The Freestyle the Art of Rhyme | Rap Improvisation Workshop
Are you interested in learning more about hip-hop culture and what goes into composing freestyle? An aspiring artist looking for some feedback and tips? Or even just a creative person searching for a unique way to pass some time?
Our one of a kind workshop will introduce you to the world of freestyle and songwriting through the expertise of master artist and multi-year winner of best MC in Washington DC, Flex Matthews.
What to Expect:
This will be about sixty minutes packed with demonstrations, discussions and making music. Flex Matthews will get the ball rolling with a warm up freestyle. You will then get involved with freestyle ciphers to warm yourselves up. We will then discuss the history and some specifics of freestyle. Last, there will be a writing workshop to compose your own song, which you will have the option of recording.
Water, pencils and a notepad will be provided for you. If you have your own past recordings, you should bring them to get feedback from our hosts!
Guests ages five and up can attend, up to 10 guests total. Parents can bring children under two years of age.
All participants must wear a protective face covering and practice social distancing. Proof of vaccination will also be required.
If you are planning a birthday party or a group larger than 5, contact the organizer before you purchase your tickets to allow us to make special accommodations.
About Your Host, Mazi:
I am the founding Executive Director of this 20-year-old hip-hop nonprofit. We have offered classes to thousands of children and hundreds of adults. We would love for you to visit our headquarters and have a one-of-a-kind experience making art in the Nation's capital.
Your Impact:
By booking this experience, you will be directly supporting Words Beats and Life as we near our 20th year of operation. Words Beats and Life is a hip-hop non-profit that teaches and presents the core elements of hip-hop. For most of its history, it has taught young people, offering classes in graffiti, street art, and photography.
100% of what you pay goes directly to the non-profit organization. Airbnb isn’t charging any fees for these experiences. Learn more about the program. Your purchase will go directly to investing in the next generation of artists in D.C. and helps keep our arts programming free for D.C. youth.
Hear From Our Patrons:
“This experience is one of a kind! Me and my wife had the absolute best time , learning more about hip hop rapping/freestyles and with an awesome environment! I definitely recommend if you're in town and need something different to do. Explore yourself and have fun with creative expression!”
- Kevin
“We had a great time learning from Flex and felt comfortable to try freestyling and experiment”
- Charles
“Don't miss this experience!! It was amazing!! I have to say that I'm SO impressed with this organization, the very thoughtful layout of the presentation, and a full hands on immersive, fun, high quality experience!! A pro rapper Flex showed me the ropes and he made me feel totally comfortable trying out how to rap when I had no experience at all and I had so much fun!! I learned about history of rap, and Flex showed me how to structure a rap verse and I was **amazed** at how much I wrote and got into it. Flex was soo easy going and personable, and I could tell he genuinely cares about connecting with people. Thank you Flex and Mazi for an exceptional experience, and a true highlight of my trip.”
- Kathleen
Please Note:
Our organization is proud to have worked with the community since 2002. We are unapologetic advocates for the hip-hop arts and we welcome you to join our educational experiences.
In an abundance of caution, we are requiring all experience participants to present proof of vaccination to enter our experiences.