MNN launches the first ever Authentic Hip Hop Artist Residency, a program designed for four artists, combining our production, facilitation, and distribution capabilities with the artistic and educational leadership of legendary Hip Hop artist KRS-One. This initiative creates a unique multi-platform programming series to elevate Authentic Hip Hop Culture and Art.
GREG CALLY, Artist in Residence
Greg Cally is a Haitian-American Director, Screenwriter, and Producer based in New York City. His recent credits include ESPN’s Wade: Life Unexpected, VICE TV's Black Market with Michael K. Williams, and TV ONE's Never Would Have Made It: The Marvin Sapp Story. In addition, Greg has numerous independent scripted films featured on streaming platforms such as Peacock, Tubi, Amazon Video & Tidal. Greg is also the curator of the popular adult game night event Sip N Spades as well as the scripted and unscripted film showcase, Surrounded by Stories.
CHUMA OSSÉ, Artist in Residence
Chuma Ossé is a multidisciplinary artist, creative producer, and systems thinker whose work bridges spiritual practice, media production, and community infrastructure. Artist-in-Residence at Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), Chuma activates the space through sound design, ritual programming, and collaborative ecosystem building. A former Creative Producer at TELFAR TV and Retail Development Lead for TELFAR’s flagship, he has led cultural storytelling initiatives across fashion, music, and civic engagement. Chuma’s creative practice spans experimental songwriting, meditation music, and the non-extractive use of AI — all guided by a deep commitment to communal authorship and spiritual clarity. He is also the author of Formal Foundations of Spiral Control Theory, a forthcoming white paper that formalizes recursion, tone, and coherence as tools for cultural operating systems.
MARCO CHIN, Artist in Residence
Hailing from New York City’s Chinatown, RAMEN, THE GOD is a hip-hop artist and spoken word poet blending introspection and high-energy storytelling. He released his single It’s Taro Flavor in 2020 and followed up with his track Demons. A former finalist for the 2021 National Youth Poet Laureate, he’s performed for Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Earthshot Prize and has shared the stage with Poet Laureate Joy Harjo and other celebrated poets from Urban Word NYC. Though his music releases have been sporadic, he’s continued performing and evolving his sound. His music, rooted in personal experience, weaves together themes of heartbreak, identity, ambition, and self-discovery. Now reigniting his musical journey, Ramen, the God remains committed to telling stories that resonate, connect, and inspire.
IMAN HILL, Artist in Residence
Atlanta born and raised, Iman Hill is a trailblazing musician, fashion model, and photographer/ videographer currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. A force unlike none other, her works of various creative mediums have been published in Vogue, Nylon, Paper, Office Mag, I-D and more; In her works of activism and advocacy, she is a community organizer/dot connector for the black trans community. Additionally, with efforts to immortalize the beauty that resides within her community presently, Iman has created the brand entitled “Kunt Kollections” — a present day archival series of original photos and videos capturing authentic familial expressions of the house and ballroom community. Most recently, Iman has co-founded a professional artistic development called the Ballroom Arts Collaborative [BAC] for LGBTQ youth and emerging adults.
MNN launches the first ever Authentic Hip Hop Artist Residency, a program designed for four artists, combining our production, facilitation, and distribution capabilities with the artistic and educational leadership of legendary Hip Hop artist KRS-One. This initiative creates a unique multi-platform programming series to elevate Authentic Hip Hop Culture and Art.
KRS-One serves as Curator in Residence for the Authentic Hip Hop Artist Residency, leading artistic vision, selection of artist residents and serving as an in-house lecturer for a bespoke educational series to include lectures, live performances and a site-specific archival hub leveraging MNN’s state of the art facilities. The Authentic Hip Hop Guest Artist Residency Project encompasses three central creative approaches for our creative community and artists.
Virtual Production - Mentored by immersive media expert Marcela Bragagnolo, focusing on cutting-edge digital and virtual creative technologies
Multidisciplinary - Mentored by hip-hop pioneer KRS-One, blending diverse artist practices with the ethos of hip hop culture, providing guidance in storytelling through visual mediums
Artist in Residency Workshop Series
The Workshop Series will be led and presented in collaboration with our selected artists in residence, highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of Authentic Hip Hop. Drawing on all areas of visual media, music, movement and design, we will open our studios to community producers and members to learn experientially in each curated series event.
Virtual Production Training
MNN has been the broadcast platform for iconic arts and cultural programming for over three decades. The culture of Authentic Hip Hop has only been impacted by tools used to create it and the access to the means to innovate, to this end, we will provide artists in residence with Unreal Engine training and dedicated virtual production and editing studio.
Authentic Hip Hop Culture Braintrust
Our creative leadership team at MNN, along with our creative partners organizations will gather for a collaborative braintrust conference engaging in thought leadership, platform sharing and a showcase of new multidisciplinary art projects created during the Authentic Hip Hop Guest Artist Residency Project.
Artist Eligibility
Program Resources
This program is made possible in part through support from the Department of Cultural Affairs.
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