HIPPY HOLY DAZE Music & Art Holiday Celebration returns for its 6th year featuring a night of standout performances by some of Chicago’s elite Musicians and Performers.
Curated by Poet, Rapper, and Performance Artist, Kao Ra Zen.
Artist Bios
KAO RA ZEN ✶ A multidisciplinary artist, Kao Ra Zen has made a name for himself as an accomplished spoken-word poet, battle-rapper, multimedia performance artist, painter, director, and curator. For a number of years, Kao has been performing and organizing concerts, parties, film screenings, and art happenings throughout Chicago, as well as throughout Germany during a 2014 residency. Kao has rocked open MICs in Guatemala, was a feature performer during the first annual Afro Utah Festival in 2021, Chicago Hip-Hop Theater Fest and TEDx Showtime ChiTime events in 2022, and the New Performance Turku Biennale in Finland in 2023. Artists of many genres and disciplines have graced the stage and wall during the five previous Hippy Holy Daze events curated by Kao. A young at heart old school MC who spits rhymes for the brave new world, Kao Ra Zen will be sharing his brand of socially conscious lyrical musings on life, the universe, and everything. KaoRaZen.com
PUGS ATOMZ ✶ The Hip-Hop renaissance man, his Art and Music has been featured in TV Shows, movies, commercials, sporting events, and video games. He has been able to tour the world performing his deep catalog solo and with frequent collaborator DJ Vadim (The Electric, UK). His inspiration for all this stems from his family growing up in Englewood seeing the performers on the Green line train, and murals and Graffiti art in his neighborhood. Catch him live at Hippy Holy Daze for a hi-energy sophisticated Hip-Hop /Art experience. PugsAtomz.com
BOB ROK ✶
BADWOLFF ✶ BADWOLFF is a Chicago art rap duo, composed of Amanu Kaiju & Casagrown, whose songs celebrate life over beats that range from boom-bap to the experimental. BADWOLFF.Bandcamp.com
THESSELONIOUS ✶ Since the early 90s, Thesselonious has been on the hip hop scene in some form or fashion. One of those artists who tries to keep all the elements of Hip Hop alive, this multi-talented guy still actively creates art in the same way he's done since his days in Nacrobats (a collective that also includes founder Pugs Atomz and early member Kao Ra Zen). He's also a visual artist of sorts, having created flyers, album layouts, and various other products. Moving into the 2010's, Thess added digital distribution and internet radio to his list of accomplishments, releasing multiple albums with Planetary Alignment Music and Djing live shows on WVLM - VusicLive.com. Dropping multiple releases a year, shows, and much more to come, Thesselonious has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. And you shouldn't want him to. PlanetaryAlignmentMusic.com
THE GRATES ✶ TheGrates are a Hip-Hop trio based out of the South Chicago suburbs and the 219. The Grates are 70s (The Nautz & The Diggity), Scrubz (T.I.M.E.), and YodaRoc (Centric I.E. & Nacrobats). Established in 2020, The Grates bring original Hip-hop with the old school boom bap feel. The Grates are currently working on their 4th studio album and several side projects, coming soon from their label, The Raw Offices. Thegratesmusic.bandcamp.com
SILIS101 ✶ Silis started his hip hop journey in ‘93 recording hip hop music and hails from Sauk Village in Chicago's Southland. Currently working on solo projects and co-founded the group RED ALUMINUM with 70s of The Grates. centricie.bandcamp.com
CARL COLVIN ✶ Carl Colvin is a freelance musician, teacher, writer, and editor originally from Chicago, Illinois and now recently residing in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. Carl holds a Bachelor of Arts with majors in creative writing, music, and humanities from Valparaiso University and a Master of Music in Oboe Performance from DePaul University. At Valparaiso University he was awarded the Anna Zink Springsteen award for his many contributions to the University’s literary culture. CarlColvinArts.com
ME'CHELLE ✶ Me'Chelle is a Rapper whose music is best described as Poetic Soul. Her art is inspired by artists like Tupac, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Barry White, Freddie Mercury, and DMX. She is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work often blends music, poetry, & digital visual art together. https://soundcloud.com/youngnegroheart
GILDED WAVES ✶
DJ SLIM GEM ✶
$15 - Tickets Available at the Door