring and emerging artist back to an important insight the esteemed music journalist, Marcus J Moore, made in his recent 10 Questions 4 interview with OnStage. He said, “I just hope the next rapper does something unique. They can’t always pop bottles and sell drugs. “

When I reflect on that, then listen to most of the new music being released by younger artists, I wonder if they get it. More important, I wonder if they have a goal. Because the goal in this game is epitomized by Jay Z. You can love him or hate him, but you can’t question his relevance. Think of it this way; music is a long continuum and the artists who outsize it do so because they never lose sight of the doors it opens along the way. Nat King Cole leveled the playing field, James Brown could literally stop a riot, Stevie Wonder got a national holiday declared, and Tupac Shakur spoke truth to power. Now you see this guy hosting fundraisers for the president and dropping a video encouraging people to vote. And he’s still selling out arenas, still near the top of the Forbes list. You think he got there because the only advice he took was the advice he gave himself?

It just seems to me that too many young Hip Hop artists are so caught up in projecting a false image of who they are that they never spend time thinking about who they really want to be. Make the music you want to; drug slinging, bottle popping, pussy chasing, whatever. But connect the music you’re making to a solid goal of where you want it to take you. Stay humble, be thankful, reply to tweets, return phone calls, consider every sensible proposal. Keep the same friends, but find a trusted mentor. If you’re just starting to get some traction in this music game, there’s still a huge difference between being Jay Z, and being you. My advice? Act accordingly.

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Parent Category: Onstage

We’ve posted a lot of music videos over the past two years, from well-known artists to talented emerging artists, all of them good, but none of them touch us quite the way this video from the young prodigy Chi Chi Monet does. October is National Anti-Bullying Month and Chi Chi’s video “No Bully” is an anthem that truly epitomizes the message. The video is an inspiring call to action to her peers (did we mention she was 9 years old?) and to top it off, it’s a rhythmic display of talent that’s going to be around for a long time. The young lady recorded her first song when she was six in her dad’s studio. She’s performed in Washington, and in July of this year, before an audience of 2000 in Boston, MA.

Another great thing about “No Bully” is that the video was done by Cool Kids Forever Films. It’s a perfect collaboration for a theme of this importance. We encourage everyone to not just take a look at the video, but also to buy it on iTunes and to share this information with your social networks. Chi Chi Monet is a special talent, with a purposeful and positive outlook. We should do everything we can to #Support her!