MaLLy is a South Minneapolis-based Hip Hop artist, educator, and career consultant whose work bridges music, community, and personal transformation. A seasoned songwriter and performer, he has released five critically acclaimed albums—The Passion, The Last Great…, The Colors of Black, The Journey To A Smile, and The Sweetest of It All. A 2018 McKnight Foundation musician fellow, MaLLy has toured locally, nationally, and internationally alongside prominent rap acts such as Atmosphere and Brother Ali.
Over the years, MaLLy has earned the reputation as one of the Twin Cities’ standout emcees, recognized for his content, artistic range, presence, and sharp lyricism. Voted Best Hip-Hop Artist by City Pages, his work has also been featured in the Star Tribune, 2DopeBoyz, Uproxx, HipHopDX, and Complex Magazine. Furthermore, his impressive studio recordings and stellar live performances gained the attention of prominent industry figures such as Monie Love, Sway Calloway, Smif-N-Wessun, and Chuck D, who’ve all applauded his work.
He’s collaborated with various organizations as an MC and teaching artist, including Springboard for the Arts, TruArtSpeaks, Kulture Klub Collaborative, Giant Steps, KRSM, Frogtown Radio, and Face2Face. Through storytelling rooted in Blackness, liberation, love, social justice, and spirituality, MaLLy seeks to uplift and transform the lives of those who engage with his work.
Learn more about MaLLy in his February 2020 Artist Spotlight Interview.
Program Offerings
Residencies
The Power of Words
An extended writing series designed for youth to explore their identity and purpose through the creative and writing process. Youth will engage in community discussion, brainstorm, create, perform, and reflect. Come ready to express yourself and tell your story in your voice!
Best for: Middle School (5–8), High School (9–12), Youth OST; Duration: 4+ sessions, 45-50 minutes per class
Let’s Rap About It! Intro to Hip-Hop & MCing
During this one-week residency, focusing on Hip-Hop culture and the art of MCing, students will:
- Get an introduction to Hip-Hop culture, i.e., the origin, the elements, and the pioneers
- Learn what it means to be an MC
- Learn about Hip-Hop/Rap as a vehicle for change, community building, and self-expression
- Practice using their voice on a microphone
- Be introduced to freestyling and rhyming over an instrumental
- Create a short rhyme and share it with the group
- Experience a live in-class performance
Best for: Upper Elementary (2–4) and Middle School (5–8); Duration: 4-5 sessions, 45-50 minutes per class
Workshops
Knowledge of Self Writing Circle
In this workshop, students are invited to tap into their stories through writing exercises and group discussion, exploring identity, self-discovery, community, personal interests, and dreams for the future.
During the session(s), students will:
- Engage in warm-up exercises, community building, free writing, and dialogue
- Explore the diverse components of identity via group discussion
- Analyze lyrics, poetry, stories, or visuals that deal with topics regarding identity
- Brainstorm and write a new piece in the form of a poem, short story, rhyme, or speech
- Have a chance to perform their new work at the end of class
Best for: High School (9-12), Teens & Young Adults; Duration: 1-2 sessions, 60-90 mins
Performances
A Breath of Fresh Heir – Live Hip-Hop Performance
Witness an intimate, uplifting, and heartfelt live performance from rap artist and songwriter MaLLy. Throughout the set, MaLLy will take you on a journey exploring the sweetest elements of life, highlighting the layers of the human experience through a lens of joy and resilience woven together with lush production, pure lyricism, bravado, humor, and storytelling.
Performances can be tailored to the venue and audience. If permitted, Q&A is welcome.
Teaching Artist Statement
My quest as an MC and songwriter began as a way to heal from the challenges of growing up fatherless, feeling invisible in academic spaces, and struggling with confidence. Writing songs and rapping became the tool to discover my voice, and through this therapeutic process, not only was it healing but also allowed others with similar struggles to connect with my message. Through mentorship and teaching, I enjoy working with young people to guide them through the creative process through community building, writing, performance, and Hip-Hop. My core belief is that every student possesses a unique voice and a story to tell through artistic mediums, which can serve as a vehicle of self-expression to explore one’s identity, feel empowered, and imagine new realities in a complex world.
“MaLLy worked as an Artist-in-Residence with 3rd-5th Grade Black boys who participated in our school’s Boys To Men program. I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with him as he used poetry, spoken word, and a hip hop aesthetic to lead the boys in a creative process that explored their racial identity and cultural heritage. MaLLy was nurturing and thoughtful as he engaged the students on a weekly basis.”
— Cam Muata, Equity Instructional Coach, Peter Hobart Elementary School
“MaLLy has worked with my elementary music students for multiple years, and each year I’m struck by his ability to create a space where students feel empowered to take creative risks, express themselves, and support one another. He doesn’t simply teach students rap — he helps them understand Hip-Hop as a culture rooted in community, identity, creativity, and speaking truth. Through cyphers, freestyle, rhyming, beatboxing, and performance, students express their own voices while learning to be, as MaLLy puts it, each other’s #1 fan. His combination of authenticity, musicianship, humor, and genuine respect for the inherent brilliance of young people makes him an incredibly engaging teaching artist and wonderful collaborator.”
— David Davis, Music Teacher, Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School
“MaLLy’s work with Tartan High School students has had a positive impact on their ability to not only perform their work, but to create a welcoming and energetic environment for their peers to write and perform their own poetry. When MaLLy first started working with our after school group, some students had never stood in front of a mic before. Others had some experience, but they did not know the intricacies of hosting an open mic. We were able to see that there is an art to establishing a safe, welcoming, and energetic space, and MaLLy broke down the steps and guided a diverse group of students in an effective way appropriate for their age. MaLLy’s professionalism and ability to model what he was teaching was paired with authentic kindness, patience, sensitivity, and respect for all students. I hope we get a chance to work with him again”
— Kimberlee Presswood, English Teach, Tartan High School
