No one in our day-to-day existence seems to particularly want AI in their lives, yet it’s infiltrating at every turn. Politics, the economy, the environment and the job market all seem to be suffering in various degrees at the latest corporate coup design to further deny human beings basic rights.
The same holds true for the entertainment sphere, which is increasingly controlled by corporate interests. They not only seem completely disinterested in the opinions of the majority, but they also seem to be tripling down each and every day on their wanton theft of artists’ voices.
Our artistic community both locally and globally has been sounding the warning bell about this pervasive issue for months. And rather than sit idly by and complain, local artist and luminary Angel “Audio Angel” Clendening has an ambition to do something about it.
On Friday, June 19, Juneteenth, Clendening is presenting “Inside/Out—Sonoma Black Artistry in Progress,” which, put simply, is ”a celebration of organic African-American artistry during a time when the value of human musicians is in high question.”
The all-ages event features rappers PaqGod and D-Square, international electronic artist Eki Shola, singer/ songwriter Erica Ambrin, lyrical explorer King Lung, poetic performer LaiddBackZach and experimental DJ/producer Sick Sentz. The evening starts at 6:30 at Sebastopol’s Laguna Lab, 117 Morris St., and serves as a launching pad for events that will continue via social media projects with audience members, centering on African-American youth, and culminating with a virtual summit during Black History Month in February of 2027.
Speaking by phone, Clendening sounds both inspired and honestly pretty exhausted from the constant attack on her chosen profession of musical artist. Rather than throw her hands up and try to just keep on keeping on, she used her ever-vibrant, “never take no for an answer” attitude to move forward with an event based around the notion of being an African-American artist in Sonoma County.
Hence, the seed for the Inside/Out event was planted through “a discussion between LaiddBackZach and I,” Clendening says. “We originally wanted to do something for Black History Month (in February), and then we were running out of time, and we thought, OK, why don’t we pivot to Juneteenth.”
This seed began to germinate. She explains, “We both have some similar experiences, not exactly the same, of course, being African-American artists in Sonoma County and how we wanted to be part of an event that is really showing how different we are.”
Indeed, for those who have listened to Clendening’s musical project Audio Angel, it’s impossible to not notice the myriad genres she explores throughout the recent EP Snapshot, which was released last fall. House, dance, gospel and rock music all blend seamlessly and, more importantly, naturally, as these are all genres and music she loves.
The conversation veers a bit into authenticity in artists, which in turn was the inspiration for the seven other diverse acts on the Inside/Out bill.
Sonoma County based rapper D. Square hails from Smiths Station, Alabama, and is founder of the local media and production company Decolonized Mindz.
He is known for his socially conscious and activist-driven “propaganda hip-hop.” Locals may have seen him onstage at Santa Rosa’s The Lost Church and Railroad Square Music Festival, and he also organized a hip-hop talent showcase, “Manifest Your Destiny,” alongside local promoter Josh Windmiller in Sebastopol that featured a lineup of hip-hop and R&B artists.
Eki Shola is an award-winning vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist (as well as a physician) based in Sonoma County who has just returned home from a May tour throughout Japan.
After being introduced to jazz music at an early age, Shola continued to perform in jazz ensembles even as she entered college as a premed student at Cornell. However, following the devastating passing of her mother, Shola leaned heavily into music as a source of healing. Later, when she and her family lost everything in the 2017 Sonoma County fires, she again found comfort and purpose in music. She now uses her own music as a way to hopefully help connect with and heal listeners.
Erica Ambrin is no stranger to Sonoma County stages and, fitting the theme of Inside/Out, genre comparisons of her music consist of Erykah Badu, The Fugees and Alabama Shakes. Ambrin is currently at work on a new album which comes on the heels of the previously released Suga (2015) and Lucid Dreamer (2018), which was inspired by her time living on Maui. One can also catch her with her jam band, The Eclectic Soul Project.
King Lung is another Santa Rosa based performer whose styles and influences blend underground hip-hop with lyrical poetry. One can get a taste of Lung’s performance at an intriguing hip-hop game show slash improv night called “Whose Rhyme?” on Wednesday, June 11 at the aforementioned Lost Church. Lung will take the stage for a friendly MC competition alongside The Maine Man, Mr. BMMNM!!! and Kayatta in this night hosted by “Dark Matter Lives!” a Sonoma County improvisational hip-hop duo.
Inside/Out event co-founder LaiddBackZach brings his diverse blend of R&B, jazz and hip-hop to the stage with roots in poetry and a love for icons like Tupac, Usher and Michael Jackson. LaiddBackZach leans into introspective hip-hop that tackles deep themes that also feature lively, catchy dance tracks that celebrate love and groove.
PaqGod (akaBlack Beethoven or formerly Khari G) has developed a large following due to his heavy presence on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. His dedicated following relates to his reflective, introspective writing that is heavily influenced by growing up in the Washington, D.C. area as well as to his current life in Sonoma County, where he promotes and participates often in local live events like the “Sunday Night Spotlight” series in Santa Rosa. His flair for high-quality visual accompaniment onstage is also not to be missed.
Rounding out the event is DJ/producer Sick Sentz, who is based out of Sebastopol. Leaning into his 20-plus years as a producer and performer, Sentz’s styles mix together boom-bap, deep instrumentals and intricate scratching for a unique sound all his own. When he’s not performing, Sentz teaches lyrical workshops for students, focusing on songwriting, verse structure and creative confidence.
Clendening is hoping Inside/Out serves as a kickoff to a yearslong check-in as well as online workshops that will culminate in another showcase during February’s Black History Month in 2027.
Inside/Out—Sonoma Black Artistry in Progress begins at 6:30pm, Friday, June 19, at Sebastopol’s Laguna Lab, 117 Morris St. All ages. Tickets are $13–$25 (attendees can also purchase ‘pay it forward’ tickets to enable those in need of a ticket to attend). For more information, check out audioangelworld.com/insideout.
