Rounding out Team Uruguay, please welcome @bboyhouse , the site manager for Next Level Uruguay!
Bboy House is a Mexico City-born street artist representing the Boys and Writers (graffiti). He is a practitioner, student, and educator/lecturer of Hip Hop culture and its communities. Now residing in Arizona, Bboy House is on a mission to leave the universe better than he found it. He has traveled globally planting seeds of awareness to develop programs, events, and longevity for youth. He is co-founder of @furiousstylescrew an organization that creates collaborations and networks of artist work.
Due to his strong roots in Hip Hop culture, dance, and foundations, Bboy House has had the privilege of competing, judging, and hosting numerous dance battles around the world. Presently he holds the position as Clinical Assistant Professor at @arizonastateuniversity . Leading the Hip Hop program while creating space and collaborations within the university, while bridging the community. Bboy House is an alum of Next Level Morocco.
Make some noise for Team Uruguay!
#NextLevelUSA #NextLevelUruguay #ExchangeOurWorld #Montevideo #HipHop
Up next on Team Uruguay, please give it up for videographer @kidethnic Saleem Reshamwala is a Japanese Indian American filmmaker whose recent work has focused on culture and music. Recent awards include an Emmy nomination while at The New York Times and Best Music Video at the Hip Hop Film Festival in Harlem (for Next Level alum @gyamazawa ’s “North Cack”). Outside of film, he is the host of TED’s Far Flung, an audio travel show about ideas. Saleem has also created work for The Guardian, POV and the PBS Digital Studios series Beat Making Lab, for which he filmed rappers and beatmakers in Senegal, Ethiopia, Fiji, Panama, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has studied, worked, or hung out in over 50 countries. Saleem was a videographer on multiple Next Level residencies. We can't wait to show you what #TeamUruguay has to offer!
#NextLevelUSA #NextLevelUruguay #ExchangeOurWorld #Montevideo #HipHop
Next up on Team Uruguay, please give a warm welcome to aerosol artist @asend_one !
Asend is a Chicago-based artist with over two decades of experience in fine art and large-scale mural production in both public and private sectors. His influences are rooted in Chicago’s graffiti scene that spanned the city during the 1990s, and the 17th-century Baroque painting. Asend brings an extensive mastery of color and composition to large scale murals and oil paintings, interior design, and sculpture. Notable projects include Chicago's largest mural located off the Kennedy Expressway; oil painting for the Chicago White Sox’s team captain and 2020 Major League Baseball MVP, Jose Abreu; and oil painting for Lamborghini’s 60-year Celebration. Notable awards and achievements include: the 2023 Individual Artist Grant by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE); the 2022 Artist in Residence for Next Level USA, in Manama, Bahrain; the 2019 winner of Hotel Chicago’s Mural competition; and 2019 Judge Panelist for the Chicago Architecture Biennial. He served as an aerosol artist-educator for Next Level Aerosol Edition in Manama, Bahrain.
See you in Montevideo, Asend! #NextLevelUSA #NextLevelUruguay #ExchangeOurWorld #Montevideo #HipHop
Next in line for Next Level Uruguay we got beatmaker @jrawls82 .
J. Rawls is known for his music production work with artists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Domo Genesis (Odd Future), Capital Steez (Pro Era), Beastie Boys, Del tha Funky Homosapien, Aloe Blacc and more. He is an educator with over two decades of teaching experience. A leader of the #HipHopEd movement, he is an assistant professor of Hip Hop at @TheOhioStateUniversity and is leading the team creating the first Hip Hop Studies program at the university. Before this, Dr. Rawls helped develop the first Hip Hop-based education program in the College of Education at the university. He co-authored Youth Culture Power: A #HipHopEd Guide to Building Teacher-Student Relationships and Increasing Student Engagement. J. Rawls is also featured in an exhibition on Hip Hop at the @AmHistoryMuseum .
Give a warm welcome to J. Rawls!
#NextLevelUSA #NextLevelUruguay #ExchangeOurWorld #Montevideo #HipHop
Next up on Team Uruguay, please welcome the talented @melanieaguirre !
Melanie Aguirre a native New Yorker, founder of Rep Your Style, and community leader. Melanie provides the NYC Dance community with dance competitions, community discussions, charity fundraisers, workshops, and job placement services. She teaches multiple dance styles within the tri-state area, nationally, and internationally. Through her company Rep Your Style, she directs theatrical performances and museum tours. She was selected in 2017 for a cultural exchange program in Paris, France, at La Place Hip Hop cultural center. With these different avenues of outreach, she has been able to inspire creativity through her work. Melanie is also an alumna of Next Level Team Turkey.
Welcome to #TeamUruguay!
#NextLevelUSA #NextLevelUruguay #ExchangeOurWorld #Montevideo #HipHop
Next Level Uruguay has just begun! The team has touched down in Montevideo and is getting to work. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to #TeamUruguay.
First up we have our MC @itsmegiddy . Giddy Perez is an international touring emcee, educator, spoken-word poet, beatboxer and host. A Boricua barber originally from Brooklyn, NY, she was a cultural ambassador for the Celebrate the Connections program, an opportunity where six U.S. artists collaborated and toured in India. She is an alumna of Next Level Guatemala. Giddy has also served as a Program Director for Slam Camp at Indiana University, an annual writing summer camp for high school students, and also established the Slam Camp Scholarship program. She resides in Tampa, Fl, where she's currently a teaching artist with the HCPS Arts in Education Program.
Give it up for Giddy! #NextLevelUSA #NextLevelUruguay #ExchangeOurWorld #Montevideo #HipHop
Last opportunity to get your questions answered! Join us today at 6pm EST for the LAST Next Level Q&A sessions. Email [email protected] to RSVP and receive the link to the virtual meeting. #nerxtlevelusa #exchangeourworld #hiphop #hiphopdiplomacy
Next Level Malawi which is known as "The Warm Heart of Africa"
We had some amazing accomplishments during our residency!
We created arguably the biggest known graffiti mural in the country
We hosted one of the first all style dance battles
We may have hosted the very 1st ever beat battle that we know of
We created an anthem for Malawi and had an event where all of the main elements of Hip Hop were represented at one show (not sure if that's ever happened before)
We had an international entrepreneurship panel featuring Malawian legends, Shaku Chante (of Zimbabwe), and us!
Next level dream team Malawi 🇲🇼
MC 🎤 @polaryss
Dance ✨ @__queengabby
Beat Making 🎧 @djhoppa
Graffiti 🖌️ @memphismuralworks
Site Manager 💪🏾 @meccagodzilla
Videos & Photos 🎥 @masta_minch
Local Partner 🤝🏾 @kwezamw
ECA @exchangeourworld
Meridian @meridianintl
Don't forget! Next Level applications are now open! We are looking for aerosol artists, beatboxers, beatmakers, dancers, DJs, MCs, and videographers for our next cycle. Applications are due January 31, 2025 at 11:59pm EST. See the link in the bio for information and to apply.
