Christine Auten 
We are beyond thrilled to announce tour first Spotlight Speakers: the legendary Doug E. Fresh and the incomparable Dawn Richard.
Doug E. Fresh has captivated audiences for nearly 40 years with his creation of the human beatbox art form and became one of hip-hop’s biggest international stars, thanks to the success of his classics, “The Show” and “La Di Da Di,” recorded with his Get Fresh Crew, including MC Ricky D (a.k.a. Slick Rick). He a is a Hip Hop Hall of Fame inductee; a BET Hip Hop Awards’ Icon honoree; and a recipient of the Source Awards’ Lifetime Achievement honor. Fresh is a tireless social activist and currently serves as Vice President and Co-founder of the Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) nonprofit whose mission is to end health illiteracy through music and to foster positive health behavior changes, beginning with school-aged children. He continues to tour, averaging a whopping 200 live, domestic performances per year for the past two decades.
Multi-hyphenated artist and New Orleans native Dawn Richard will screen her directorial debut, Pigments, a film about the power of self expression told through the lens of movement and poetry. Featuring dance students from the New Orleans Centre for Creative Arts (NOCCA), Pigments is a beautiful film that tells the story of dance and how it can color, shape, and become actual Pigments that Paint our personal stories. Stay for a lively Q&A discussion after the screening.
You can catch Doug E. Fresh in conversation with Rosie Lopez, Co-Founder and CEO of Opus Music Group, on Thursday, October 26 at 5:00pm.
Pigments will screen on Friday, October 27 at 2:00pm, followed by a Q&A with Dawn Richard.
