Next Level Residency – Indonesia

From November 17th to December 5th, 2016, five hip hop artists traveled to Bandung and Jakarta, Indonesia as part of the Next Level program. MC George “G” Yamazawa Jr., DJ Erica “Amerriica aka Misamerriica” Parpan, Beat Maker Vincent “Gyrefunk” Czekus, and Dancer Haleem “Stringz” Rasul joined team manager Junious Brickhouse to perform for audiences and collaborate with local artists to promote cross-cultural creative exchange and conflict transformation.

Next Level’s local community partner was Rumah Cemara, a community-based organization that seeks to increase the quality of life for young people living with HIV /AIDS and end discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community and those living with drug addictions. Through the Next Level Academy, the artist-educators offered workshops in Djing, emceeing, beatmaking, and dance, as well as entrepreneurship, community building and organizing, and conflict transformation. Next Level’s Team Indonesia also had the opportunity to collaborate with Komunitas Karinding, a traditional music group that specializes in Sundanese music. The artist-educators and site manager Junious Brickhouse also participated in both a Q&A and collaborative performance with local pop musicians at @america, the U.S. Embassy’s American Center in Jakarta.

Team Indonesia is part of a larger Next Level cohort of American MCs, DJs, beatmakers, and hip hop dancers seeking to create global community through hip hop culture.