Thrive Collective
Randy Mason is a NYC emcee and art educator from the Bronx who uses his passion for hip hop to help today’s youth find their voice and build community. As a father, husband, recording artist, author, educator and pastor, Ran draws from a deep well of unique and diverse experiences to tell stories through songs, engaging audiences of all kinds in a way that is real, relevant, meaningful and memorable. He began collaborating with Thrive in 2017 and founded our hip hop mentoring program R.H.Y.M.E. (Rhymes Help young Minds Excel) in 2021.
Randy recognizes that hip hop gives students “mic skills and life skills.” They’re learning figurative language, improvisation, creative writing and thinking, and poetry, all while having fun. Students use the four elements of hip hop to discover their voice (emceeing), movement (break dancing), a community (DJing), and their name (graffiti).
Patrons receive exclusive music and merch (via Patreon). Donors receive a tax deduction (via Thrive). Either way, you empower a dynamic emcee educator to bring hope and opportunity through arts, music, and mentoring.
Alma’s Way, produced by Fred Rogers’ Studio for PBS Kids, revolves around a Puerto Rican girl coming of age in the South Bronx. In the last year, two episodes have featured Thrive Collective students and collaborating artists Randy Mason, Thrive’s NYC Director and RHYME founder, and Kid Glyde of Dynamic Rockers and The Kids’ Breakin’…
Thrive collective R.H.Y.M.E Director Randy Mason x Next Level USA 11.0 Next Level is an international hip hop diplomacy initiative by the U.S. Department of State, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Meridian International. Exchange Our World and Next Level USA is building a global community through Hip-Hop culture! Last week, U.S.…
Thrive collective Rhymes Help Young Minds Excel x Montefiore Moshulu Community Center Thrive collective Rhymes Help Young Minds Excel partners with Montefiore Moshulu Community Center to provide NYC students with fun, educational and interactive rap and percussion summer workshops. The R.H.Y.M.E x MMCC summer intensive took place over the course of 5 days in August…
Video produced by Tony Horn / BRIC Arts Media for NYC Council The 7th Annual HeART Beat Festival returned to Roy Wilkins Park in Queens on May 29, 2024. Middle school students painted murals, designed video games, experienced virtual reality, break danced, freestyle rapped, competed at drama games and so much more. Thrive Collective collaborated…
Video produced by Tony Horn / BRIC Arts Media for NYC Council As the Art a Catalyst for Change provider at three schools in The Bronx and Manhattan, it was our pleasure to collaborate with the Bronx Museum in producing the 6th Annual Art a Catalyst for Change final event at the Bronx Museum on…
MS 57 James Weldon x Roads To Success x R.H.Y.M.E MS 57 James Weldon East Harlem scholars in partnership with Roads to Success and the Thrive Collective R.H.Y.M.E program present “Overcome” James Weldon Middle School 57 students in East Harlem met twice a week for 12 weeks with RHYME teaching artists Randy Mason for the…
Bronx Arts Middle School x Thrive Collective / R.H.Y.M.E x The Point CDC Bronx Arts middle school students worked together with RHYME teaching artists Jason Roberts and Kevin Toledo for the 2024 spring semester to collaboratively write, record and film an original Hip Hop anthem and music video titled “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” The project…
Thrive Collective in partnership with The Leadership Foundation, Brotherhood Restored and Exalt NYC Young men need a safe place to share their stories, dreams and struggles. A place where they have a seat at the table. Where they can speak and be heard, show up and be seen. A place where they can listen and…
In the summer of 2021 a small group of R.H.Y.M.E scholars gathered together with Thrive Collective teaching artists, Randy Mason and Kevin Toledo, at the Good Shepherd – Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence studio to write and record an original song highlighting what makes them special. The project was sponsored by the Verses Project with dinner…
On the final day of Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary Year, we offer our love letter to hip hop: “Coke La Rock is Still Here.” Video by Eric Mason. Filmed at the Hip Hop 50 Block Party. Hip Hop is for the Children RHYME X MMCC SUMMER CAMP By: Randy Mason August 6, 2024 0 0…
