All in Music Edition

Above the Fray: How Atlanta rapper Phay eludes chaos one beat at a time

Phay, who goes by Phayweather on social media, is a hip-hop artist based in East Atlanta and has been creating music for over ten years, alongside creating a clothes and accessories brand titled MAMA. As a big ‘90s R&B fan, Phay likes to incorporate the era’s sounds into his own music. “I try to pay homage to artists so if they were to hear my tracks they would be proud.”

Through music, healing, and body positivity, Mama Yaya is making her own traditions

“I think it’s really important to be very vulnerable and very transparent with your pain and with your experiences, so that other people, if they are going through something similar, or if they need to relate to something, they can. I was offering [healing sessions] because of COVID-19. I just wanted to give people a free — because of the economy — a free, safe space if they needed to talk.” - Mama Yaya

A Palestinian you should know: Tarik "Excentrik" Kazaleh

“I’m a proud baba to my amazing daughter Asmahan… I have a loving wife. I have a great life, which makes it hard to make angry music lol. I’m also one of the first Palestinian Arab MCs and producers in America. My brother Rhythmatik and I started releasing tracks on tape in the Bay Area and Detroit in the mid 90’s. I’m as well an Oud and Guitar player and sometimes bassist and drummer depending on the project.” - Tarik Kazaleh