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Uses oral improvisation as the basis for the human and creative development of emerging artists by providing workshops on artist development. These workshops emphasize writing, speaking, and performance as well as ego management, holistic health care, the study of hip-hop history, and the rapper’s role as storyteller and historian.
Personal Bio
Toni Blackman is an award-winning artist, educator, and the first official U.S. Hip Hop Ambassador. She harnesses the power of freestyle, improvisation, and mindfulness to foster dialogue, build community, and support creative expression across cultures. Through her work with initiatives like Rhyme Like a Girl and The Freestyle Union, Toni—also a sought-after public speaking coach—creates transformative spaces for artists, changemakers, and corporate professionals to develop voice, confidence, and presence.
Her journey began as a poet and MC in Washington, D.C.’s spoken word and music scenes, where she discovered the liberating force of the cypher. That spark evolved into a life’s mission: using Hip Hop as a tool for empowerment, healing, and global connection.
A Soros and Echoing Green Fellow, Toni has spoken and performed at the United Nations, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and at festivals in more than 50 countries. She is the author of Innercourse and Wisdom of the Cypher, a recording artist, and recently served as rap coach for Disney’s Emmy Award-winning series The Crossover. She lives between Brooklyn, Accra, and Dakar.
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