Black Artist Incubator
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Founder’s Note:
AI For Liberation
Dear HiiiWAV Family,
The robots are here, and there’s no denying the growing dread as AI churns out perfect imitations of chart-topping hits—without a single note played by human hands. How can we, flesh-and-blood musicians, compete in this assembly line dominated by machines? The truth is, we can’t. But should we want to?
Major labels have long treated music like factory output, underpaying musicians for higher profits. I know this all too well. I’m in the middle of a battle over Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” a song likely generating over $20 million. Warner Records offered me just $1,500, forcing me into a costly legal fight for fair compensation (breakdown). It’s a broken system that’s exploited creators from the beginning.
Here’s where AI changes the game for the better. Rather than fear it, we should use AI as a tool to escape the system. AI and the internet have torn down the cost barriers that made music creation, promotion, and distribution inaccessible. Now, we can reclaim our art and its future.
I’m proud of our AFRO AI program and it’s incredible artists like Kev Choice, Ryan Nicole, Jariatu Mansaray, and Meaghan Maples. They’re not just using AI to copy—they’re using it to liberate themselves. They are building companies, owning their tech, and shaping a future where creators thrive.
In this edition, we’re celebrating the bold strides of our AFRO AI MVP cohort. From the exciting Prototype Preview event at Kapor Center, to HiiiWAV being named a national finalist by the Doris Duke Foundation, we aren’t just imagining the future—we’re building it.
Finally, I’m being honored this Saturday, September 21st at the Urban Leaugue’s Gala for my efforts such as AFRO AI supporting artist-entrepreneurs (get tickets)!
Join us in shaping a music industry that empowers creators—your contribution makes a difference.
With appreciation and excitement for the future,
Bosko Kante
Founder and President, HiiiWAV
AFRO AI: MVP Recap
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
Thank you Amy Dornbusch and the Marks Family Foundation for your ongoing support and belief in our mission. Your contributions helped us launch our AFRO AI: MVP program this past spring 2024!
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
This three-month long program took winners of our previous AFRO AI program (2023) and Afrofilterism program (2022) on a journey to build on their projects and work towards a functioning prototype. Starting in March, five artist teams – including acclaimed local artists Kev Choice, RyanNicole Austin, and Meaghan Maples, plus Jariatu Mansaray[GooRoo], and Nocturnal Summer – participated in:
- Mindset Development Retreats
- Pitch Deck Workshops
- Customer Discovery Sprints
- MVP Development Bootcamp
These programs bolstered each artist’s EQ, functional prototyping, and design thinking skills, culminating in the creation of their Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
IMPACT
Since its inception, HiiiWAV has directly impacted 220 underrepresented artists through programs such as AFRO AI, LOOP, HiiiWAV FEST, AFRO AI internships, free AI workshops, and artist residencies. To date, AFRO Accelerator cohorts have supported 51 artist-entrepreneurs. Over the next three years, we aim to reach an additional 600 artists-entrepreneurs, bringing our total participants to over 820, support hundreds of underrepresented vendors and host over 6,000 projected HiiiWAV FEST attendees. By the end of 2027, we anticipate launching over 50 new products or businesses that leverage AI to innovate within the creative industries.
Learn more about our impact in the HiiiWAV FEST Impact Report. AFRO AI Impact Report coming soon.
AFRO AI: MVP Prototype
Preview at Kapor Center
On June 7th, we celebrated with a Prototype Preview Cocktail Hour, graciously hosted by the Kapor Center (special thanks to Kapor and Lili Gangas!). The event was brilliantly orchestrated by Maya Kante our Event Director with an engaging activation by AFRO AI participant 1763 Co., using their AI Event Creator Assistant, Andy. It was a seamless blend of innovation and artistry, where attendees had the opportunity to create Afrofuturistic collages, symbolizing the fusion of culture and technology. Each artist-entrepreneur team delivered their pitch to groups of investors and industry experts, who engaged in dynamic Q&A sessions, provided feedback, and ultimately selected the Grand Prize Winner.
AFRO AI: Winner Spotlight
Grand Prize:
Choice Scores by Kev Choice
Rapper and virtuoso pianist Kev Choice joined AFRO AI in 2023, initially fearful of AI’s impact on musicians. Through our discovery process, we identified that his 40-hour task of transforming songs into orchestral scores could be streamlined with AI. Kev founded Choice Scores then added co-founders violinist/MBA Sam Wilkins and recording engineer/music tech developer Jorge Hernandez. Together, they developed an AI notation tool that helps music educators and unlocks countless songs by Black creators for live performance taking home the $10,000 AFRO AI MVP Grand Prize.
“With Choice Scores, what used to take me 30-40 hours can happen almost instantly. It’s a game-changer for composers everywhere.” — Kev Choice
1763 Co. by Meaghan Maples
Meaghan Maples founded 1763 Co. after recognizing the need for a better system to benefit event producers, artists, vendors, and cultural facilitators. Through the program, they developed an AI event creator assistant named Andy to revolutionize their customer’ experience with event creation. Andy utilizes Meaghan’s carefully curated list of chefs, musicians, and intimate venues to provide clients direct access to top-tier services.
Worth.AI by RyanNicole Austin
Worth.AI is an AI-powered rate calculator for performing artists. It addresses pay disparities by helping artists understand and assert their true worth in the industry.
“You have to know your worth to get your worth. Worth.AI empowers artists to demand fair compensation.” — Ryan Nicole Austin
GooRoo by Jariatu Mansaray
GooRoo is an AI-powered, voice-enabled co-pilot for music creators. From beat selection to stacking vocals, applying mixes, and exporting tracks, GooRoo streamlines the production workflow, inspiring musicians to create more music with fewer obstacles.
“GooRoo is about removing barriers so artists can focus on what they love—making music.” — Jariatu Mansaray
As a traveling production studio, Nocturnal Summer makes music, virtually, with artists throughout the world. They have struggled to find a seamless way to collaborate with artists within the confines of Zoom and other existing software, so they set out to create their own. “Ready Player Two” is a music collaboration application that models the multiplayer experience of video games through an immersive experience creating space for turn-based, gamified music collaboration.
AFRO AI 2025
up to $120k in funding
HiiiWAV Selected as Finalist by Doris Duke Foundation
We’re extremely proud to share that HiiiWAV has been selected as a finalist in for the 2024 Performing Arts Technologies Lab! This prestigious national program, created by the Doris Duke Foundation, nurtures innovative methods for creating, sharing, and experiencing the performing arts. Out of 745 applicants from 43 states—individual artists, universities, presenters, producers, and arts organizations—HiiiWAV is honored to have been among just 40 finalists.
HiiiWAV’s AFRO AI LIVE initiative will focus on three groundbreaking projects:
- Choice Scores: Empowering jazz musicians to adapt to new pieces in real-time.
- ElectroSpit Transformation Suite: Enabling seamless AI-driven audio transformations during live performances (voice-to-instrument, instrument-to-instrument, voice-to-voice).
- Co-Founders 3D Musical Theater: Redefining scenic design with AI-powered immersive 3D projection.
CALL TO ACTION
Your support propels us forward. Here’s how you can join the movement:
- Donate: Support in the future of music and technology.
- Volunteer: Share your skills and make a direct impact.
- Apply Now: Be part of the AFRO AI 2025 cohort (up to $120k in funding)
