4rl | IRL Collective

We spent the evening at The World Is Yours Block Party on H Street and the energy was special! Big respect to Kareem El for bringing this together and creating something that felt genuine, creative, and community-driven. Seeing people from all different backgrounds come together around art, conversation, music, and cross-cultural connection reminded us what DC is really about. At the center of the evening was the completion and unveiling of the new mural by Massa AquaFlow on the side of Sushi Sato. Massa visited DC from Okinawa, Japan 🇯🇵 for the first time in 30 years, and hearing the story behind the collaboration made the night feel truly meaningful. Thank you to Massa for sharing your art and presence with DC! We were glad to bring chess to the space while people gathered, connected, and enjoyed the atmosphere 🎨♟️ #WashingtonDC #DCEvents #DCCommunity #DCArts #DCChess

We’ve received a ton of support for this effort and it has genuinely warmed my heart to see it. In the aftermath of the Okinawa incident, during some of the darkest days of my life, I could not have imagined this outcome. I’m grateful to know that new dreams, friendships, and community were born from that nightmare. I’ve also received a lot of questions about how 4rl fits into all of this - why we use passwords and why parts of the experience feel exclusive. To be clear - everyone is welcome at the block party. I truly hope people from all walks of life pull up. There are aspects of the 4rl experience that we have intentionally gated, but not as a means of exclusion - as a means of protection. What we’ve built is not optimized for attention. 
It’s not designed to maximize content consumption, sell products, or chase engagement. It exists to help people connect in real life, and I intend to protect that vision. We will not make a dime from this experience. Massa, Alyssa, Khadijah and I have poured our personal time, energy, and resources into this because we believe real connection and real community can only exist when intention matters more than returns. We hope this experience inspires people to act on their dreams, keep fighting through difficult moments, and never stop believing in the world they want to create. -Kareem El (founder of 4rl) Don’t be a stranger.
The World Is Yours 🌍

Kicking things off before the block party this Saturday… 🎨 Join us this Thursday, 5/7 for an intimate Artist Talk with @massa.aquaflow , visiting all the way from Okinawa, Japan. A pull-up style convo — no tickets needed, just come through! The mural is already in progress, so you’ll get a real-time look at the work and the story behind it. ⏱️ 5:30–8PM 📍Sulod Cocktail Bar x Kitchen DC 1250 H st NE, 2nd Floor (Above the Hall on H) THEN… 🔻 🎉 Official Block Party and unveiling of the mural on Saturday, 5/9 Hosted by 4RL, Creative Kickback, and H Street Main Street — bringing the city together for a full cultural experience centered around art, community, and connection. 🔗 Link in bio for Saturday tickets

I’m posting this video now on my 2nd morning in DC because I was fearful that I would not get through immigration and customs with what I’m about to say. I will create a big mural in the H street NE corridor thanks to all the support from your community. I’m an artist from Okinawa island in Japan and I draw clouds because using clouds, I was able to express myself in a way that words could not. Clouds (like feelings) come in many shapes and color the way we experience the world. I use a combination of clouds and custom typeface to share how I experience the world in hopes that I can inspire others to ask questions that are difficult to answer in words. My feelings about the world have been heavily influenced by the U.S. and more specifically Black American culture and history. I see many parallels in the struggle of Black people in the U.S. and the struggle of the Okinawan people. When I moved to Okinawa from mainland Japan as a young man I was shocked by the heavy presence of the U.S. military. Even more, I was shocked to see how the PEOPLE of Okinawa are impacted every day. That led me to create the series "Camo & Cloud" in which I transform U.S. military uniforms into canvases. My “Camo and Cloud” art connected me to Kareem El from DC. After Kareem learned that I had made one of my pieces with his uniform, he came to visit my home in Okinawa and we dreamed of one day bringing my art to his home to expand the conversation. After Kareem was assaulted in Okinawa by the U.S. military last year, we felt that conversation needed to happen now. This mural references the Nas lyric “the world is yours” and I'm using this phrase to encourage us all to remember where we stand in the struggle. I believe that together we can make our future bright if we remain conscious and intentional about the world we want to live in. If you see me painting, please stop and say hello. I hope to see you at the block party to celebrate the completion of the mural on Sat May 9th from 5 - 8pm (🔗link in bio). Arigatou! The World is Yours *translated by Kareem El* #muralart #freeDC #okinawa #DontBeAStranger #TheWorldIsYours

SKATE SOCIAL PROJECT Este sábado vivimos una increíble jornada en el @skate_park_dgl_ngor , en Dakar, junto a algunos de los mejores skaters de Senegal y muchas futuras promesas. (Incluso invitados a las próximas olimpiadas). Pero detrás de cada truco y cada sonrisa, hay una realidad que no se ve: muchos de estos jóvenes no tienen acceso regular a algo tan básico como agua o comida. Para ellos, el skate no es solo un deporte. Es una forma de salir adelante, de ayudar a sus familias y de construir un futuro mejor. Por eso estamos lanzando un proyecto de crowdfunding sin ánimo de lucro. Queremos conseguir recursos básicos, mejorar sus condiciones y darles oportunidades reales para que sigan creciendo. Necesitamos tu ayuda para financiar viajes para poder llevarles a patinar en otros lugares; además de relacionarse con otros skaters de todo el mundo, poder mejorar y construir un skatepark del cual ya tenemos un proyecto en marcha, con rampas, transiciones, halfpipes, bowls, funbox, etc que tanto necesitan. Ademas de protecciones básicas para su seguridad: como cascos, tablas, rodilleras, coderas, zapatillas adecuadas, etc. Cualquier aportación, por pequeña que sea, suma. Cualquier difusión, también. Si puedes colaborar o compartir este mensaje, estarás formando parte de algo mucho más grande. Gracias por estar ahí. #senegal #skateboard #redbullskate #monsterskatepark #woodward

When I was in Japan going through the toughest experience of my life, @massa.aquaflow and the Okinawan community showed up for me. For nearly a decade, the people of Okinawa have welcomed me in, shown love, and taught me that when you move with intention, The World Opens Up 🌍 As a symbol of friendship and appreciation for our community, Massa will visit DC and paint a mural on the outer wall of @sushisatodc alongside local artist @nyooanst , in partnership with @hstnedc . To celebrate the completion of the mural, we’re partnering with @creativekickbackdmv to deliver a block party rooted in connection and creativity 🛋️🎨 We’re also offering a special opportunity for our community to be part of the mural. The first 100 RSVPs will get to add a personal touch to the mural 🫆RSVP in the 4RL app (🔗 in bio) If you’re not a member of 4RL yet, you’ll need a code to join. We only share access with people who move with intention. If that’s you, talk to us in the comments. What does moving with intention mean to you? What should it look like in a community? Thoughtful engagement will get a code. No AI slop bots or lurkers 🙅🏾‍♂️ Pull up. Be outside. Don’t be a stranger 🍀 -Kareem El (founder of 4rl) 🎵 Observer (unreleased instrumental) by Kareemu feat. @riku_thefields._ Prod. @andysalright #dcart #dcevents #okinawa #hstreet #makeofflinegreatagain

70M people saw me get assaulted in Japan. That’s probably how a lot of you found 4RL. I wanted to share this video to show you "my side of the story" - the reason I traveled to Okinawa - the same reason I built this movement. If this speaks to you, join us - the movement is growing🍀 Don’t be a stranger. -Kareem

Introducing Coworking Fridays for DMV based creatives @willnamethisagencylater . CAMERA: @nikonusa ZR LENS: Nikkor Z 28-75mm

Ad | SHARE YOUR DREAM & CONNECT ON 1/19 Comment “DREAM” + follow @4rlapp and we’ll DM you with a code to get access: /events/17 (link in bio) Kareem El here - I’m the guy who got bodyslammed by the U.S. military in Japan. That was a really difficult experience but between the U.S. invasion of Venezuela and the Murder of Renee Nicole Good, it’s clear that we are in a WAR ON HUMAN RIGHTS. In response, I’m offering @4rlapp as a tool to help our community connect and organize IRL based on shared values, interests, and intentions. In the spirit of MLK Day, I’m inviting you to share your dream on 4RL, find aligned community members, and connect IRL (at a march, over a meal, on a walk, etc). This is not meant to compete with the efforts of the community leaders organizing on the ground. This is a platform to amplify them. This is community tech. We will host *aligned* community events on 1/19 in the 4RL app (free of charge). If you’re organizing something, DM us so we can direct people to you. The people united will never be defeated. Drop In. Be outside. Don’t be a stranger. 🎵 Saul Williams - The Noise Came From Here #makeofflinegreatagain #community #mlk #washingtondc #thingstodoindc