Saran 'S-Wrap' Thompson and Rashad thaPoet Rayford. Photo supplied
*NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nashville spoken word and hip-hop artists Rashad thaPoet Rayford,Saran 'S-Wrap' Thompson and producer trio The Varsity (Adrian Taylor, Kyle Hicks and Michael B. Hicks) are releasing the music video for "New Day," the current single from their recently released spoken word poetry album The Other Side Too today.
"New Day" ushers in a poignant reminder that every day is an opportunity for a fresh start. The music video was directed by Jasmin "Shubey" Shuler and was filmed at multiple locations in North Nashville including the Jefferson Street Sound Museum (JSSM).
The video celebrates Nashville's African American arts and culture, Jefferson Street's historic legacy in music and showcases a mural by Artist Sir Joshua Black. Community leaders including Lorenzo Washington, founder and curator of the sound museum and Clemmie Greenlee, the founder of Nashville Peacemakers also make an appearance.
The Other Side Too follows the release of their spoken word poetry album The Other Side, lauded by the Nashville Sceneas "an interconnected collection of uplifting pieces about a journey to finding peace and purpose, built atop a musical foundation of psychedelic soul."
The Other Side was part of a larger movement (100 Griots Movement) led by Recording Academy leaders and fellow spoken word poets to rally 100 submissions in order to split the Best Spoken Word Album category, and distinguish true spoken word projects from projects dedicated solely to audiobook and/or narration. The last true-to-form spoken word poet to win the category was nearly 30 years ago.
With much success, this year marks the first-ever award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, which honors excellence and spoken word albums, specific to the performance of poetry with or without music, a category formerly dominated by audiobooks. Read more (HERE).
About S-Wrap S-Wrap is an international Hip-Hop/Spoken Word artist based out of Nashville whose lyrical style and unique cadence set him apart from his peers. His vivid wordplay, dynamic spoken word, and conscious subject matter pave the way for his eclectic sound. He has worked with respected artists and producers such as Michael Franti, Elan Morrison, Derek Minor, nobigdyl., Stelth of The Lumineers, the Flobots, and many more. He continues to raise the bar and set new standards in the hip-hop community.
About Rashad Rayford Featured by the Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Tennessean and the Nashville Scene, Rayford is an 8-time Nashville Industry Music Awards (NIMA) winner and a 3-time SEA nominee (Southern Entertainment Awards) including a nomination for Southern Artist Of the Year (2018). As a speaker, his work earned him the honor of presenting aTEDTalk atTEDX Nashville. He's also curated a curriculum on Civil Rights and Spoken Word/Hip-Hop for the Downtown Public Library in Nashville. He now leads workshops on Hip-Hop for The National Museum Of African American Music (NMAAM) and is a mentor for Southern Word, teaching literacy in schools using the spoken word. RTP graced the stage with Nick Caveas as a part of his FEAT. series and opened the second annual Black Music Honors show, featuring artists such as The Jacksons, Guy, Oleta Adams, Slick Rick, and Donnie McClurkin among others.
About The Varsity Taking its cues from production teams like Organized Noize, The Soul Council, and 1500 or Nothin', producers Kyle Hicks, Mike Hicks, and Adrian Taylor came together in 2021 to form The Varsity - a full-service music production cooperative for artists, creatives, and businesses. The team's primary focus is on delivering first-rate hip-hop, soul, and R&B music production. Between the three of them, Mike, Adrian, and Kyle have accompanied, toured with, or worked alongside a host of artists across many genres - the likes of which include Rascal Flatts, Pharrell, PJ Morton, Murs, Little BigTown, Taj Mahal, Propaganda, Keb Mo, Lauren Daigle, LeAnn Rimes and a score of others.
