Hosted by Ruben Martinez and Lady Ace Boogie, Saturday’s Grand Rapids performances by a dozen regional artists will be filmed for videos at aimed at elevating Michigan talent.
A Super Rewarding Vehicle to Build Audiences for Michigan Hip-Hop Artists: Ruben Martinez and Lady Ace Boogie of Push the City Cyper. (Photo/Roasted Media Group)
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I can hear the bass rumbling from the closed doors of Midtown the moment I get off the elevator at Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids.
It’s rehearsal day for Push the City Cypher, the pop-up performance entity produced by Lady Ace Boogie and Ruben Martinez to elevate the local hip-hop scene through collaboration.
Featuring a rotating cast of artists from the region, the project has been steadily ramping up its profile by releasing a series of live performance videos. Today, they’re preparing for a 12-artist show at Midtown on Saturday night (May 25) that will be filmed live in front of a studio audience.
“You know, a lot of times artists stay in the same areas. We want them to expand and build their platforms and build their audiences up,” says Ruben Martinez.
“And Ace feels the same way. We have artists from here but also from Lansing, Detroit and Kalamazoo. So it’s not just a Grand Rapids thing, it’s a Midwest mission.”
‘A Night of Music and Community Connection’: Lady Ace Boogie and Ruben Martinez. (Photo/Roasted Media Group)
The evening kicks off with a red carpet experience for artists and attendees at 6 p.m., followed by a live production at 7:30 p.m. and concluding with live performances at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and are available online at themidtowngr.com.
“To be able to do something like this takes a lot of work. We typically have up to 16 artists each time we do a cypher,” says Lady Ace Boogie, aka Linda Tellis.
“Just to be able to have that many personalities come together and be a part of one thing for these cyphers, it’s been really rewarding, like super rewarding. A lot of these cats who are here today are meeting each other for the first time.”
Upon entering the venue, a drumbeat fills the air while the stage is packed with performers who take turns laying down their 16 bars of carefully crafted verses in a rotation. The energy is off the charts.
For Saturday’s performance, the chairs will be cleared. Cameras rolling. Audience vibing.
“It’s not just going to be a cypher, it’s going to be a lot more. There’s some special things going on in that building that we haven’t even announced yet.” Martinez says.
“It’s important to have pride for Grand Rapids and the artists in this city, to showcase their skills and connect with the community, to bring everyone together and show the talent in the city and the surrounding areas.”
A Midwest Mission: Filming at a previous Push the City Cypher. (Photo/Roasted Media Group)
VIDEO: Push the City Cypher, Vol. 6
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