In 2012, after over a decade of crossing paths and sharing stages, five artists joined forces and created the Outer Spaces project. They produced a tour which also served as a writing retreat, and while on the road recorded the songs that form the Power in the Margins EP.
OuterSpaces is a visionary force of emcees and hip-hop poets representing the strength in marginalized identities. Featuring the spitfire wordplay of Invincible (Detroit), the soul-stirring spoken word of Climbing PoeTree (Brooklyn), and the irrepressible flow and flavor of Las Krudas (Havana), this international, bilingual, pansexual, polyracial, multi-media, cross-genre collaboration of artists nurtures parallel universes where our visions for planetary transformation become possible.
Everywhere in nature, the strongest, rarest and most uniquely evolved species thrive in the margins; in the outer spaces. The natural environment shows us that in the borders between ocean and shore, wetlands and forest, is where new life begins. OuterSpaces is a brigade of shape-shifting, gender-bending artists and activists who refuse to deny any aspects of their dynamic identities, seeking to explore the crossroads of these margins where new ideas emerge and grow.
The OuterSpaces tour will present multi-dimensional performances, interactive workshops and dialogues addressing some of the most pressing social justice issues of our times. Bridging the gap between the personal and political, OuterSpaces aims to inspire audiences and participants to free their imaginations and become agents for the change the world thirsts for. Their art is a space craft breaking through to uncharted territories in our planet's capacity to come into balance, and illuminating the borderlands where we can bring our whole complex selves.
The Outer Spaces Power in the Margins EP may be purchased by clicking the image below:
More than a performance, OuterSpaces is an experience. Audiences will step into a parallel universe where possibilities are endless. Invincible's impeccable lyricism decodes complex truths of power and politics, and the science of social change. Climbing PoeTree's compelling cadence stretches the mind and expands the heart on the edge of outrage and inspiration. And Las Krudas twist fierce feminist hip hop and afro-cuban flavors to uplift a message that makes movement irresistible. Accompanying the wordplay of these 5 dynamic performers is stunning video projection, beat boxing (human breath pounding out rhythms on mics, pan flutes, and bottles), hand-made music boxes, and cutting edge instrumentation. In every tour stop, the artists create intentional spaces that not only lift consciousness around social and political issues, but also expand audiences' capacity to imagine another world.
The science of revolution: LGBTQ artists demonstrate hip-hop's transformative power (Seattle Gay News)