On a chilly Thursday night in January, Chris Cart3r joined fellow Colorado hip-hop artists At’Eaze, Andwele, BAM Mr. ALLKAPITALS, Lpeez, and Old Soul Era to sing his verses in The Knock’s latest cypher. I am trying to record. “Cart3r spewed crack like he did in his 97 Hova. You know who else can turn a Civic into a Rover?” Boom Bap rapped his beats, eliciting raucous cheers from five of his other artists watching. As he exited the booth, he was greeted with high fives and stunned smiles, and people excitedly remarked to him about his own bar. And every rapper who attends a recording session responds equally to the enthusiasm from their peers. Future collaborations are proposed and numbers are exchanged. By the time all the artists are out of the studio later that night, they’re already in high spirits about the next time they work together.
That’s what Knock, a creative community led by Kelsey O’Sullivan, is all about. On Saturday, April 8th, her Knock will have her first big show of the year on a secret rooftop in Denver.
O’Sullivan originally launched Knock as a monthly hip-hop house party showcasing local artists in 2021, but has since evolved into a broader community effort. “What started out as a series of events is now working to become a platform not just for artists, but for the entire industry: entrepreneurs, fashion designers, videographers, photographers, studios and venues. We’re trying to use it on an ongoing basis. We’re incorporating new creatives into our process to really make the voices of our creative community stand out,” she explains. “However, our long-term goal is a studio and event her space where we can fund and educate artists. Our ultimate goal is to make it possible.”
As such, O’Sullivan has decided to rearrange the event’s rollout schedule to give it a clearer structure for 2023. Last year, O’Sullivan said, the event was organized “when it made sense, when things were arranged.” “But this year, starting in January, we would drop one cypher for the first two months of each quarter, and then at the end of each quarter, those two cyphers would come together on stage. We’re essentially on track for that.”
O’Sullivan also wanted to launch a series of masterclasses for artists on various skills, such as reading contracts and negotiating. “It’s hard because we live in a society where it’s like, ‘Don’t read the fine print, just take it.’ I try to make sure that I really understand what I’m doing,” she says.
Knock’s biggest obstacle so far has been finding sponsors and donors to help grow and realize O’Sullivan’s vision. “The biggest obstacle for us is finance because our team has been looking for sponsors and trying to bring people in, but there is still no one. We can connect with brands that truly match our movement and benefit as much as we do,” said O’Sullivan, who has paid all costs associated with knocking out of his own pocket so far. increase.
But she is not deterred. She said, “I understand it takes time to grow. I’m very lucky to have an advocate, but we’re still building our brand and building the cultural movement that we’re trying to create.” .”
And O’Sullivan would rather stay true to her vision than undermine Nok’s integrity. That’s why we’re patient, hardworking, and persistent,” she reflects. Her priority is that every move Knock makes paves the way for a better future for hip-hop in Denver. , to the curation of the venue, to the choice of producers for the cyphers, all done with the intention of pushing the culture of Denver hip-pop forward,” says O’Sullivan.
Shifting The Knock’s focus from big shows to smaller, more frequent artist-led events wasn’t just a financial strategy, it was also a way of furthering its mission to create a stronger hip-hop community. . “We could easily have put together an event on a monthly basis if we had someone to cover all the costs. We wanted artists to get to know each other, connect with each other and learn how to collaborate with people they’ve never collaborated with before. ‘ emphasizes O’Sullivan.
The Knock have released two cyphers so far this year, each incorporating “wildcard” artists from previous shows. Seeing how far some of them have come since their first show in November 2021, O’Sullivan was inspired to add past performers to each new cypher. Ever since he stepped into our line-up. So I thought, ‘What if artists could come back and give them space to showcase their growth and evolution?'” she recalls.
Malcolm Whyz3 was the wildcard feature in January, but Lpeez in February. O’Sullivan said, “When she did our women’s event, she couldn’t come to Cypher Night, so I was really excited to bring her. I had to encrypt her, but I felt she deserved it.”
Lpeez adds that she is very happy to have her back.
Rupees isn’t the only one to applaud O’Sullivan’s efforts to create a more cohesive and collaborative culture in local hip-hop. His BAM ALLKAPITALS, February Cypher artist, also likens Knock to family. , and the sheer joy this group has shown has been amazing.I felt welcomed, loved and part of something great.Knock is really for the culture.
Hip-hop artist and producer Old Soul Era, who created the 90s-inspired beats for February Cypher, says Knock has set a new industry standard for transparency. She painted me this painting, a painting of her vision of what musical collaboration and team building should look like, being a part of that painting, and her strokes with her own brush. I am honored to have been given the opportunity to add ”
Both Old Soul Era and BAM Mr. ALLKAPITALS will be performing at Knock’s show on Saturday. (both from the January Cypher) and Jones (who will fill in for January Cypher artist AJ Angels, who was unable to perform the April show due to scheduling conflicts).
“Despite the unexpected setbacks, I can say that our team and artists are preparing for perhaps the best show ever,” hints O’Sullivan. “Secret rooftop location with open bar.” It’s outdoors, but we have heaters and tarpaulins if you need them.There are several vendors, a lounge area, photographers, videographers, and a tattoo artist doing flash tattoos.”
Tickets are $35 and include access to the open bar. Ticket earnings go directly to supporting artists and upcoming shows. “His $35 goes to paying the artists on stage, and the rest goes to the next line-up,” O’Sullivan affirms. “It’s not in your pocket. It’s going back to the hip-hop community.”
Setting aside physical space for Knock is her long-term goal, but she has a lot of work to do in the meantime. “Studio space and event space, they’re going to be great,” says O’Sullivan. “But really, I want to create a movement in Denver where there is more community, more education, more tools for artists to actually succeed.”
The Knock Andwele, At’Eaze, BAM Mr. ALLKAPITALS, Chris Cart3r, Rozzay, The Jones, Old Soul Era and Reef WYA? on Saturday, April 8th from 7pm to 11:30pm. Tickets are $35 online and include an open bar.