Kueen/No Label/Leo Coltrane - DJ set by Talib Kweli

Kueen, an Emcee, Singer, Composer, Producer, and Entrepreneur born and raised in North Carolina. She is regarded as one of the elite mc’s of this generation, often being referred to as “a breath of fresh air’. She’s caught the attention of some of Hip Hop’s finest such as Pharoahe Monch, Rapsody, Kooley High and DJ Eclipse from Shade45. She continues to represent the culture with her originality, hustle and ambition in a way that's never been seen or done before.

No Label, An emerging NYC music collective comprised of five artists hailing from New York/New Jersey. Organically forming in the summer of 2022, the group consists of Amiri Mikel, Yo OG, Ahk Sair, alongside Funk Shway and buddy.not.bud. The collective synergy of these diverse talents has culminated in a distinct, groundbreaking sound resonating within the underground hip hop scene today. Their unwavering commitment to creative authenticity and boundless expression sets the stage for a promising future for the close-knit brotherhood.

Leo Coltrane is a lyrically-driven visual and musical artist from Brooklyn. His work is rooted in Hip-Hop, but his approach to making music carries the hallmarks of linguistics, poetry, visual art and—as his last name suggests—jazz. Named after John Coltrane and French singer/composer Léo Ferré, Leo Coltrane imbues his recorded and live work with the global influences familiar to him since birth. His mother is a painter, poet and actress; his father, a versatile jazz pianist who played with various bands. Born and raised in Brooklyn, where he founded the group, Network Reps, Leo Coltrane has been performing since age 12.

After working in the film industry in Los Angeles for a decade, Leo Coltrane returned to his hometown in 2011 where he continues to formulate his sound and expand his technique as a producer and live performer.  His meticulous approach to the process and presentation of his art, results in a creative mosaic that merges film scenes, conversation fragments, interview sound bites, and graphic art. In 2017, Leo Coltrane released his debut solo album, That Third Thing, a masterfully technical, narrative-based project, which serves as the launch pad for a multimedia performance piece with projections, live musicians and sound design.

Musically, he cites Hip-Hop greats like Black Thought, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), Slick Rick and Souls of Mischief as inspirations. His father, Ernst Marcelin, is also a key source, as are the Japanese digital collective TeamLab. These inspirations can be traced back to Leo Coltrane’s love of travel, which he credits with informing much of his artistic perspective. Beyond the cities in which he’s lived, he has performed in US cities, Berlin and London, Hong Kong and Tokyo.