Schondra Aytch is a Buffalo, NY-based Freelance Writer who covers all things Music + Culture

buffalospree.com •

Jae Skeese Comes Home

In November 2024, rapper and lyricist Jae Skeese held his first headlining show in Buffalo. At the time, Ground Level had been released just a few months prior, anticipation was growing for his tour, and Skeese was ready to “put on for his city.” That night, Rec Room was packed with Buffalo’s hip-hop upper echelon: to name a few, Toney Boi, Billie Essco, K Pistol, and Conway the Machine graced the stage. Out-of-town artists like Big K.R.I.T, Berry A, and 100 Grand Royce also made appearances, se...
Buffalo Magazine •

Crafting statement makers: DAME’s handcrafted leather wares

His interest piqued by experimenting with different materials, the skilled craftsman then began recycling old leather clothes from family and friends to create keepsake wallets. With over a decade of experience in design and a growing passion for leather work, Dame started making custom bags and purses—an effort first initiated by his own need for a camera bag when he had to pick up an additional job during the pandemic.

“I had to travel, and I was doing sports marketing and content creation. I
Buffalo Magazine •

Spinning the status quo: Colored Girls Bike Too

The creator of Colored Girls Bike Too, a grassroots organization turned nonprofit, Hill integrates her passion for wellness and efforts as an activist to challenge the status quo in Buffalo.

With a focus on supporting Black women who ride across the city, CGBT has become a resource to support and aid Buffalo’s underserved communities.

“I see the bike as a cool way to … gain access to mental wellness, find a sisterhood that I didn’t have at that time, but then also to disrupt systems,” Hill say
Buffalo Magazine •

Providing everyday needs & hands-on education

Within the first month of her new job as a business teacher at PS 198 International Preparatory in Lower West Buffalo, Rachel Kent prepared a personal care drive for her students. A few months later, she helped give away free turkeys to families during Thanksgiving. And by December, Kent had partnered with Colvin Cleaners and National Grid to give free coats, gloves and hats to the high schoolers.

A former small business owner with over 17 years of teaching under her belt, Kent put her organizi
buffalospree.com •

Beau Fleuve returns to Central Terminal

When most Buffalonians hear beau fleuve—French for “beautiful river”—they recall the urban myth of French voyagers coming to their city in the mid-1700s and conferring this descriptor on the Niagara River. But in the past few years, the name has taken on new meaning, thanks to Lindsey Taylor.

Creator of the Beau Fleuve Music and Arts Celebration (Sunday, August 28 at The Buffalo Central Terminal), Taylor plays on the name to highlight the diversity, richness, and resurgence of Buffalo’s musical
Buffalo Magazine •

Supporting positive sexual health

Since the mid-1990s, MOCHA Buffalo has been a program for Black and brown LGBTQ+ communities to socialize and get access to sexual healthcare. An acronym of its original name—the Men of Color Health Awareness Project—MOCHA has redefined itself over the years to be more inclusive and provide expanded resources. Joining Evergreen Health last spring, the hub’s recent reworking is all for the cause to further support their community.

Burnell, who’s been visiting the MOCHA Center since he was 15 and
buffalospree.com •

In the cut with Neph B. Chilli

Her initial failure helped Ivory Vasquez strengthen her purpose. A dedicated fan and participant in Buffalo’s 2010s-era hip-hop scene, Vasquez, popularly known as Neph, was ready to curate her first show. Naming the event the Spotlight Series, the aspiring organizer put her ideas in motion and set the debut event for mid-spring 2013. To her surprise, only half of her artist roster showed up to perform. “I was a little discouraged,” the organizer recalls. “I knew I had the support, but I was disc
Buffalo Magazine •

Motherdear’s Jamaican cuisine from the soul

Many people know her as Hyacinth Morris, but to me she’s Motherdear. A close family friend, and matriarch, Motherdear has been cooking her Jamaican cuisine for my family since I was 5 years old.

Whether we were eating her savory, slide-off-the-bone oxtails, hearty brown stew or steamy curry goat, Motherdear’s dinners always felt like more than just food. I only understand now that I was experiencing the essence of her rich life in every bite.

“I love the food in Jamaica because most of the foo
The Challenger News Buffalo •

Afrotecture (Re)Collection Exhibit Heather Hart Combines Black Experience and Architecture With New Installation at UB CFA Gallery – The Challenger Community News

Pulling inspiration from the Civil Rights Movement, Brooklyn – based artist Heather Hart’s Afrotecture (Re)Collection explores the concepts of translation and space.

The exhibition, which is currently on view at University At Buffalo’s CFA Gallery highlights a recreation of the railing at the Lorraine Motel, in Memphis, Tennessee where Martin Luther King was assassinated. Activated by viewers, the sculpture will be accompanied by musical performances, discussions, and organization visits to dee
Buffalo Magazine •

Cee Gee: A Man Of Many Beats

Picture this: You’re sitting on a comfy couch watching public access television and it’s snowing outside. Jimmie Green of the weekly “Buffalo Talent Showcase” appears on your screen, inviting you to stay tuned for riveting musical talents.

Clips of local Black musicians spanning genres brighten your screen—along with rising creatives, fellow programmers and a short, fun segment of the dancing Green Beret Kids that brings the show into a commercial break. Occasionally, the camera cuts to a hand-sized sculpture of a white buffalo that Jimmie made back in his Air Force days.
The Challenger News Buffalo •

Jillian Hanesworth: Buffalo’s First Poet Laureate Lights the Way – The Challenger Community News

Jillian Hanesworth has been doing the work. An organizer, activist and poet, the 28-year old has used her voice to support underserved neighborhoods in Buffalo for the last 5 years, but her new role as poet laureate is bridging the gap between the local government and the community. Historically appointed on March 16, 2021 by Buffalo’s city council members, Hanesworth’s obligation as the city’s first poet laureate is to share her poems for events and special occasions, but she plans to use the p
The Challenger News Buffalo •

The Wakanda Alliance: A Program on a Mission to Inspire Youth and Keep Afrofuturism Alive and Well in Buffalo! – The Challenger Community News

pictured above l/r Wakanda Alliance Program founders DQ, Anthony Pierce, Da’Von McCune and John Washington (group photo on left by A. Dorcely)

Black Panther’s conspicuous debut in Captain America: Civil War was an exciting confirmation for local socialite DQ Grant and community activist John Washington, that their favorite comic book superhero would finally get his story on the big screen. Before the cultural explosion that resulted from Marvel’s Black Panther film, both Grant and Washington we
The Challenger News Buffalo •

The “Go Getta” Talented Radio Personality Adri.V Uses Her Skills to Empower Youth and Elevate Her Beloved Community – The Challenger Community News

For Adriana Viverette, radio has always been an integral part of her life. Even as a child, she enjoyed listening to the radio more than watching television. Born and raised on the Eastside of Buffalo, tuning in to DJ Hukher and Dawn “Break-A-Dawn” every day was a tradition for the future radio host.

“I fell in love with those voices…they entertained me, they educated me, they enlightened me, they made me laugh. I had fun with them. They played jokes on people…and they get to play music,” Adrian
Black Door •

Beyonce's "Homecoming": A Word on Work Ethic

Yet, amid the public appreciation of the Texas-native’s productivity, we constantly, (sometimes proudly) shame ours.

Even with the consideration of endless resources and money the R&B star has gained over the years, Beyoncé’s repeated success by planning, practicing and executing is a simple tactic many struggle to apply in their own daily lives. As a millennial of color and creative myself, “Homecoming” speaks to our generation and what we’re capable of; I prescribe as a subtle call to action.
Beau Fleuve Music & Arts •

THE FLEUVE with MOM SAID NO – Beau Fleuve Music & Arts Festival

Emerging from a praised garage band to alt-rock touring artists, Mom Said No’s star is ascending. The group (made up of Lead Vocalist, Tim Jackson/ Guitarist, Elliot Hunt/ Pianist, Chris Lillis/ Bassist, Ben MacFayden and Drummer, Marcus Ryan) has built their profile through their catchy tunes and memorable performances. Fresh off a string of well-received shows and now growing their presence on social media, the rock quintet’s future looks promising as a national act.

Influenced by Buffalo, Ne
Beau Fleuve Music & Arts •

THE FLEUVE with BILLIE ESSCO – Beau Fleuve Music & Arts Festival

Buffalo, NY Rapper Billie Essco is constantly elevating Hip-Hop. Combining music, art and street culture, the burgeoning artist has contributed much Buffalo’s creative community. A recurring performer here at Beau Fleuve’s annual music and arts festival and a growing talent on the national music scene, the 29-year old rhymer is one to watch.

With the acclaim of his most recent effort Aesthetic Raps,(released this past summer) the stylish rapper brings a fresh dynamic to Buffalo’s hip hop cultur
The Challenger News Buffalo •

“Making Strange”: Tiffany Gaines Debuts Project as the First Black In-House Curator for the Buchfield Penney Art Center – The Challenger Community News

In late 2019, the current acting director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Scott Propeack, reached out to a select group of curators and artists to curate an exhibition highlighting community voices. The chosen group – made up of Katharine Gaudy, Zainab Saleh, Dana Tyrrell, Rebecca Wing, and Tiffany Gaines – took on the project and made the collaborative effort to showcase a diverse set of contemporary artists reflecting the times through their art.

The resulting exhibition from the group’s
Sneakvibing •

#WOMENSHISTORYMONTH HIGHLIGHT: A.I. THE ANOMALY

A mother, wife, educator, business owner and rapper, Aitina Fareed a.k.a A.I. The Anomaly has been dominating the local music scene with her empowering rap music for over 10 years. Signed to premier Christian hip-hop label God Over Money, the emerging lady rhymer dropped her third full-length album Soul’s Acrylic this past January. The project, which shares messages of faith, hope and A.I.’s life stories, also centers Buffalo as an artistic space where the rapper thrives. A proud East-side Buffa
Sneakvibing •

#WOMENSHISTORYMONTH HIGHLIGHT: DANIELLE SINCLAIR

A business owner, live-show performer and recording artist, Danielle Sinclair has been apart of Buffalo’s live-show circuit for the last 10 years and in the last 3 years have reasserted herself into the rising Hip-Hop/ R&B music scene. Releasing her own projects, Ms.Jackson in 2018, and follow-up Karma in late 2020, Sinclair continues to strengthen both her personal and sonic narrative through her music – a promising move for a rising, influential talent.

Known for her sultry, vulnerable ballad
Sneakvibing •

#BUFFACOLD: Chuckie Campbell joins David Jonathan & The Inner-City Bedlam to confront Racism on “No Collusion (Remix)”

5 years ago, Buffalo-bred drummer David Jonathan was ready to create a drum mix-tape. A well-versed studio drummer who has toured across the country and contributed his talents to artists like Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown and the Black Eyed Peas just to name a few, David Jonathan was working on a project that would showcase his drum work front and center. While recording potential songs for his mix-tape he initially titled Conundrum, Jonathan went through a process of discovery researching his Tr
Cornelia Magazine •

Buffalo Kids: Visual Artistry grows in Buffalo's Hip-Hop Scene

A major lure of Buffalo hip-hop lies in its audacious imagery. The Queen City’s brand of rap music is rooted in artistic expression without boundaries — whether it’s reimagining Caravaggio’s David With the Head of Goliath (1601) with flashy chains or performing live wearing Nicolas Cage masks — and so far it’s been successful. In the last few years, longtime street rap trio and label conglomerate Griselda has broken into the mainstream music industry, a handful of regional acts have signed major
Qween City •

7xve The Genius: Fiery Femcees (Pt. I)

Whether it was MC-Lyte leveling the playing field in the male dominated industry of the ‘80s or Queen Latifah promoting cultural “Unity” in the ‘90s to the Lil’ Kims, Foxy Browns, and Trinas exuding sexual prowess in the early 2000s, women have always redefined hip hop. The historic storytelling of femcees spitting the struggles and luxuries which exist specifically at the intersection of blackness and womanhood has contextualized the genre into what it is today — an international phenom. With a
Qween City •

Virginia Barron and Yuki Numata Resnick: Unity Orchestrators

Back in 2014, while piling up 17 elementary-aged students in a large, rented room at what now is the Dream Center, Virginia Barron and Yuki Numata Resnick answered a unique call to the silent curiosity of Buffalo’s refugee children. With the goal of introducing and teaching classical music to underserved youth, the two musicians have created a larger movement of artists, performers, and teachers nurturing the future of the West Side.

“With the politics as they are, it’s really galvanizing some