UMAC - THE DUO

Urbanized Music is the Chicago-based true school hip-hop performance duo of Amina and Coolout Chris. Their mission is to entertain, educate, and inspire audiences through their music and advocacy of hip-hop as a vehicle for progressive change. Urbanized Music is the Chicago-based true school hip-hop performance duo of Amina and Coolout Chris. Their style is reminiscent of the golden era of hip-hop fueled by intense lyricism and a contemporary take on the traditional boom-bap sound.
As a duo Urbanized Music has performed extensively and featured at many prominent venues like Steppenwolf Theater, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Navy Pier Skyline Stage, Chicago Cultural Center, Double Door, The Vic, Joe’s, Metro, Elboroom, Cubby Bear, Subterranean and many others across Chicago. They have performed at various festivals including the Uptown Unity Fest, African Festival of the Arts, Silver Room Annual Block Party, CIMMFest, Antioch College Hip-Hop Convergence, and St Louis Underground Music Festival.
Urbanized Music has also facilitated workshops and guest lectured at Depaul University, Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, and the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago.

activism

In 2003, Urbanized Music founded Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative, a Hip-Hop empowerment collaborative; and Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month, an official observance in July that celebrates Chicago Hip-Hop. In 2010 Urbanized Music was selected to serve as United States Cultural Envoys in the West African nation of Cote d’Ivoire where they spent 2 weeks touring 7 regions of the country. They performed, conducted workshops, held discussion forums, and helped foster an understanding of American culture while encouraging young people to use Hip-Hop peacefully. This experience was chronicled in the indie documentary "Keep It Moving-The Movie: Chicago Hip-Hop to Cote d’Ivoire".

EDUCATION & Engagement

Urbanized Music also hosts youth and community workshops and events that educate, entertain, and create platforms to share knowledge about Hip-Hop culture, its history, and aesthetics. They've presented at Governors State University, University of Chicago Lab School, LaSalle Language Academy, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, and at libraries in Skokie, Addison, Warrenville, and Aurora. They've also hosted several after-school and neighborhood dance parties and performances on The Culture Coach, a mobile touring stage.