Events

Presented by Daly City Public Library Associates, the 5th Annual Art & Lit Fest took place at Serramonte Center in Daly City on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free festival brought local poets, authors, artists, musicians, and crafters together for performances, workshops, arts and crafts, and live music, while raising funds for Daly City Public Library.

The announced lineup featured Lyrical Opposition, Freska from 96.5 KOIT and 102.9 KBLX, and DJ Ajax from Ultra Entertainment.

Partners included Serramonte Center, Art Bias, City of Daly City, Daly City Public Library, Daly City Recreation, and Creative Collective SF.

Winner’s Circle was one of four exhibition openings across the Atelier for Healing collective and Siy Gallery on September 20, 2026. Presented at the Speakeasy Gallery in San Bruno, it recognized artists from SkateFair and the summer floral group show Les Fleurs.

The announced artists

Curated by Mario “SMURKS” Guitron and Annalyn Huerta, the show featured work by Mike Poland, Rachel Aloycius, Noemi Arte, Audrey Carneiro, Venazir, Mario “SMURKS” Guitron, Lisa F. Chapman, and Young Scribble.

The flyer listed the exhibition opening for noon to 6 p.m. The event record places the Speakeasy Gallery at The Shops at Tanforan, 1150 El Camino Real, San Bruno.

Lyrical Opposition’s role

The event announcements listed Lyrical Opposition as providing sound and entertainment, with Fego Navarro and DJ Mikeazy named in the planned program.

This recap preserves the event’s announced program and original flyer. It does not include an on-site report or post-event photographs.

Four shows, one day

• Sonidos y Colores
• The Art of Healing
• Mon Petit Art, Volum Un

View the original event listing · Read the original announcement

Sonidos y Colores was part of the September 20, 2026 day of exhibition openings at Tanforan in San Bruno. Presented by Atelier for Healing, the show’s stated focus was art, community, and the celebration of Latino heritage.

Sight and sound

Curated by Mario “SMURKS” Guitron and Annalyn Huerta, the announced exhibition highlighted Latino/a/x artists and creatives from the local community and across the Bay Area. The companion announcement named artists including Kookie Munstro, Martha Diaz, LJ Custom Canvas, Young Scribble, A. Delgado, Marjun, Lil Cactus Babies, Cyi, and Studio Evangelina.

The flyer listed the AFH Showroom and Speakeasy Gallery at 1150 El Camino Real, Suites 283 and 265, with hours of noon to 6 p.m.

Lyrical Opposition’s role

The event announcements listed Lyrical Opposition as providing sound and entertainment, with Fego Navarro and DJ Mikeazy named in the planned program.

This recap preserves the event’s announced program and original flyer. It does not include an on-site report or post-event photographs.

Four shows, one day

• Winner's Circle
• The Art of Healing
• Mon Petit Art, Volum Un

View the original event listing · Read the original announcement

September 20, 2026 marked the opening reception for The Art of Healing, Siy Gallery’s inaugural group exhibition in San Bruno. The reception was part of a day of four exhibition openings across Siy Gallery and the Atelier for Healing collective at Tanforan.

The exhibition

The announced group show brought together work across a broad community of artists, including Pam Totah, Ruth Waters, Lindsey Morrison Grant, Myles Kleinfeld, Mitsuko Ching, Martha Diaz, and Mario Guitron. The flyer featured Pam Totah’s work Register.

The opening reception was scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. at Siy Gallery, 1140 El Camino Real, Suite 264. While the reception date has passed, the exhibition was advertised to remain open through November 30, 2026.

Lyrical Opposition’s role

The event announcements listed Lyrical Opposition as providing sound and entertainment, with Fego Navarro and DJ Mikeazy named in the planned program.

This recap preserves the event’s announced program and original flyer. It does not include an on-site report or post-event photographs.

Four shows, one day

• Winner's Circle
• Sonidos y Colores
• Mon Petit Art, Volum Un

View the original event listing · Read the original announcement

Mon Petit Art, Volum Un was one of four exhibition openings on September 20, 2026 at Tanforan. Presented by Atelier for Healing and curated by Mario “SMURKS” Guitron, the tiny art show centered artists working from a shared starting point.

Small works, shared materials

The exhibition announcement described work by Atelier for Healing’s Artists-in-Residence, local artists, and the community the organization serves. Each artist received the same material; the show presented the different responses that followed.

The opening reception was listed for noon to 6 p.m. at L’Petit Gallerie, 1150 El Camino Real, Suite 265, San Bruno. The original flyer is preserved here as part of the event’s archive.

Lyrical Opposition’s role

The event announcements listed Lyrical Opposition as providing sound and entertainment, with Fego Navarro and DJ Mikeazy named in the planned program.

This recap preserves the event’s announced program and original flyer. It does not include an on-site report or post-event photographs.

Four shows, one day

• Winner's Circle
• Sonidos y Colores
• The Art of Healing

View the original event listing · Read the original announcement

Deville screened at the 23rd Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema on September 10, 2026, in the 9 p.m. program at Studio 45 in San Francisco.

Before the first note, there is a stage to build.

Lyrical Opposition took part in the 55th Annual Millbrae Art & Wine Festival, held September 5-6, 2026, in downtown Millbrae. Our involvement included the Art Zone Stage, listed by San Mateo County alongside the City of Millbrae and Atelier for Healing.

Inside the Art Zone Stage.

The Art Zone Stage was advertised at 25 Hillcrest Boulevard in Millbrae, with programming from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both September 5 and 6. The free-admission festival invitation placed art, wine, live music, gourmet food, crafts, and family activities over Labor Day weekend.

The stage poster brought together SIY Gallery, Atelier for Healing, and Lyrical Opposition. Its announced lineup included Carlos Kookie Gonzalez, Pam Totah, Mitsuko, Mario Guitron, Stephen Symour, Nobu Kaji, Elisa Solei, Reverbed Soul, Jae Coca, DJ Mikeazy, Cross Allan, Fego Navarro, and Kerry Doss. The poster also indicated that more artists would be announced.

That wider program gives context to the preparation captured in our reel: the sound equipment and canopy were part of a shared space for visual artists, musicians, and the festival community.

See the Art Zone Stage announcement and lineup

The invitation to Millbrae.

Our festival invitation welcomed neighbors to the Art Zone Stage over Labor Day weekend. Watch the original invitation below.

Watch the festival invitation on YouTube

Making room for the music.

Our stage setup reel offers a brief look at the work behind that gathering. Equipment comes out of its covers. A frame takes shape. Speakers, cables, and the sound station find their places beneath the canopy, with the Lyrical Opposition backdrop behind them.

These are the moments that happen before an audience gathers: practical, collaborative work that makes a space ready for artists. The reel follows that preparation, keeping the focus on the people and hands bringing the stage together.

Watch the stage come together.

Watch the stage setup reel on YouTube

The setup brought together DJ Mikeazy (@dj.mikeazy), Fego Navarro (@fegonavarro), @mtejuco, and our intern, Mateo, with our partners at Atelier for Healing. We set up in front of Pape Meat Co. (@papemeatco and @papemeat_millbrae) and @bacchuswsbyqj in Millbrae.

Filming and editing: @visualprophets.

Part of a larger gathering.

The festival brought art, music, food, and neighbors to Broadway Avenue over Labor Day weekend. Within that wider celebration, the Art Zone Stage offered another place for creative expression to be part of public life.

For Lyrical Opposition, helping prepare that space connects directly to our mission: bringing artists and communities together through music, poetry, film, and education. A stage begins with equipment and a place to set it down. Its purpose is to make room for people to share what they create.

Watch the festival recap.

DJ Mikeazy shared this recap of the 2026 Millbrae Art & Wine Festival.

Watch the festival recap on Instagram

Thank you, Millbrae.

Thank you to everyone who helped bring the setup together, and to the artists, organizers, and neighbors who made the weekend possible. We are grateful to have been part of the Art Zone Stage alongside Atelier for Healing and the City of Millbrae.

Explore the work behind our gatherings or connect with Lyrical Opposition about future collaborations.

Festival details: Millbrae Chamber of Commerce. Art Zone Stage listing: County of San Mateo. Featured image: a still from our stage setup reel.

Oak Life Church invited Oakland artists to an August 28, 2026 Art Night with Lyrical Opposition and Park Boulevard Presbyterian Church.

Deville joined BraveMaker’s Summer Series for a free evening of Bay Area short films at Courthouse Square in Redwood City on August 6, 2026.

Fego Navarro reflected on Deville’s Southern California premiere at the 2nd Annual Chicano Hollywood Film Festival, the festival experience, and the community behind the film.

Deville returned to the Mission on July 23, 2026, for a free community screening at 683 Florida Street, with food, music, and poetry.

Lyrical Opposition co-curated the Christian Hip-Hop Showcase at the Peace, Love, Soul Food & Juneteenth Block Party in Sunnydale with River of Life Ministries and New Community Leadership Foundation.

The showcase highlighted faith, liberation, resilience, and community through hip-hop, with performances from Lyrical Opposition artists and fellow artists Dez Mac, Fego Navarro, BxCause, I Am_Rahda, Phresh Air, and King Lexodus.

Not Like the Rest Presents: Manifestation took place at Medicine for Nightmares on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 7:00 PM.

The evening celebrated the release of the inaugural issue of Not Like the Rest, a literary magazine designed by and featuring the work of incarcerated Bay Area artists.

Readings came from Fego Navarro of Lyrical Opposition and the Forced N2 Greatness Collective, including @artofficialgiraffe, @pharaoh_elisha, and Trey Xavier. Attendees were also able to write letters to the incarcerated artists featured in the zine. The gathering combined storytelling, community, food, and creative inspiration, and was free and open to the community.

Face-to-Face with the Filmmaker presents VIBELAND:ZODIAC took place at the Bernal Heights Branch Library on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.

The screening revisited the short sci-fi thriller first presented at the Film Crawls. VIBELAND: ZODIAC is a pilot for a San Francisco-based urban legend series, following a woman whose date night turns into a cat-and-mouse hunt by the Zodiac killer through a surreal version of the city.

Bernal filmmaker Rodrigo Williams appeared alongside fellow filmmaker and collaborator Fego Navarro for a conversation and audience Q&A.

Lyrical Opposition sponsored Voices of the Future: Youth-Led District 10 Supervisor Candidate Forum, helping young people lead direct conversations with candidates for San Francisco’s District 10 Supervisor.

LO helped curate the event’s music, with DJ Hella Good supporting the atmosphere, and prepared a voter-education segment through Ashley Budelli. Although the voter presentation was cut for time, the organization’s participation reflected its broader commitment to creative civic engagement and youth-led community voice.

The Sunday After 2026 took place at Oakstop in Oakland on Sunday, April 12, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM.

A collaborative gathering from Lyrical Assembly and Oak Life Church, it blended faith, art, and community, reimagining what sacred space can feel like as a place to reflect, connect, and express through music, poetry, storytelling, and conversation.

Music, spoken word, dance, and community filled Brisbane Community Park for a free hip-hop benefit organized by Lyrical Opposition, Kapwa Kultural Center, and Rock The School Bells.

We Are America took place at the Atelier for Healing Showroom on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 PM.

The evening brought together visual art, poetry, and live music celebrating the real stories that shape the country, weaving together every background, culture, and voice into one experience. Presented by Atelier for Healing and Lyrical Opposition.

MyBLVD: The Journey of an Urban Missionary, subtitled 7 Stops to Living on Mission, took place at The Hub SF on Friday, March 6, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

The evening of learning, reflection, and creative expression explored what it means to live with purpose and make a meaningful impact in community. Featured speaker Dhati Lewis spoke on living with intention, building community, and stepping into the work people feel called toward in everyday life.

Spoken Word for Healing & Rejuvenation took place at the Atelier for Healing on Saturday, February 28, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

The evening of spoken word, reflection, and community marked Black History Month through storytelling, poetry, and healing. Performances came from Pharoah Brooks, Trey Xavier, Jus’ B, Antonio López, and Jenny Bonham.

Lyrical Opposition supported the event with professional audio and sound production. Presented by Atelier for Healing and Forced N2 Greatness.

Deville screened at the 28th San Francisco Independent Film Festival, in House 1 of the Roxie Theater, on Friday, February 6, 2026 at 8:30 PM and Saturday, February 7 at 1:00 PM.

The cast included Mikey, Alvin, Tío Pablo, Rogee, Sabrina, Jocelyn, Officer Jackson, the OG Store Owner, and the Weed Lady.

Fresh Horizons/Restored to Flourish opened at the Atelier for Healing Showroom, 1150 El Camino Real Suite 283 at Tanforan Mall in San Bruno, on Saturday, January 17, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

The exhibit gathered murals, paintings, and prints, and the artist framed the opening as a celebration of a second chance at life, three years of remission, five years of sobriety, 52 years of art, music, and mural painting, and a 67th birthday.

Live performances came from Lyrical Opposition and the Latin soul sounds of Los Mendoza & Friends. Prints, t-shirts, and hoodies were available at the opening.

Lyrical Opposition: Tanforan Open House took place at The Shops at Tanforan on Saturday, January 17, 2026, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.

The gathering invited the community into LO’s creative space inside the mall for an afternoon rooted in art, culture, and conversation. The programme featured poetry, hip-hop, live DJ sets, a mixer, and a keynote, alongside a curated gallery experience. Guests engaged with the Re-Entrification Exhibition and sat in on a live podcast recording, highlighting voices and narratives often left out of traditional cultural spaces.

On December 13, 2025, Lyrical Assembly hosted its first Blue Christmas Service at 298 San Bruno Avenue in Brisbane.

The gathering brought prayer, music, reflection, and community into a space that had been vacant for much of the year, creating room for people seeking hope and connection during a season that can hold both celebration and hardship.

Lyrical Opposition participated in Jingle & Mingle, a holiday celebration at The Hub in Sunnydale centered on neighborhood connection and joy.

LO created an interactive space with vinyl records, community games, and organization merchandise alongside live jazz, local food and beverage partners, family portraits, youth, volunteers, and community organizations. The gathering reflected Lyrical Opposition’s commitment to joyful and accessible community spaces.

Lyrical Opposition presented Live at the Baylands 4: Visual Arts & Film Edition, a gallery and networking event celebrating visual storytelling, filmmaking, photography, and creative connection.

The evening featured Bay Area filmmakers, photographers, and makers including Aaron Garrette, Ethan Ugalde, Angela Ho, April Crawford, Elfworld, and others, continuing the Live at the Baylands series as a space for artists and community members to encounter new work and one another.

Stay. Brisbane took place at Lyrical Vinyl on September 28, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

The evening of poetry, live performance, and community marked Micah Bournes’ Brisbane stop on his Stay. book release tour. Micah shared selections from Stay: Love and Grief Poetry, a personal collection exploring heartbreak, healing, and hope.

Lyrical Opposition took the stage at the 4th Annual Art & Lit Fest at Serramonte Center on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 1:00 to 1:30 PM.

The set brought high-energy hip-hop, poetry, and call-and-response moments celebrating community pride and creativity, bridging the voices of the Bay with love for Daly City, local libraries, and the arts.

Spoken Word and Q&A with Antonio Lopez, B. Anthony Shepperd and Trey Xavier Watkins took place at Lyrical Vinyl on August 22, 2025, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

The night brought together poetry, spoken word, and storytelling from the San Mateo Poet Laureate and system-impacted Bay Area writers, followed by a question and answer session.

A community farmers market gathering at Hans Schiller Plaza with Mission Blue Coffee and Lyrical Opposition.

Lyrical Opposition performed at the inaugural jazz festival held at the Patricia Qualls Gallery on July 12, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

LO brought a fusion of poetry, hip-hop, and soulful rhythm to the stage, matching the festival’s aim of elevating diverse, emerging voices and genre-defying creativity.

Lyrical Legacy: A Celebration of Lyrical Arts in the Bay Area took place at the Mission Blue Center on June 28, 2025, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

The evening marked ten years of Lyrical Opposition, celebrating lyrical expression, community storytelling, and creative resistance in the Bay Area and beyond.

Lyrical Opposition was the special musical guest at the Pupusa Party at Radio Habana Social Club on June 8, 2025, from 12:00 to 6:00 PM.

The gathering was a celebration of culture, literature, and community hosted by NIXTA and the Salvadoran author Jorge Argueta.

Live at the Baylands: Reflect the Times, the third installment of the series, took place at Baylands Development on May 23, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Presented by Lyrical Opposition, The Web Artists, and Visitacion Valley Connections, the evening brought together photography, poetry, film, and live music in one multi-sensory showcase. It turned The Baylands into a space of creative encounter and community reflection, with artists sharing stories shaped by culture, resilience, and hope through a camera lens, a pen, and a microphone.

The Sunday After 2025 took place at The New Parkway Theater in Oakland on April 27, 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM.

Previously called the Lyrical Takeover, The Sunday After is an annual collaboration between Lyrical Assembly and Oak Life Church. It is a celebration of music and faith that brings a diverse community together to connect, worship, and express themselves through poetry, music, hip-hop, and storytelling.

Lyrical Opposition teamed up with Visitacion Valley neighbors and Mission Blue Coffee for an Open Mic & Community Showcase at 99 Leland on April 26, 2025, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

The night featured music, poetry, dance, and more. All ages were welcome and admission was free.

Lyrical Opposition artist and DZN Records signee Elisa Solei performed at Brick & Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco on April 25, 2025, from 8:00 to 11:30 PM.

The night was headlined by Bay Area singer Sabrina Shauna, known for her soulful vocals and genre-blending sound, with Elisa Solei and Liv Belda joining her on the bill.

Lyrical Opposition took part in the 2nd Annual Community Day Fest at Downtown High School on Thursday, April 17, 2025, beginning at 2:30 PM.

The gathering brought Downtown High School’s students, families, staff, and community partners together to build positive school culture, creating a sense of belonging, putting resources within reach including jobs, groceries, and a thrift boutique, and strengthening school spirit. The afternoon included a BBQ, live screen printing, and outdoor games.

7 Last Poems: The 7 Days of Holy Week at the Ruth Williams Opera House in San Francisco, Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

The performance fell on Palm Sunday, the opening of Holy Week.

Hyphy Theology: Art Gallery + Music Showcase took place at 99 Leland on April 11, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Hyphy Theology is an experiential and empowering expression of faith and culture, inspired by the Bay Area’s hyphy movement and by the exploration of Creator through theology. The showcase celebrated the beauty of divine creation through the lens of Bay Area geography, music, art, poetry, and illustration, rooted in the sacred within the creative and the spiritual within the everyday.

Lyrical Opposition returned to the Saturday Farmers Market at Hans Schiller Plaza on April 5, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

LO set the tone for the neighborhood gathering with live DJing and music, alongside local vendors and coffee.

Lyrical Opposition played the Saturday Farmers Market at Hans Schiller Plaza on March 1, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

The market was hosted by Mission Blue Coffee and featured the Rollin’ Root, a mobile farmers market bringing seasonal goods directly to the community. LO was on-site with live DJ sets, alongside local vendors and handcrafted coffee, in the heart of Visitacion Valley.

Lyrical Opposition took part in the 23rd Annual Artists’ Evening of Sharing at the Mission Blue Center on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 7:30 PM.

It was the organization’s fourth consecutive year in the event, a continuing partnership with Beth Grossman.

Lyrical Opposition screened the documentary Re-Entrification: A Place We Call Home at San Francisco State University on October 24, 2024, from 4:00 to 6:30 PM in Library 121.

The film is an exploration of urban redevelopment, community displacement, and the fight for home in modern cities. It follows individuals and families affected by gentrification, taking a nuanced look at the social, economic, and emotional impacts of urban transformation.

Sunnydale, Visitacion Valley at 99 Leland in San Francisco, Sunday, September 29, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

One of three Lyrical Opposition programs presented at 99 Leland that afternoon, alongside SoMa Strong and La Cultura.

La Cultura at 99 Leland in San Francisco, Sunday, September 29, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

One of three Lyrical Opposition programs presented at 99 Leland that afternoon, alongside SoMa Strong and Sunnydale, Visitacion Valley.

SoMa Strong at 99 Leland in San Francisco, Sunday, September 29, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

One of three Lyrical Opposition programs presented at 99 Leland that afternoon, alongside La Cultura and Sunnydale, Visitacion Valley.

Re-Entrification at the Baylands was an immersive art exhibition at 2201 Bayshore Boulevard that explored San Francisco history, cultural preservation, displacement, and the meaning of home.

The exhibition included photography, interactive short films, and music performances from local artists while previewing stories from the Re-Entrification documentary series. The gathering also honored the preservation and reuse of the former Schlage Lock site as a place where nonprofits and community groups could host admission-free public events.

Lyrical Opposition presented its first Lyrical Festival, an immersive celebration bringing together music, film, food, fashion, storytelling, hip-hop, and spoken-word poetry.

The free legacy event at Mission Blue Center featured Lyrical Opposition alongside friends from the arts community, with a diverse lineup including the Non-Prophets, the Kristen Cardiasmenos Project, San Francisco Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin, and additional local artists. Donations supported the arts.

Lyrical Opposition participated in Housing Leadership Day 2022 with the session Re-Entrification: Re-Imagining Housing Through the Arts.

The workshop showcased a portion of the Re-Entrification documentary, centering residents displaced by high housing costs and using film, poetry, and firsthand testimony to open conversation about housing justice, displacement, tiny homes, and opposition to exclusionary housing politics.

On September 21, 2022, community members gathered at the historic 7 Mile House for the Brisbane Poetry Reading and Mixer, an evening of entertainment, art, music, and spoken-word poetry.

Co-hosted by Luna Jenn and Cross Allan of Lyrical Opposition, the event featured Aileen Cassinetto, jxtheo, Tony Press, B.True, Dina Klaresse, and James J. Siegel of Dragonfly Community Arts. The gathering created space for performance, networking, and connection among Brisbane and Bay Area artists and residents.

Lyrical Opposition hosted a virtual edition of Paradigm Rhymes on Zoom, bringing together local artists for an evening of experiential art, music, and spoken-word poetry.

The admission-free online showcase emphasized positivity, diversity, empowerment, and connection across neighborhoods and cultural communities at a time when in-person gatherings were limited.

Lyrical Opposition: Unplugged was an intimate San Francisco showcase centered on socially conscious acoustic hip-hop.

The free gathering reflected Lyrical Opposition’s practice of creating accessible performance platforms where lyrical artists could share message-driven work in a close community setting.

Lyrical Opposition partnered with Spats and Bridges Myanmar for Paradigm Rhymes: Bars for Myanmar, an open mic and artist showcase in Berkeley.

The gathering used poetry, music, and community storytelling to raise awareness and funds for Bridges Myanmar. The event was MC’d by OD the Wordsmith and included performances from emerging artists, including Meesh’s documented open-mic performance of “Suka.”

UNDIVIDED 10: COLLECTIVE, promoted at the time as UNDIVIDED X, took place at City Life Church in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood on November 19, 2017, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Billed as Lyrical Opposition’s UNDIVIDED Finale, it was the tenth and final installment of the series, presented in association with House SF’s Collective. Admission was free and open to the public.

Performances by Jermaine Hughes, Xpress, BxCause, Bailey Fan, Lee Cabuhat, Goodbrutha, Cheddy, S.V., OD, B.C., Jreillah P, Fego Navarro, Alfluent, OSK, and Christopher J Sotelo. Storytelling and dialogue from Felix Uribe, Jr. of Tender Souls. DJ set by DJ Montay. Hosted by Javier Reyes of City Crossroads and Lyrical Opposition.

Part of the evening was dedicated to raising awareness for Adopt-A-Family in response to the Northern California wildfires. The Collective side of the bill carried a particular emphasis on filmmakers.

One defining moment of the gathering was Lyrical Opposition’s Induction Day ceremony welcoming Fego Navarro as an official member of the collective. Samuelu Veu placed the Lyrical Opposition pendant around Fego’s neck, continuing an LO tradition rooted in hip-hop lineage, accountability, and community belonging.

UNDIVIDED 9: Smalltown Society x Tender Souls, promoted at the time as UNDIVIDED IX, took place at City Life Church in San Francisco on October 29, 2017, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. An admission-free concert showcasing the intersection of faith, arts, and social awareness, open to the public.

Performances by Jermaine Hughes, BxCause, Cheddy, and S.V. Storytelling and dialogue from Smalltown Society and Tender Souls. DJ set by Cross Allan. Hosted by Brittany Williams of BspokeIt Poetry and Lyrical Opposition.

UNDIVIDED 8, promoted at the time as UNDIVIDED VIII, took place at City Life Church in San Francisco on October 8, 2017, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Presented by Lyrical Opposition and Smalltown Society, it was an admission-free concert focused on building up socially conscious and faith-based art communities through hip-hop, poetry, acoustic, reggae, and soul sets.

Performances by Micah Bournes (spoken word and poetry), Aisea Taimani & Minor Islands (acoustic and reggae), Fego Navarro (hip-hop), and Vasileia (hip-hop and soul). Hosted by BspokeIt Poetry and Lyrical Opposition.

Lyrical Opposition presented another admission-free Paradigm Rhymes poetry slam and open mic at The Urban Center in San Francisco.

The event was the fifth of six Poetry Slam, Inc.-certified slams in the season. Poets could perform in the open mic or compete in the slam for an opportunity to be drafted to Lyrical Opposition’s first poetry slam team representing the organization at the 2017 National Poetry Slam in Denver.

Lyrical Opposition brought its admission-free Paradigm Rhymes poetry slam and open mic to San Francisco State University’s Jack Adams Hall.

The event was identified as the third of six poetry slams after Lyrical Opposition became certified with Poetry Slam, Inc. Featured artists included Brittany Williams, Gark Mavigan, Fego Navarro, Fly Ry, Ale-Jhay, Ezra Bristow, Camouflage, and Kwesi Wilkerson, with a DJ set by The Mighty DJ Delrokz.

UNDIVIDED 7: Unity Concert + Mixer, promoted at the time as UNDIVIDED VII, took place at Jack Adams Hall, San Francisco State University, on December 2, 2016, from 6:00 to 9:30 PM.

The seventh installment of the UNDIVIDED series, produced by Lyrical Opposition. Additional archival details, including the full performer lineup and program, are still being reconstructed and can be added as surviving flyers, photos, messages, or other records are recovered.

Hope Nights, in association with Lyrical Opposition, presented That Thing: The Re-Education of Lauryn Hill, a multidisciplinary showcase celebrating Lauryn Hill’s influence on music and culture.

Bay Area artists performed original work inspired by Hill using poetry, hip-hop, song, and live music, the same creative forms through which her own work reached audiences around the world.

Hope Nights, in collaboration with Lyrical Opposition, produced Roses from Concrete, a Tupac Shakur-inspired artist showcase during his birthday month.

Artists presented original work engaging themes associated with Tupac’s music and legacy, including social justice, faith, struggle, resilience, and transformation. Performers included SOL Development, Javier Reyes, Jreillah P, BC the Marksman, Ace Johnson, and others.

After the series debuted in San Francisco in October 2015, Lyrical Opposition brought Lyrical Imagery to the historic Joyce Gordon Gallery in Downtown Oakland.

The free community gathering combined a visual-art exhibition with an open-mic showcase of acoustic music, spoken word, and hip-hop. The series was designed as an incubator for collaboration between visual and lyrical artists and as an accessible platform for Bay Area creatives.

City Life Church and Lyrical Opposition presented the 2016 edition of Paradigm Rhymes: For the Love, a Valentine’s Day spoken-word gathering centered on the many expressions and experiences of love.

The program highlighted transparent and uplifting stories touching on singleness, heartbreak, restoration, and relationships, with a mixer and networking hour preceding the main poetry program.

Colored Ink and Lyrical Opposition collaborated to produce Hidden Bruises in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The original production examined domestic violence through four perspectives: the victim, the abuser, family, and friends who witness abuse.

Using hip-hop, theater, and poetry, the event presented the story of a teenager attempting to leave an abusive relationship. The program included two performances, a panel discussion, community breakout sessions, and an open-mic component.

Lyrical Imagery debuted as a new Lyrical Opposition series merging lyrical artistry with visual imagery. The event created a collaborative platform for acoustic musicians, hip-hop artists, spoken-word poets, and visual artists to share work in the same space.

The admission-free gathering combined an open art gallery with open-mic performance and encouraged participating artists to connect across mediums and develop future collaborations.

UNDIVIDED 2015: Hip-Hop Unity Concert & Mixer took place at City Life Church in San Francisco on September 19, 2015, opening with a mixer and networking hour at 6:00 PM. 236 people responded on Facebook, 184 of them marking that they attended.

The UNDIVIDED series had been planned to conclude with its fifth installment in November 2014. This night was staged as a special one-off concert, and when the series carried on and ultimately ran to ten installments, UNDIVIDED 2015 took its place as the sixth. It is the only installment branded by year rather than number, which is why the series numbering appears to skip from five to seven.

Presented by GBIMC and Lyrical Opposition, it was an admission-free concert built around inspiring conscious and faith-based art communities through hip-hop, spoken word poetry, and acoustic sets. Tamales and Mexican hot chocolate were sold to support a missionary traveling to Australia.

Hosted by Aaron Horner of Soulciety and Sounds Magnificent, with a DJ set by DJ Unknown.

Performances by Astralogik (acoustic and electronica), Jreillah P (hip-hop), BxCause (spoken word), iiND Nature (hip-hop and spoken word), Johnny Why (alternative hip-hop), Diverse Dialect (hip-hop), Paul Simpson (spoken word), BC the Marksman (hip-hop), Drew Allen (hip-hop and R&B), Savannah Goodell (acoustic and spoken word), Hazel Rose (hip-hop), BQM (hip-hop), and Son the Gifted (hip-hop).

The Urban Center and Lyrical Opposition presented a Paradigm Rhymes event combining visual art and spoken-word poetry. Paintings from participating visual artists were paired with poets who created or performed storytelling inspired by each work.

The free event began with a mixer and networking hour and continued with spoken-word performances centered on transparent, emotional, and uplifting stories.

The Urban Center and Lyrical Opposition presented Paradigm Rhymes: For the Love, an admission-free Valentine’s Day poetry reading featuring transparent, emotional, and uplifting spoken-word performances.

The program explored love from multiple perspectives, including singleness, heartbreak, restoration, and finding love, and began with a mixer and networking gathering.

UNDIVIDED 5: San Francisco took place at City Life Church on November 15, 2014, at 6:00 PM, the evening after the series’ Sacramento stop and the same day as the UNDIVIDED Artists Network summit.

An admission-free concert built around bringing diversity and unity to different communities through urban art. Donations were welcomed.

Performances by Th3 Saga, Team Zoe, Mission (of RPSMG), GoodBrutha, Ceo, IV League, Arize, Casper, Stuey, and Will BElieve. Hosted by Sarah Wallick, with a DJ set by DJ Sticky 116.

Presented by Lyrical Opposition, Art Alive Movement, House of Slap Radio, King’s Lounge, rHISen, and Fuel International.

The UNDIVIDED Artists Network: Creative Collaboration Summit took place at The Urban Center, 732 Bryant Street, San Francisco, on November 15, 2014, from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM. It ran the same day as UNDIVIDED 5, several hours before that evening’s concert.

The summit was open to artists across spoken word, hip-hop, drama, music, and the creative arts, and was designed for discussion, strategic planning, and networking among like-minded people working to unite the arts and impact their cities. Admission was free.

Facilitated and hosted by Jaylon Young, with a DJ set by DJ Sticky Andrade. Convened by Lyrical Opposition and Lyrical Assembly with Port Wilburn.

Sponsors and affiliates: The Urban Center, Lyrical Opposition, The King’s Lounge, House of Slap Radio, iVisionary Academy, rHISen, USA Fuel International, New Generation Covenant Church, and Zoe4Life Productions.

UNDIVIDED 4: Sacramento took place at Sol Collective in Sacramento on November 14, 2014, at 7:00 PM. It was the fourth installment of the UNDIVIDED series and the first to travel outside the Bay Area.

An admission-free concert built around bringing diversity and unity to different communities through urban art. Donations were welcomed.

Performances by Th3 Saga, Team Zoe, Mission (of RPSMG), Izrael Graham, Bwan, Mister Rey, Casper, and Drew Allen. DJ set by House of Slap’s DJ Anointed.

Presented by Lyrical Opposition, House of Slap Radio, King’s Lounge, and rHISen.

UNDIVIDED 3: Kingdom Festival took place on September 19, 2014, at 7:00 PM. It was the third installment of the UNDIVIDED series.

Presented by Lyrical Opposition, King’s Lounge, and House of Slap Radio, it was an admission-free concert focused on building an art community by bringing diversity and unity to different communities through urban art. Donations were welcomed, with proceeds going to the SOLD Project.

Performances by MC Jin, Ruby Ibarra, SAYLAH Flowz, Team Zoe, The Delivery, Kensho Kuma, Drew Allen, Uncommon Culture, Ale-Jhay, 2ND nature, and S.V. One of Lyrical Opposition.

The venue is not recorded on the surviving event listing and can be added once confirmed.

Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Lyrical Opposition presented UNDIVIDED 2: Oakland, an admission-free concert focused on building arts community across cultures through urban art.

The evening opened with a mixer and networking hour, followed by a DJ set and performances spanning hip-hop, R&B, spoken word, violin, dance, and live band music. The lineup included John Givez, Team Zoe, SHBX, CryWolffs!Violin, IV Society, Improv Jav, Ale-Jhay, KAERB, 2NDnature, Sarah Wallick, Chris Green, and S.V. One.

Southern Lights Tour: Bay Area took place at City Life Church in San Francisco on May 24, 2014, at 7:00 PM. Lyrical Opposition and Lyrical Assembly hosted the Bay Area stop of the tour.

Southern Lights was the concert brand of Collision Records artists Alex Faith and Dre Murray, founded in 2014. The series brought regional artists onto the bill in each city it visited, with the aim of showcasing the range of southern rap and widening what audiences understood southern hip-hop to be. The tour took its mission from Matthew 5:14-16. Earlier stops featured Corey Paul and Reconcile of Frontline Movement, JGivens, John Givez, and Tragic Hero.

Performances by Alex Faith and Dre Murray, both of WLAK, with Son the Gifted, O.D., and Alfluent; spoken word from Sarah Wallick, Bailey Fan, and Improv Jav; and Mission of RPSMG.

Photography by Eleven:1 Photography (Felix Uribe). Design by Aris Bran.

Sponsors and affiliates: New Generation Covenant Church, House of Slap Radio, BreatheLife Radio, SpeakLife Radio, GuerillaCross, Colored Ink, Gifted For Another Ministry, Station A LLC, and Eleven:1 Photography.

UNDIVIDED 1: San Francisco took place at City Life Church on February 22, 2014, opening with a networking and mixer hour at 6:00 PM and performances from 7:00 PM. It was the first installment of the UNDIVIDED series and the first event Lyrical Opposition produced.

Presented by SF Arts Collective and Lyrical Opposition alongside Lyrical Assembly, UNDIVIDED was conceived as an annual gathering unifying the church body and surrounding communities through the arts. Admission was free, with e-tickets released in advance.

The evening was hosted by Brandon Santiago of Youth Speaks and Brave New Voices, with a DJ set by House of Slap’s DJ Anointed.

Performances by Son the Gifted (GFAM), O.D. (GFAM and Lyrical Opposition), GoodBrutha, Nash Quest (SF Arts Collective), Sarah Wallick (Gracepoint and SFSU Koinonia), Improv Jav (Colored Ink and City Life), Alfluent (GFAM and Lyrical Opposition), Garrett Girvan (Project Bayview), Amanda Perez (SF Arts Collective), Ale-Jhay (WF[102] Records), Ambush Gambino / Goon (Godz Squad), Syar Dali (The Mastrs), and Cross Allan (GFAM and Lyrical Opposition), with breaking and popping from Fabian Sandoval and Tiagatron.

Photography by Eleven:1 Photography (Felix Uribe) and The End Media (Aris Bran).

Affiliates: The Recording Academy Grammy 365, Breathe Life Radio, SF Arts Collective, House of Slap, Eleven:1 Photography, The End Media, New Generation CC, City Life Church, and Gifted For Another Ministry.

The event marks a major transition in Lyrical Opposition’s story, from its earlier hip-hop group roots toward producing public arts and community gatherings.

Rock The School Bells 2015 took place March 7 to 8, 2015. Son the Gifted performed with Jreillah P and S.V. One of Lyrical Opposition.

Lyrical Opposition posted the group's rehearsals and soundcheck on March 7, then their set and a post-show cypher on March 8. Those clips are collected below.