17 SEPTEMBER 12-18, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | FIND MORE MUSIC COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/MUSIC Mic Drop DNA PICASSO WANTS TO PUT DENVER’S HIP-HOP SCENE ON THE MAP. BY EMILY FERGUSON The August evening was hot as hell, but a large group had accumulated outside Your Mom’s House, the quirky venue on East 13th Avenue. Everyone was there for R&B Jam Fest, which happens every third Thursday; most were musicians who wanted to sup- port the performers or planned to take the stage themselves. And the crowd only grew as the night went on, until the light of the unique dance fl oor’s colorful, glowing cubes dimmed under a throng of dancers. From up-and-coming artists such as vio- linist/singer Zuri Leigh to scene regulars like Lady Los, Rebecca Hartt and Nelo, the lineup was evidence that Denver has some seriously searing R&B talent — whether the city knows it or not. The event wasn’t limited to that genre, either, with hip-hop or soul infl ections, a DJ and professional dancers on hand. Throughout the show, it was hard to miss the event’s producer, DNA Picasso, dancing in the audience, checking on artists in the back or talking with friends, his smile ac- centuated by a gleaming gold grill. He’d been working for more than thirteen hours at that point; starting at 7:30 a.m., he’d been at the Auditorium, a music-industry conference and networking event he helped to curate and produce at Swallow Hill Music that just marked a successful second year. But then again, the only time DNA isn’t working is when he’s sleeping. “I’m somebody who never really had, especially in this music game, a handout,” he says. “And I wasn’t asking for help, because I knew who I was going to be. And people kind of overlooked me. But I worked and worked and worked to get myself to where I’m at now — and there’s so much work left to do.” Today the artist is impossible to overlook. Aside from his own prolifi c musical output, DNA Picasso has been fostering and uplifting both the hip-hop scene and the greater music community in Denver with a multitude of projects. There are the two monthly events he produces as Picasso Gvng at Your Mom’s House: R&B Jam Fest and Aux Wars, which is a more hip-hop-centric event that functions as either a competition or an open mic on the last Sunday of the month. In addition to the Auditorium, he’s creating a new organiza- tion to provide resources for local musicians called the Colorado Music Industry Alliance. And now he and his partner, acclaimed poet Dominique Christina, are producing and curating Lawless, a series at MCA’s Holiday Theatre that kicks off on September 13 with a fashion show, showcasing unique design- ers and live music selected by the pair. After that, he and Christina will release their debut music collaboration, an album of R&B love songs titled Lawless: A Love Story. And all of that doesn’t even graze the surface: DNA is always planning something. He wants the hip-hop scene in Denver to be recognized for its extreme level of talent, and while it will take a group effort to do that, he is defi nitely helping to lead the charge. “You’ve got to be a doer,” he says. “Some- body who’s going to create a way, an oppor- tunity, either for themselves or for someone else. It’s not easy to do. I’m an overachiever. And I read this whole thing about over- achievers: In the end, it can be detrimental, almost, because I can’t ever be satisfi ed. My love for the art is also work.” All that work can seem thankless, he ad- mits. “Would I be loved if I didn’t do this?” he ponders. “More importantly, would I love myself? That’s the even bigger question.” In his story, love — and the acts of choosing to love and accepting love — is an undeniable throughline that leads to the often-incom- prehensible idea of destiny. Because in DNA Picasso’s universe, the stars seemed to align perfectly...and against all odds. Devin Nyshawn Arnold took the DNA moniker from his initials and chose Picasso to round out his name. “I wanted to fi gure out how to describe myself, and I liked Pablo Picasso’s versatility,” he explains, “whether it be a por- trait or abstract. He also created based off of his mood and what was going in the world.” That’s what DNA does with his music, too: Each album re- MUSIC continued on page 18 DNA Picasso and Dominique Christina will release Lawless: A Love Story this October. CHRISTIAN HUNDLEY NERDRAT MEDIA
