Presented by Flutes at Dawn and Black Arts MKE with the generous support of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, Hip Hop DNA is a live show that explores the evolution and interconnectedness of 100 years of American music and dance, while paying homage to the roots and influence of African, Latin, Eastern, and European traditions. With a 10-piece live band, and a large cast of dancers and guest vocalists, songs are presented in the form of medleys, mashups, and reinterpretations that focus on popular hip hop/rap songs from the 1980s to present day, and the blues, jazz, soul, funk, disco, and traditional songs that were sampled to create those hits. 

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     Hip Hop is about expressing individuality, making your own lane, and challenging the status quo, but it is also rooted in community-building, bridging gaps, and passing on knowledge and hope to the next generation. It is musically rooted in a process known as “sampling,” a process that allows us to repurpose and give new life to what was lost and forgotten. Through sampling, we can blend and integrate different cultures in a way that maintains the integrity, intent, and inherent value of the individual traditions, while also creating a new whole. In an increasingly divided world, Hip Hop is one of the few spaces where people of all ages, races, genders, and backgrounds can create and co-exist freely and equally: the true American Dream.