EVENT

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Tim Phillips was born in Portland, Oregon in the late 70’s and has resided in the city’s North/Northeast neighborhoods nearly his entire life. The son, and namesake of a local gospel legend, Phillips struggled to find his way performing live in his younger years. Spoken Word, however, served as the perfect outlet for him to make his mark on stage. In the early 2000’s, he became a regular artist at a popular weekly open mic show named “The Love Jonez.” In 2006 he began hosting a similar showcase at the same venue on the same night “Poetic Nights”, mirroring of the successes of its predecessor where he became a leading voice in Portland’s Poetry Community. Phillips now host’s and still runs his own variety show “The Session PDX” started in 2012; the show features a live band, spoken word, vocalists, and comedians. 

Phillips has worked in the Portland’s restaurant industry for 20+ years, primarily as a server and bartender. He believes working in restaurants has defined his approach to performing. The day-to-day exchanges with various people translated to the stage to the point where he feels comfortable commanding an audience’s attention. The relationships, lessons, and stories he’s absorbed in the industry are all relatable to his performances, putting his skill as an artist with that is what makes his unique sets all worth it.

Phillips recently started P.D.X. Undercover, a local music promotion company producing live local music around the city. In May 2021, he started “Melanin Monday’s” at Alberta Street Pub in Northeast Portland. The events achievement in its early stages has given him an opportunities partner with other local artistic organization’s and his put him in good position to contribute to Portland’s Live Music scene.

A veteran performance poet, public speaker and published author, Rochell D. “Ro Deezy” Hart was the first black woman from Oregon chosen to represent the state at the 10th Annual National Poetry Slam, held that year in its originating city of Chicago. 

Hart is the author of 8 published books, including, “A Black Girl’s Song” (Highbridge Press, NY),  which was nominated for a Oregon Book Award – the highest literary award available in the state. Hart’s previous publications also include “The Man Behind The Music”, which is the only authorized biography of the world famous DJ O.G. One (David W. Jackson), who many know as one of only two official NBA deejays with the Portland Trailblazers. 

Hart has opened shows and shared the stage and opened shows with a myriad of artists ranging from the Grammy award winning group The Roots to literary icon Nikki Giovanni. Hart has served as guest professor at Portland State University and has been solicited to perform at agencies ranging from Nike, The Urban League, The City of Portland, the Spring Valley Institute of NY and innumerable others. 

Hart continues to reside in her home state of Oregon with her children and long-term life partner. She is working on her 9th book, a collection of memoirs, with an expected release of early 2022.

Activist, Spoken Word Artist, and Radio Personality; Kashea “Hug Dealer” Kilson-Anderson has been involved in community service, activism and artistic expression for most of his adult life.  His advocacy and activism have extended to working with many community organizations in the city of Portland as well as promoting and supporting Portland’s burgeoning, yet under appreciated music scene.  As a Spoken Word Artist, Kashea has been entertaining crowds with his poetry that has touched upon topics ranging from politics to personal introspect. Kashea’s blunt style, matched with his boisterous, yet passionate delivery earned him the nickname of “Portland’s Angry Poet” from his peers.

Freddy Trujillo is a singer/songwriter/bassist who hails from Simi Valley, CA. He grew up in a highly musical family. Fred Sr. sang and played guitar in various groups, including The Beethovens, an all-chicano beat combo who gigged all over the southland during the great garage-rock boom of the mid-1960’s. Sister Ame Loraine scored two top ten dance hits in the early 90’s. Freddy himself played with Pat Smear (Nirvana, Germs) and many other local L.A. acts during the explosion of punk/alternative music that hit L.A. in the 80’s/90’s. Freddy soon re-located to Portland, Oregon and released his acclaimed debut solo record Hawks & Highways, which dealt with the intertwining of Native American and Chicano experiences in rock & roll form. He has since been a sought-after player on the ever-burgeoning Portland scene playing with anyone from Curtis Salgado to Fernando. Besides his own solo band, Freddy has also been a full time member of The Delines, which is the latest project by novelist Willy Vlautin.

To be honest she’s never hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live. She’s never been on a VH1 Reality Show. Rissa Riss once opened for Mike Epps Labor Day Weekend at Helium and that’s about it for Name Dropping. Now She’s back from an extended Maternity leave and ready to Destroy Rooms, Burn Mics and Tear the Stage Up!!! Its What She Does, and she Does it well. 

Rissa Riss has been “Bringing Us the Funniest Sh*t You Ever Heard” for the past 15 years and believe it or not; “Anything IS Risible”.  After a 2-year stint in Vegas, Headlining low budget Casinos, Winning Competitions, Touring with an Improv Act and Guest Hosting Comedy Clubs and Podcast, her polished Crowd Relations and Over the Top Stamina is just the tip of her Unmatched Greatness. 

Being the Community centered individual she is, Rissa Riss loves to give back, so much she and her friends formulated “The Give Back Gang: A Pop Up Charity”. Where be it Benefit shows or School Supply Drives, Rissa Riss isn’t there just for the Hosting, she’s Producing, Rallying and Distributing the necessities to supplement a comfortable life to those in need. And with that giving, she also gives back to God by performing “Saintly Laughter” for all religious sectors.

 Rissa Riss is currently available for Corporate/Private parties, Weddings, and Court Appearances.

As the Saying goes; LAUGH, LOVE AND LIVE!

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Tim Phillips was born in Portland, Oregon in the late 70’s and has resided in the city’s North/Northeast neighborhoods nearly his entire life. The son, and namesake of a local gospel legend, Phillips struggled to find his way performing live in his younger years. Spoken Word, however, served as the perfect outlet for him to make his mark on stage. In the early 2000’s, he became a regular artist at a popular weekly open mic show named “The Love Jonez.” In 2006 he began hosting a similar showcase at the same venue on the same night “Poetic Nights”, mirroring of the successes of its predecessor where he became a leading voice in Portland’s Poetry Community. Phillips now host’s and still runs his own variety show “The Session PDX” started in 2012; the show features a live band, spoken word, vocalists, and comedians. 

Phillips has worked in the Portland’s restaurant industry for 20+ years, primarily as a server and bartender. He believes working in restaurants has defined his approach to performing. The day-to-day exchanges with various people translated to the stage to the point where he feels comfortable commanding an audience’s attention. The relationships, lessons, and stories he’s absorbed in the industry are all relatable to his performances, putting his skill as an artist with that is what makes his unique sets all worth it.

Phillips recently started P.D.X. Undercover, a local music promotion company producing live local music around the city. In May 2021, he started “Melanin Monday’s” at Alberta Street Pub in Northeast Portland. The events achievement in its early stages has given him an opportunities partner with other local artistic organization’s and his put him in good position to contribute to Portland’s Live Music scene.

Darlene Solomon-Rogers aka Blacque Butterfly is a spoken word artist, singer, songwriter, entertainer and activist. Her love for the arts has allowed her to explore several layers of her calling. Be it spoken word, motivational speaking, singing, theater, event planning or promoting. She uses her ministry to

inspire others to follow their calling. Her art crosses & closes cultural boundaries as she has shared stages with national recording artists from Raheem Devaughn to Dead Prez to Peter Yarrow. Her mission is to make good music and elevate her audience to a higher level of consciousness. She performs a ‘Capella, acoustic or with a full band. 

Blacque Butterfly is a native Oregonian, born and raised in NE Portland. She is the author of “Black girl can I comb your hair” and selected poetry. She released a spoken word CD entitled Collide -A – Scope and most recently SoulWarrior both are available at Amazon, CD Baby, Rhapsody and other digital sites. She has been a part of several collaborative recordings. Currently she is working on another solo project slated to release soon. Newly produced pieces can be

heard on Reverbnation.com/Blacque-Butterfly. Blacque Butterfly promotes and showcases local and national talent through her events “Blacque Butterfly Presents…”

Mic Crenshaw was born and raised in Chicago and Minneapolis and currently resides in Portland Oregon.
Crenshaw is an  independent Hip Hop artist, respected emcee, poet, educator and activist.

Crenshaw is the Lead U.S. Organizer for the African HipHop Caravan and uses Cultural Activism as a means to develop international solidarity related to Human Rights and Justice through Hip Hop and Popular Education.

In his teenage years, Crenshaw actively confronted white supremacist gangs that were a growing part of the hard-core music scene. Mic eventually moved to Portland, where he quickly became one of the most respected artists in the Northwest, and his community efforts have had both local and international impact.

In addition to his highly-acclaimed work in spoken work and Hip Hop, Mic co-founded GlobalFam, a non-profit (EducationWithOut Borders 501c3) project to create and maintain a computer center for disadvantaged youth in Burundi, Central Africa. Over 400 people have received free training, and it is now expanding, generating revenue and creating jobs. Mic also partnered with Education WithOut Borders (EWOB), which supports education, music and art initiatives in Portland and beyond and serves as an umbrella for the local Books For Prisoners chapter and GlobalFam itself.  Mic Crenshaw has toured and collaborated with Dead Prez, Immortal Technique, Rakim and other Hip Hop legends. Mic was voted 2016 Portland Oregon’s best Hip Hop Artist. Since 2012 Mic has toured in Cuba, Russia, Germany, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya and other countries where he facilitates Hip Hop Cultural Exchange opportunities for youth.

Wade Stand-up Comedian out of Portland, Oregon. G believes. You don’t know, what you don’t know, or even what you should know in order to understand. “I don’t know much in the first place.”

G is also an Army Veteran and Labor Organizer with SEIU local 49 a Husband and Father of 6. And it definitely shows in his comedy.

He loves to provoke laughter through thought and also just to put a smile on your face. G Wade invites you to Tap in via Social Media and Youtube

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Brianna Renae is a spoken word artist from Portland Oregon. She started writing poetry as a coping mechanism to heal herself. She quickly discovered that her words had the capability to heal others as well. Brianna Renae was crowned 2018 Grand Slam Champion and represented Portland at the 2020 and 2021 Women of the World Poetry Slam. She has featured for many great organizations such as Pickathon, WeMakePdx, Literary Arts, and many more. Brianna has something to say, and is thankful for anyone willing to listen!

NW vocal powerhouse Arietta Ward has assembled some of the finest Musical Artisans to help her spread Soul, funk, R&B and positivity to the masses along her journey founding and fronting her own band, Mz. Etta’s World.

Her diverse musical background and versatility has allowed her to be able to perform in various configurations with many artists such as Esperanza Spalding, the late West African Master Drummer Obo Addy, Linda Hornbuckle, Curtis Salgado, Jarrod Lawson, Tony Ozier, Tyrone Hendrix, Farnell Newton as well as starting out with her beloved mother, famed NW legend, late pianist, Janice Marie Scroggins.

“All of the music, all the songs… these are my stories. They’re stories that need to be told, and I am here to tell them.”

While many labels of music exist, Arietta doesn’t define herself by any particular

genre. Some would call her Neo-Soul/Blues, others Funk, and still others R&B. However, Arietta is more focused on content and the responsibility that she believes every artist has. “Be mindful of how you deliver. Be mindful of your intent while delivering your messages. When you open your mouth – always hold that intent in the highest positive vibration possible. Artists are healers, music has healing power. Music is sacred.” She has assembled some of the finest musical artisans to help her spread joy and happiness through an amazing performance you soon not forget. Her highly anticipated debut album, “Arietta”, captures her live performance persona as well as her studio self. With high energy, humor and passion, the unique sound experience of Arietta Ward will surely have you wanting more.

Tim Phillips was born in Portland, Oregon in the late 70’s and has resided in the city’s North/Northeast neighborhoods nearly his entire life. The son, and namesake of a local gospel legend, Phillips struggled to find his way performing live in his younger years. Spoken Word, however, served as the perfect outlet for him to make his mark on stage. In the early 2000’s, he became a regular artist at a popular weekly open mic show named “The Love Jonez.” In 2006 he began hosting a similar showcase at the same venue on the same night “Poetic Nights”, mirroring of the successes of its predecessor where he became a leading voice in Portland’s Poetry Community. Phillips now host’s and still runs his own variety show “The Session PDX” started in 2012; the show features a live band, spoken word, vocalists, and comedians. 

Phillips has worked in the Portland’s restaurant industry for 20+ years, primarily as a server and bartender. He believes working in restaurants has defined his approach to performing. The day-to-day exchanges with various people translated to the stage to the point where he feels comfortable commanding an audience’s attention. The relationships, lessons, and stories he’s absorbed in the industry are all relatable to his performances, putting his skill as an artist with that is what makes his unique sets all worth it.

Phillips recently started P.D.X. Undercover, a local music promotion company producing live local music around the city. In May 2021, he started “Melanin Monday’s” at Alberta Street Pub in Northeast Portland. The events achievement in its early stages has given him an opportunities partner with other local artistic organization’s and his put him in good position to contribute to Portland’s Live Music scene.