Presented by UW's Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives and WORT 89.9FM , Cipher Zone is the third show in the emerging radio format of Spoken Word Conscious Movement, and is facilitated by a collective of producers, hosts, engineers, and artists affiliated with Youth Speaks Wisconsin, a non-profit organization whose goal is to create a model for the integration of spoken word and urban arts culture into the fabric of Wisconsin society. It works with and supports the spoken word and hip hop community, both youth and adult, of Madison, Wisconsin.
The cipher is an essential element of hip hop, and increasingly of spoken word. A cipher is created when a group of artists gather in a circle and various artists enter the circle to spit their rhyme or share their work. More often then not, it is accompanied by beatboxing, or verbal percussions. This spontaneous gathering of artists communing in a circle to share their work and express their voice, would serve as the unifying symbol for the show. Cipher Zone would be a place where diverse artists from different cultures and backgrounds, with different styles, messages, and ideas would come to together to uplift and elevate the people and the community. It represents the best in underground and conscious hip hop and spoken word, and through the show strives to celebrate the power of these movements in addition to celebrating the community of Madison. The show features national and international underground and conscious music, along with artists from the Madison hip hop and spoken word community. It also provides news and information about events happening in the Madison spoken word and hip hop community, in order to further support and build this community and the artists.
The show was founded by e.g. bailey, Sha Cage + Willie Ney, from a radio format conceived by e.g. bailey, and developed since 2002 by e.g. bailey + Sha Cage. Personnel for the show includes:
Willie Ney - Executive Director
Josh Healey - Associate Producer + Host
Vinnie Toma - Engineer + Host
MC Starr - Host
Erika Bozack - Host
Cory "Everlivin" Sims - Host
DJ Pain1 - Host
The Cipher Zone Collective: Roberto Rivera A.K.A. "Hispanic Panic" (President/CEO, Elements of Change ), Kyle Myhre A.K.A. "El Guante", Chelsea Ross, LaCouir Yancey (Elements of Change), and Eric Mata of the Last Minute Poets.
You can check out the show:
10:00pm - Midnight CST- Saturdays - 89.9FM - Madison, Wisconsin
Live Streaming - www.wort-fm.org
Contact: [email protected] | [email protected]
Send CDs and materials (press kit if possible) to:
Cipher Zone
c/o WORT
118 S. Bedford St
Madison, WI 53703
