ZURI FLEMING LEADS THE HIP-HOP MOVEMENT BEATS, RHYTHM, & LIFE. “FOR THE YOUTH, BY THE YOUTH.”
The Beats, Rhythm, & Life LLC is, simply put, a collective for the Youth, By the Youth. Since the incarnation of the program, Beats, Rhythm, & Life (BRL) has hosted several fundraiser events featuring a new wave of artists in the RVA music scene such as SymthKnight (@symthknight) and the Vyb3 Hous3 (@vyb3house3) collective, along with poets like Z Bey @zbeythepoet__ and The Stuttering Poet (@the.stuttering.poet). In this interview, I talked to the founder of the organization, the eighteen-year-old founder Zuri Fleming. Zuri has been featured on NBC 12 and CBS 6 and a number of various radio stations in Richmond. It was an honor to interview someone with such passion and dedication to growing the future of hip-hop in Richmond.
What schools did you go to? Did something at school your school influenced you to curate the Beats, Rhythm, and Life platform?
I attended Collegiate school from Kindergarten until my senior year. If it wasn’t for Collegiate, I honestly don’t think I would be doing any of what I am doing right now. I really didn’t enjoy my time at Collegiate because it was difficult being a minority at a predominantly white school and I always felt misunderstood by my peers and ostracized. However, my teachers always welcomed me with open arms. During my junior year, I received an endowment award from Collegiate to do something for the community and it could’ve been whatever. Most people decide that they want to go abroad, climb rocks, or to teach in a third world country. That’s cool, but I wanted to do something right here in Richmond because I see Richmond as a goldmine of untapped potential. I put together the first showcase on October 20th, 2018 and if it wasn’t for Collegiate giving me that support, I can genuinely say that I don’t think I would be doing any of what I’m doing right now, which would be a shame because it really saved my life.
It’s truly a blessing that your school allowed you to utilize such an opportunity to manifest a lane for the greater good in the music scene. Can you please describe the thoughts that were running through the very first event?
Oh my gosh. The first event was a pivotal moment in my life. I barely pulled the event off. I almost got the award revoked from me because they’d allocated the funds to me in the late spring/early summer and I hadn’t come up with anything yet. Once I did, I really dragged my feet on producing the first event. The vice-principal at my school came up to me and told me, “You have four days to book the venue, find catering, make promo material, get sound equipment, etc.” and I was like GAME ON. I made sure that I had everything in tip-top shape because the last thing that I was going to let happen was to let my project be a failure of any sort, but it was very close.
You currently attend Old Dominion University. How do you balance BRL along with your studies at Old Dominion University?
Honestly, it’s a battle balancing the two. It’s extremely important to me that I go to school, being that I’m a first-generation college student, but what I do back home in Richmond is important to me as well. I really try to get all my school work out of the way and then focus on BRL matters. I also have a manager by the name of Danielle Howard whom I delegate tasks to. My major is mass communication which is a broad field, but ties in beautifully with networking, event planning, and some of the other things that I do with the BRLRVA LLC.
Your journey already had so many twists and turns I must ask you this: What was the best failure that you had experienced? How did it help you bounce back?
I think, my biggest failure was when I performed at ODU for the first time. I got up on the stage with my friends and I was so nervous. Even though I performed time and time before that, I didn’t know what happened. I recited the lyrics with my hand in my pocket the whole time with little to no stage effort or presence. I felt so terrible after that performance and I promised myself to never get up on the stage again without giving it my all. The next time I performed, which was at the last showcase, I really pushed myself and although I was out of breath towards the end of the set, I felt myself ascend as an artist and get closer to my artistry.
What would be your dream collaboration on an event?
Anything with J. Cole or Erykah Badu. Undoubtedly. I can’t get enough of those two.
If you can create a class name to describe your journey, what would it be?
I guess mine would be like a fusion of philosophy and engineering because I am a very pensive person and I think a lot about what I’m going to do next and I’m very into spirituality and metaphysics. I also say engineering because if your life is not going the way you want it you must make it got the way you want it. Cliché, but very true. I never let anyone or anything deter me from doing what I want no matter how impractical it may seem. You must make life work for you. There is no other way.
If the program was like any school-based TV show, such as Saved by The Bell, That’s So Raven, and Class of 3000 to name a few examples, what show would you relate the atmosphere of the program?
Out of the ones you listed, probably That’s So Raven just because the energy at the shows are like the energy of TSR. The shows are very lively, vivacious and it’s nothing but good times and good vibes.
The next Beats, Rhythm, and Life Youth Music Showcase is this Saturday, March 14, 2020, at 6 PM, 3001 Meadwbridge Road. You can register HERE. You can follow the business page at @brlrva and the founder’s page @10k.zuri on Instagram.
Interview by Jay Guevara
The Cheats Movement is dedicated to hip-hop culture, politics, and community activity. We see our community different than most, therefore, #WESEEIT