Latasha’s Hip-Hop Dream Takes Hip-Hop To New Heights

Latasha In Performance / photo by Ray Fontaine

Latasha, once known as L.A. for Latasha Alcindor, recently changed her performance name to just plain Latasha. She sings, she raps, she acts and she has orchestrated the mixed media theatrical display Brooklyn Roads witnessed at February’s Target First Saturday event at the Brooklyn Museum.

Latasha’s show, All a Dream- an Intro to Latasha , promotes spirituality and a journey for inner peace, especially for young women of color. Latasha’s act began with a video portrait, describing her experience growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn. This rap concert combined hip hop, ballet, modern dance choreography, a live band and a video collage, all to tell an educational and inspirational tale of Brooklyn’s rich cultural history.

Latasha On The Move / photo by Ray Fontaine

In front of clips from various NYC metro locations, she began to rap on stage as if part of a subway car scene in a movie. Her raps came off as an eloquent stream-of-consciousness poem.

Between songs, Latasha played video interviews about Brooklyn’s changing landscape with “Tia” or “Mama” and other members of the community. Their stories led into emotional and descriptive songs like “New Waves” or “Innate Paranoia,” that blended sounds reminiscent of Notorious B.I.G, Jadakiss, Lauren Hill and Lil’ Kim. The night elevated Hip-Hop musical theatre by mixing documentary film elements with both pre-recorded and live artistic expression.

Latasha and Company / photo by Ray Fontaine

Latasha opened up on stage about how the changes in Brooklyn have affected her. After discussing skyrocketing rents, she lightened the mood by saying, “I rap for a living, and I can’t afford to eat $8 cupcakes!”

She closed her performance with “I am a rapper. I have bigger visions of what Hip-Hop could do” and brought her a standing ovation. This Target First Saturday was an amazing Hip-Hop multi-media show with both spiritual and cultural depth.