MiRAJ is Pakistani American and an up and coming Chicago artist whose love for his city knows no bounds. Being ethnically Pakistani and born and raised on the north side of Chicago, the vibrancy of Uptown made it a second home during his upbringing. The music he makes in partnership with the Dis/Placements Project is a testament to the joys and struggles that he and many other Chicago residents experience on a daily basis.

Following the death of their friend, and fellow musician and activist John “Vietnam” Nguyen, a group of Chicago-based artists and activists came together to carry forward his legacy of creating individual and community change. So, Elephant Rebellion was born. Since 2012, Elephant Rebellion has been transforming communities by empowering youth and adults through art and education. This artist collective conducts educational workshops, throws vibrant events, and creates socially conscious music throughout Chicago and the midwest. Guided by their mission and the tenets of Hip-Hop, Elephant Rebellion works on themes of education, immigration and incarceration, social issues that affect communities in Uptown and beyond everyday.

Adam Gottlieb & OneLove are a Chicago-based Fusion band serving songs for the revolution. They are ordinary working people fighting for survival, peace, and justice with upbeat music that blends Reggae, Blues, Folk, Rock, Funk, Hip Hop, Latin, Ska, and more. The group brings together members from a wide range of backgrounds united in the cause of making music for the movement. By combining sharp and timely original material with intentional adaptations and cover songs that root the band in a long history of struggle, OneLove helps us to bring into focus a vision of a world of universal justice.

Anndrena Belcher was a singer and storyteller who grew up in the Appalachian mountains in Kentucky. Her music reflected her Appalachian roots and encompassed a variety of different American folk music styles. Anndrena moved with her mother and father, Clara and Billy Belcher, to Uptown as a young girl during the 1950s. The Belchers were part of a wave of Applachian migration to Chicago in that decade. Her sister, Belinda Belcher, was the director of the Uptown People’s Law Center for many years. The Belchers were one of the last Appalachian families living in Uptown.