AFROFUTURIST WEEKEND 11: Mike monford j dilla tribute; RAP PANEL & J BAMBII Film
@ Elastic Arts
3429 W Diversey Ave, #208, Chicago, IL 60647
Opening Saturday, October 3rd, at 5PM
On Saturday, October 3, AfroFuturist Weekend 2026 comes to its home base, Logan Square’s Elastic Arts, for an evening celebrating hip hop’s history and future. This Saturday evening will flow naturally with a few brief breaks, so come and go as you please between 5 PM and “late,” as set times are approximate.
5 PM: 2026 Dark Matter Resident Aquil “AQ” Charlton will lead a panel of voices in hip hop, Lyrical Miracles: Rap Artists & the Craft, and Culture,” a discussion of hip-hop, lyricism featuring PsalmOne, green Slime, Asha Omega and J Bambii remotely from the UK.
Lyrical Miracles is a discussion about the genius of rap and the rappers who create it. Rap is widely considered one of the densest and most complex forms of songwriting, yet it is often diminished as a singular form associated with its most superficial commercial practitioners. This discussion among rappers acclaimed for their lyricism will examine the current value of lyrical craft among practitioners, audiences, and the music industry. Through lively conversation, personal rap quotations, and an exploration of technologies that codify rap technique, we will highlight the importance of continuing to elevate rap as an art form—including within academia, philanthropy, and the preservation of folk traditions.
After the panel, J Bambii presents a preview of her new film, J Bambii’s Black American Beauty: The Live Experience. This film by Kin Marie is centered around J Bambii’s legendary 2024 live performance at Sleeping Village.
Dark Matter Resident Amari Amai presents “de/cipher” an immersive, 360 degree sound experience featuring music and storytelling using Elastic Arts’ 16-channel CLEAT sound system.
9 PM: reedist and composer Mike Monford & The Afrofuturistic Vibe will perform at Elastic Arts on Saturday October 3rd for Elastic’ss Afrofuturist Weekend, Monford will pay Tribute to his childhood friend and colleague JDilla and present 4 new compositions in honor of JDilla and share a new composition that will be on his next album entitled NIGHT BLOOMING CEREUS….get ready for a blend of tha African Diaspora, JDilla and Monford style.
Mike Monford and his band present a tribute to his childhood friend and colleague JDilla presenting 4 exciting new compositions.
Mike Monford & Afrofuturistic Vibe
Mike Monford: Alto Saxophone & Vocals
Corey Wilkes: Trumpet
Louis M Jones III :Drums Josef Deas :Bass
Tara Shaheer Monford : Spoken Word Ytasha Womack : Spoken Word
Lufuki Ismaeel Dhul-Qarnayn: Guitar
Afrofuturistic Strings
Laina Martin: Violin
Indira Edwards : Viola
Brendan Callies : Cello
Free at Door as Capacity Allows
Reserve with Donation
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Tags: AFROFUTURIST WEEKEND 11, Afrofuturistic Vibe, Asha Omega, Chicago, Corey Wilkes, Elastic Arts, green Slime, J Bambii, J BAMBII Film, Josef Deas, Logan Square, Louis M Jones III, Lufuki Ismaeel Dhul-Qarnayn, Mike monford j dilla tribute, PsalmOne, RAP PANEL, Tara Shaheer Monford, Ytasha Womack
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