This weekend, the innovative and soul-driving Imani Uzuri, brings her ‘caravan of dreamers’ to Harlem. Presenting a musical and theatrical performance of her work in progress, Her Holy Water: A Black Girl’s Rock Opera, this journey into self and the universal traveler is based on her album and its magical arrangement of music.

With 2 nights in the intimate Sound Stage room of the legendary Apollo Theatre, be prepared to shed your egos and emotional walls as you enter Imani’s “gypsy tent”, and get pulled into the rapture of “living the light”.

Backed with a full band including Malik from Game Rebellion on electric guitar, Tbone on drums, Jeremiah Hosea on bass, Marvin Sewell on acoustic and electric guitar, Lenae Harris on Cello, Jeannie Oliver on viola with Rashida Bryant, Aleijuan King and Sarah White (yours truly) on vocals, this show is truly not to be missed. Friday April 4^th and 5^th @ 7:30 pmTickets available @ Ticketmaster and Apollo Box Office.

“Thinking outside the box”. That’s such a cliché. The expression has been so overused and abused that it has lost its cachet and using it in reference to true originals doesn’t really say much about how creative said individuals are. Nevertheless, when attempting to describe the ingenuity behind the Art Battles concept, there has never been a better cliché to use.

To make a long story short, Sean Bono and Max Bode put their creative spirits to use in an entrepreneurial way without “selling out”. They took what began as a friendly inter-roommate art battle between them to a whole new level. And today their creation is a premiere outlet for up and coming New York artists seeking to compete against their peers while putting their raw talents on display and wowing crowds in real time.

Some of the artists who’ll be putting it down this Friday are the aforementioned Sean Bono and Max Bode. Concep, Pesu and Fly Lady Di will be co-headlining the showcase alongside the founders and will no doubt bring their own unique styles to the table.

Concep has been down with Art Battles since its inception in 2000, first performed with the show in 2005 and won last year’s MTV | Art Battles. Pesu, a native of Mount Fuji in Japan joined in 2005 and has since become one of the movement’s most recognized names. Fly Lady Di is a full time B-girl, born in Toronto and she now resides in BK. This is her first year performing with Art Battles.

Friday’s show will be taking place at The Green Room on 45 Bleecker Theater, where doors will open at 10:30. There’ll be lots of live art, music and drinks. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty cool way to spend a Friday night.

Also — you can your homework beforehand by checking out the artists in the latest issue of TRACE, downloadable free on the homepage.

For lovers of urban art, the streets of New York City offer some of the freshest examples of contemporary work. Curated by legendary Bronx-bred graffiti artist, Cope2, Come Correct is where street aesthetic meets legal gallery walls. Put on your swagger and check out the latest crop of the international street art scene. The exhibition showcases works by several established street artisans, such as Claw, Fafi, Cope 2, T-Kid, Kaws, Indie and West One. Expect crowds, so make sure to reserve!

Opening Reception - April 3rd 2008
7:00 - 10:00pm
117 2nd Avenue, New York City.
RSVP only: comecorrectRSVP@gmail.com