The First Phoenix Rap Camp!
Homemade hip hop beats, original lyrics, and an official music video – all from scratch – in one weekend! This past weekend marked the very first youth training in Phoenix by The Rap Camp!
Facilitated by Jose Maria Fierro and myself, we led a small but incredibly talented and enthusiastic group of local youth in the artistic forms of rap, poetry, songwriting, beat production, and videography. The results were amazing!
We started Saturday morning by constructing an entire hip hop instrumental using only sounds we created with our voices. We then analyzed the vibe of the beat, and decided it sounded like something a secret agent might listen to as they got prepared for a mission. This sparked some more amazing creativity, which led us to create a “hook”, or chorus, for the song. The youth then took on roles of villains (Division, War, and Competition) and corresponding secret agents (Agent Unity, Agent Peace, and Agent Cooperation). Next, they all wrote their own rap verses, practiced performing them, and then had them recorded.
On Sunday, we focused on filming some complementary video footage, and then splicing together a music video. The final product, “Secret Agent”, was incredible! More importantly, the process of creating helped develop numerous artistic capacities in all of the youth, allowed everyone to explore a variety of deep concepts, and built some beautiful friendships!
In addition to our primary project, the youth also produced several of their own original hip hop beats, created a second group song, and wrote several short poems. It was such an enriching and rewarding experience!
You can view the official music video for “Secret Agents” below:
I’m hoping to facilitate these workshops regularly to help youth develop their powers of expression and promote positive change in our community!
If you’re interested in organizing a Rap Camp or workshop, please contact me at colby@therapcamp.org, or CLICK HERE to learn more!
Very nice I like it it’s open and peaceful
Very entertaining and creative. Nice work “Secret Agents”