About the Artists
Jabari Exum is an electrifying performing artist born and raised in Washington, D.C. He is a skilled percussionist in the West African/Latin tradition and is a prolific writer and hip-hop performer. Exum has been acting, drumming, and rapping since he was two years old and, since 1997, he has been a pioneering artist in the “Hip-Hop Theater” movement. Most recently, Exum choreographed dance and drumming for Marvel Studios’ Black Panther and co-starred in music videos with the critically acclaimed rapper and actor Common. Exum is a percussion teacher, writing coach, and a full-time musician and songwriter, working with artists such as Chadwick Boseman, Son Little, Raheem DeVaughn, Dead Prez, and many more. He attended Howard University and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
Amadou Kouyate is the 150th generation of the Kouyate family of Manding Diali, renowned oral historians and musicians of West Africa. Kouyate performs on the 21-string Kora and also on djembe and koutiro drums. His repertoire spans traditional songs from the 13th century to original compositions incorporating blues and jazz. Kouyate studied in Mali, Senegal, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire with master musicians of the Diali tradition, including Djimo Kouyate and Toumani Diabate. Formerly a 2013-14 Strathmore Artist in Residence and Adjunct Lecturer of African Music and Ethnomusicology at the University of Maryland, Kouyate pursues a full-time schedule as a solo artist and collaborator. A well-traveled performer, Kouyate has brought his music to The Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, Bristol Academy and Isle of Wight in England, Tim Festival in Brazil, as well as the Lowell, East-Lansing, and Dayton National Folk Festivals.
Black Assets, also known as Ashley Lakayla Yates, is a dynamic queer vocalist and singer-songwriter from Baltimore by way of Itta Bena, whose art is deeply committed to reflecting the lived experiences of Black people in the United States. She is the creator of A Soul Stage, a transformative platform that reimagines live music as a sanctuary for healing, empowerment, and cultural connection. Committed to artist sustainability, Black Assets ensures that performers are not only seen and heard but also fairly compensated, contributing to their long-term viability. A natural leader and cultural architect, Black Assets roots her music and creative direction in community, love, and lived experience, the good, the bad, and the transformative, continuing to build a legacy that uplifts, connects, and evolves the future of soul music.
