C O N T A C T  U S
J.U.i.C.E. Program - every Thursday: 2936 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Mailing Address: PO Box 17837, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 251-9164
Email: rampartjuice@gmail.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/rampartjuice

H I S T O R Y
Justice by Uniting in Creative Energy (J.U.i.C.E.), a project of Community Partners, is a non-profit weekly hip hop arts program that seeks to develop youth leadership and technical skills, creative expression and self-confidence through the artistic elements of hip hop which include breakdancing, urban art, deejaying, emceeing/spoken word and music recording.

Justice by Uniting In Creative Energy (J.U.I.C.E.) was founded in 2001 in the Rampart District of Los Angeles. We are a non-profit hip hop collective that meets every Thursday from 4pm – 9pm at 2936 W 8^th St in Los Angeles, CA 90005.

We teach visual arts workshops, paint large-scale and legal graffiti murals in the community, record and produce music, emcee, bboy/bgirl on a large hardwood floor to live DJs.

We create unique opportunities for underserved young artists to showcase their work, network with peers and professionals and engage with their communities in a positive manner through the arts. The program is free for all age groups.

J.U.i.C.E. encourages the creative expression and self-empowerment of at-risk youth through skill-building using the music, visual art, and dance of the hip-hop culture. By providing youth with high-quality equipment, artistic mentors and a safe, accessible space to gather, J.U.i.C.E. participants, from all walks of life, are able to learn from each other and hone their artistic skills in an environment free from discrimination and violence.

J.U.I.C.E. is a project of Community Partners, a 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax deductible.

Click here to learn more about Community Partners.
Click here to support our work by making a donation to J.U.I.C.E.

O U R  V I S I O N
To sustain a safe and permanent home for youth where the elements of hip-hop are used as a tool for social change, youth empowerment and art education.

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O U R  M I S S I O N
To address the root causes of juvenile crime and of youths’ need for belonging by providing a safe center run by and for young people, focused on skill building in the arts of the hip-hop culture.

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O U R   S T A F F

Monica X. Delgado
Director
Monica is a Puerto Rican/ Bolivian community-based planner, capoeirista, and jewelry-maker aspiring to change the world through her appreciation and respect for hip hop culture and commitment to working with youth. She has MAs in Community & Regional Planning and Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico.

Photo by Julie Fowells, 2006

Lamar

A lot of folks use the title "rapper/activist" because it sounds fly, but very few have put in the work that Nameless has to actually be able to wear the mantle. Very few folks can say that they've broken bread with Afrika Bambaataa and danced the night away with Dolores Huerta. Nameless brings that refreshing mix of Hip-Hop and street movement building to the table that makes him a great addition to the J.U.i.C.E. fam.
Photo by BA, 2005
 

Daniel ‘Silence’ Rizik-Baer
Music Production Coordinator
Silencio is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Electronic music. At 18, having played the saxophone for 9 years and listening to hip-hop since the age of 4, making beats was the next logical next step. Six years later Silencio is putting his love of people and music together by putting all of his energy into J.U.i.C.E.

Photo by Silence, 2007 (self-portrait)

Joshua ‘Kenzo’ Aldrete
DJ Facilitator

One of LA's best kept secrets! DJ Kenzo has selection for days! He is a student at PCCC who likes pencils, bikes, music and dancing.

Kenzo says, "creation and destruction, there is only one difference... one of perception."

Photo by marcusAnthony, 2006

J.U.i.C.E. IS HIRING!

* GRANT WRITER *
* MUSIC PRODUCTION & RECORDING COORDINATOR *

GRANT WRITER

Job Description: We are seeking a part time consultant who will be responsible for assisting the Executive Director in writing and developing grant proposals; preparing all grant application materials and helping identify new granting opportunities.

Qualifications: Proven track record of successful grant writing and fundraising. Experience working with non-profit organizations that focus on youth, arts, education and juvenile justice. A responsible and resourceful individual who is detail oriented and has superior organizational skills. Knowledge of hip-hop culture and/or juvenile justice issues a plus.

Education requirements: Minimum 4 year degree or equivalent experience preferred.

Compensation: $30 to $40/hour, based on experience, for 12 hours a month.

Application Instructions: Please email cover letter and resume to rampartjuice@gmail.com by June 1, 2008. Include "J.U.i.C.E. Grant Writer" in the subject line. Attach any relevant materials such as list of grants received and amounts and at least 2 references. No phone calls please.

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Music Production and Recording Program Coordinator

FOUNDER | Dawn Smith
Director of Seventh Sense Media and Events

PRESIDENT | Erik Qvale
Cultural Arts Consultant, Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles

VICE-PRESIDENT | Lamar ‘Nameless’ Glover
Emcee, Human Rights Advocate, Community Organizer

TREASURER | L.A. Nevins
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Consultant, editor-in-chief of Universal Zulu Nation's "The Fifth Element"

SECRETARY | Leslie Baldwin
Special Education Teacher at Carson High School

Amy ‘Bgirl Catfox’ Campion
Artistic Director/Choreographer, Antics Performance

Benji ‘DJ UltraMan’ Chang
Educator, Co-founder of Mentee Mentor Project, UCLA Graduate School of Education

Tracy Dennis
Special Events Coordinator, Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

Michael ‘Open Mike’ Eagle II
Site Coordinator for Children Youth and Family Collaborative, Project Blowed Emcee, and 4Real HOP Instructor

Brian ‘DJ Ice’ Hanis
DJ, Producer and Hip-Hop Aficionado

Mari Hashimoto
MSW Psychotherapist, Asian Pacific Counseling & Treatment Centers and Artist/Designer for Slanted Roots

Robert McGowan Jr.
Community Organizer with Action for Grassroots Empowerment & Neighborhood Development

Eric Nishimoto
Investment Associate, The Azzi Group at Marcus and Millichap Real Estate Investment Services


H O N O R A R Y   B O A R D

Karen Bass
California State Assembly Majority Leader.
www.karenbass.org

Justin Bua
Artist known for his unique style of distorted urban realism.
www.justinbua.com

Joe ‘Pocho Joe’ Hernandez-Kolski
Actor, Comedian, HBO Def Poet.
www.pochojoe.com

Dr. Cheryl Keyes
Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology at UCLA, and accomplished jazz musician and composer.
www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu

Kyle Stewart
Entertainment law counsel with Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon; Co-founder of the League of Young Voters and Education Fund
www.theleague.com


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A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S

2007
Breaking the Cypher
In October, J.U.i.C.E. presented Breaking the Cypher, a multimedia dance spectacular, to a sold-out crowd at the Ford Ampitheater. Directed by urban dance gurus Amy “Catfox” Campion and Jacob “Kujo” Lyons, the event marked the Ampitheater's first foray into hip hop performance, and received an acclaimed review in the following day's Los Angeles Times. BREAKING THE CYPHER is a 2-hour show that incorporates film, visual art, music, poetry and the talents of street dance troupes: The Get Down Dolls, Lux Aeterna Dance Company, Antics Performance, Outer Circle (BGirl Peppa and BBoy Barafuco), as well as Film Director Alex Mercado, live graffiti painting by J.U.i.C.E.’s Marco Martinez, emcee Toquan and DJ Orator of KPFK’s Divine Forces Radio. www.breakingthecypher.com

Roots and Wings Project
Lead by actress and educator Jesse Bliss, J.U.i.C.E. offered an 8-week creative writing and theater workshop, sponsored in part by the Flourish Foundation, to high-risk youth, ages 12-19, some who had been recently released from juvenile hall. Participants engaged in collective writing sessions and performed a theatrical piece at the end of the 8-weeks.

Music Production Master's Workshop Series
J.U.i.C.E. launched its bi-monthly workshop series linking music industry professionals with aspiring youth.. Over 30 participants joined underground music producer Daddy Kev of Alpha Pup Records in September, and electronic musician extraordinaire Thavius Beck in October, for intensive hands on Music Industry and Production workshops. The series will continue throughout 2008 on various topics of interest to the participants.

Fourth Annual Danger Room Battles
J.U.i.C.E. proudly presented its Fourth Annual Danger Room: Justice 4 All Elements, an event that brought together some of the community's most acclaimed DJ's, graffiti artists, emcees, and dancers to compete for prizes and respect. This year was attended by over 500 young people from all over the world, many of which were in town for the international Freestyle Sessions dance competition. Despite the extremely high level of global competition, we were proud that the judges chose J.U.i.C.E. regulars as the winners.

New Mural entitled "CommUNITY"
In November, J.U.i.C.E. participants, under the leadership of artist Marco Martinez, painted a brand new mural for the community. The piece, entitled “CommUNITY” will be located at West 7^th Street and Coronado and will mark the fifth full mural completed by the participants of the program. Participants learn various painting techniques, as well as team-building skills, throughout this process. This mural is sponsored in part by the City of LA’s Cultural Affairs Department and a Community Beautification Grant administered by the City of LA’s Board of Public Works, Office of Community Beautification.

Word Nektar: Monthly Open Mic Sessions
This year, J.U.i.C.E. culminated our Word Nektar open mic project which was held at the Tribal Cafe on Temple and Union. This project gave youth involved in our spoken word and rhyme writing workshops at J.U.i.C.E. an opportunity to perform their work for the public. The open-mic sessions feature live readings by the youth participants as well as performances by well-known Los Angeles emcees and poets from the community. This event was made possible, in part, by a grant from the California Council on the Humanities as part of the Council’s statewide “California Stories Initiative”.

2006
Hip Hop Film Festival and Conference
J.U.i.C.E. co-organized the Los Angeles Hip Hop Film Festival and Conference held at UCLA, attended by over 2,000 people. The Festival and Conference presented both classic and contemporary films on Hip Hop to encourage audience members to examine and discuss today’s attitudes and misperceptions on the Hip Hop movement.

Conference on Hip Hop and Education
J.U.i.C.E. co-organized, with the Human Writes Project and Sol Foundation, “This Generation and Education Called Hip Hop: From Watts and New York to the SF Bay and back to East LA.” This full day conference provided concrete examples of how Hip Hop is being used both inside and outside of the classroom and to create bridges between Hip Hop enthusiasts, community organizations, educators, and schools.

International Hip Hop Exchange
J.U.I.C.E. established its first fully-funded International Youth Hip Hop Exchange with Rap-Present, a non-profit Hip Hop youth arts organization in Stuttgart, Germany. The exchange allowed 15 Germans and 15 Americans the opportunity to travel, participate in collective workshops, performances and roundtable discussions in both countries facilitated by local scholars and artists.
See our article in the Stutgarter Nachtrichen.

UCLA Roundtable on Hip Hop, Media and Violence
In conjunction with the exchange, J.U.I.C.E. organized a roundtable discussion entitled International Hip Hop, Youth, Media and Violence facilitated by UCLA graduate students Birgitta Johnson and Raphael Travis along with Dr. Cheryl Keyes, UCLA Professor of Ethnomusicology.

2005
Godfather of Hip Hop Visits J.U.i.C.E.
Afrika Bambaattaa, respectfully known as the “Godfather” of hip-hop culture, and one of the three main originators of break-beat deejaying, visited the J.U.I.C.E. program. Through his co-opting of the New York street gang, the Black Spades, into the music- and culture-oriented Universal Zulu Nation, Bam is responsible for spreading rap and hip-hop culture through out the world.

Music by J.U.i.C.E. Youth featured on iTunes
J.U.i.C.E. released the UCLA-sponsored compilation music production project entitled “The Danger Room Files, Vol 1”, helping J.U.i.C.E. solidify its place as the new melting pot of emerging hip-hop emcees, beat-makers, DJs and producers. A new partnership with Alpha Pup Records and iTunes has allowed the album to gain worldwide exposure with a month long feature on the Hip-Hop page of iTunes.

LAUSD Arts Community Partnership
10 week J.U.i.C.E. Artist Residency on the Hip Hop Arts at Burton Street Elementary School (April – June 2005), Panorama City, CA.

“Mapping Hip Hop LA: Bridging Communities In and Beyond the City”: A Roundtable Symposium and Film Screening, UCLA
Co-organized and sponsored by UCLA’s Working Group in Hip Hop Studies, Prof. Cheryl Keyes of the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA and J.U.i.C.E. This event featured a series of multimedia presentations from the founders, representatives, and organizers of hip hop-oriented local community organizations. Each of these groups in various ways seeks to extend the political possibilities of hip hop music, dance, artwork, style, fellowship, and appreciation into, across, and beyond the multiple communities of Los Angeles. The presentations concluded with a round-table symposium, encouraging questions and discussion between the presenters, the audience, and members of the Working Group. Following the round-table, J.U.I.C.E. previewed and released their latest CD project, a collaborative effort and culmination of a grant project with UCLA. The evening concluded with a special screening of internationally-acclaimed director Kevin Fitzgerald’s award-winning documentary Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme.

“Emerging Artists Family Workshop” at The Santa Monica Museum of Art. Emcee and DJ workshop and presentation by J.U.i.C.E.. representatives. January 2005, Santa Monica, CA.

2004
J.U.i.C.E. Holiday Jam
This event featured a graffiti art exhibition by J.U.i.C.E. participants, performances by the Crazy 88s Crew, plus DJ Milagro, DJ Kenzo and DJ Paulescience. Special guest appearance by Shock G from the internationally- acclaimed rap group Digital Underground.

Asian Hip Hop Summit
This event is a music and culture festival bringing together the ethnically diverse Asiatic youth community of Southern California by showcasing a pan-Asiatic mix of musicians, painters, dancers, and other performers from all over the United States. J.U.I.C.E. hosted the Bboy Battle of the event.

“Escape and Create”, J.U.I.C.E. Mural Unveiling
Sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Youth Arts and Education program.

National Hip Hop Political Conference, Newark, NJ
J.U.I.C.E. participants and staff attended this conference as delegates and presenters.

2003
Inshallah Winter Exhibition
This event included live art by renowned urban artist Man One, spinning by DJ Hideo, the Art of Wax DJ crew, as well as performances by Psycho from the Air Force Crew and more. The event, which featured multi-media installations and an exhibit of photographs of and art work by J.U.I.C.E. participants, was attended by representatives from government, entertainment, and the media.

Hip-Hop Town Hall Meeting
In conjunction with local hip-hop political action group, Mobilized 4 Movement, J.U.I.C.E. hosted a Hip-Hop Town Hall Meeting to discuss hip-hop as a tool for political change. The town hall meeting featured panelists from Watts Prophets, Black Panther Party Records, Hip Hop Congress, the Foundation for the Study of Hip Hop Consciousness.

2002
“Break It Down”
The L.A. Times selected Break it Down, a multi-media production developed and performed by J.U.i.C.E. participants as its “Best Bet” July 4^th Weekend of 2002. The program, which opens with short video clips dedicated to each element of hip-hop; the dj, breakdancer, emcee, and graffiti artist, proceeds into performances telling the story of young people growing up in each element. The show held performances at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions gallery in Hollywood, The Lucy Florence Theater in Leimert Park, and Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica.

2001-2000
“Homeslice”
HomeSlice, co-produced by J.U.I.C.E.'s founder, explored the history of hip-hop and the multi-faceted dimensions of the culture through theatrical performance. The 14 performers, which included such names as nationally respected poet Bess Kepp, who wrote one of its most recognized pieces, The 5 Elements of Hip-Hop, for this show, and internationally known breakdancer ‘Krazy Kujo’, performed several shows throughout the summer of 2000 at the Greenway Court Theater of Los Angeles.

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