50 Years of Hip-Hop

THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION

Screening & Discussion

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 | 7:00pm

Little Theatre 1 (240 East Ave.)
Doors open at 6:30pm

Regular ticket prices
Tickets available online in advance, or at the door.

Radha, a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, is desperate for a breakthrough before 40. But when she foils what seems like her last shot at success, she’s left with no choice but to reinvent herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime.

The Forty-Year-Old Version follows Radha as she vacillates between the worlds of Hip Hop and theater on a quest to find her true voice. Funny and compelling, the film is a window into the ebbs and flows of the artist’s life during a mid-life crisis in NYC. Written, directed, produced, and starring Radha Blank.

Sierra Monaé

Sierra monaé, is one of the hottest radio personalities that’s heating up the airwaves. Sierra began her entertainment career as one of the most sought after concert / event hosts in all of Upstate NY. In 2018 she began working for Bluelight Communications WLGZ-HD2 The Beat 105.5. Now with 6 years on the air, Sierra is known for her relatable, energetic personality, her profound knowledge of music, and her commitment to her city and listeners. As a weekend on-air personality, sierra has interviewed some of the hottest stars in the entertainment industry such as Nick Cannon, Marlon Wayans, Moneybagg Yo, just to name a few.

Sierra is all about putting her hometown on the map, creating a local show for up & coming artists in Upstate NY. It wasn’t long before she added Director of Promotions to her title. She assisted in curating signature events such as the Upstate NY Rap Championship, Beat the Runway music & fashion show, and multiple other events while managing and assisting up-and-coming talent.

Sierra is a passionate advocate for her community and has used her platform to support initiatives that benefit the children and people in her community. Sierra is dedicated to using her talent and influence to make a positive impact on the world. Be sure to tune into Sierra every weekend from 3pm-7pm on the beat 105.5

Angel Golden Hagan-Sprinkle

Angel Hagan-Sprinkle, also known as Golden, is a fierce emcee with a range of styles. Born and raised in Rochester, NY. Golden found music as a “getaway,” so to speak. Writing all her own material, arranging, and even engineering at times, Golden delivers a unique sound she has crafted and developed over the years. Giving listeners a variety of creative lines mixed with quirky punches and raw emotion over hard drums and soulful beats. Starting out freestyling with friends and street battling, her love for the music pushed her to pursue her musical dreams and focus on her talents. With the release of multiple projects and collaborations, Golden has found local and national attention being featured on multiple blogs, radio, and podcasts, winning multiple awards and also performing with a host of national recording artists, such as Styles p, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep and Rakim just to name a few. A strong female artist with style and stage presence, Golden consistently gives her audience quality hip hop with a unique style.

Nikki “New York Nikk” Siplin

Ny nik was born in the city of Rochester, New York as Lushone “Nikki” Siplin. Raised by her grandmother, she would listen to early morning gospel on the radio, classic records, and started singing in her church at age 6. Her love for rap music came from the inspiration of some of the hottest female rappers of her generation, and she soon developed her own style.

After writing several of her own rhymes, she decided to enter a cypher & she smashed her debut. Being dubbed “Wonda Woman” and winning several rap battles, she was widely sought after & began traveling to Buffalo where she got introduced to a crew of conscious rappers who started mentoring her. Her rap skills were finally put to the test when she met Mr. Dalvin (degrate) of hot r&b group, Jodeci, who were in the city recording their third album, “The Show, the After Party, the Hotel” & Mr. Dalvin invited her to Dajhelon recording studios where Jodeci’s “Da bassment crew” was housed.

As they say, “the rest is history”. Nikki was later featured on Ginuwine’s first album, “The Bachelor” on the song “Holler” (and its video), featured on Missy Elliot’s first album, “Supa dupa fly” on the song, “The Gettaway”, and featured on Timbaland & Magoo’s first album, “Welcome to our World” (and the video for “Up jumps the boogie”), on the song, “Luv to luv ya”. She later toured extensively with r&b artist, Aaliyah performing on the Budweiser Superfest and the Cincinnati Jazz Festival. She has built her music credentials from the ground up & is currently working with several local artists and continuing to develop her craft perfecting her craft as a radio personality on WAYO FM.

Moderator: Racqui Stephen

DJ on The Beat (105.5), health & environment reporter for WXXI News

50 Years of Hip-Hop

From February to July, The Little will be presenting a “mixtape” series of films celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop. With both narrative and documentary films, this series will highlight the music, the culture, and artists who have shaped our collective consciousness, influenced cinema and media, and ultimately changed the world. See the films in this series