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Alphabet Rockers is a hip-hop children's music group focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and advocacy. "The Movement," won a Grammy Award for Best Children's Album. Previous albums "The Love" (2020) and "Rise Shine #Woke" (2018) also received Grammy nominations. The music group has performed at the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Lollapalooza, and San Francisco Pride, among other venues.

History

Alphabet Rockers were founded in 2007 by Kaitlin McGaw and Tommy Soulati Shepherd. The primary group features McGaw and Shepherd along with Maya Fleming, Kali de Jesus, Tommy Shepherd III, Samara Atkins, and Roza Do. The artists collaborate with people of all ages and backgrounds who write, produce and record songs that address racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and transphobia. Their album, "The Movement," won a Grammy Award for "Best Children's Album" in 2023 and they have won two Parents' Choice Awards. The group has performed at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Perelman Performing Arts Center, and the Oakland Museum of California.

In 2018, their album "Rise Shine #Woke" was nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Children's Album" and in 2020 they received a Grammy nomination in the same category for their album, "The Love."

In 2020, Alphabet Rockers created, "We Got Work to Do," an anti-racism curriculum that uses music and dance as tools which was featured on CBS This Morning and YouTube Kids. In 2021, they were featured on the Grammy nominated album, "All One Tribe," (with 1 Tribe Collective). In 2022, Alphabet Rockers released the book, "You Are Not Alone," (illustrated by Ashley Evans), which includes six diverse characters taking turns sharing their experiences of prejudice, identity struggles, and their desire to be seen, understood, and respected. Kirkus Reviews called it, "Exuberantly affirming and infectiously joyful."

In 2024, Alphabet Rockers were featured on the Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy's in season two's episode, "I Love Peace," and their original song, "Whynot A Christmas Carol," was featured in the American Conservatory Theater's holiday musical, "A Whynot Christmas Carol."

Founders

Kaitlin McGaw began writing poetry, singing, and became involved with musical theater in high school. She cites influences as Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou. After graduating from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Afro-American Studies, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. McGaw then started performing in a hip-hop dance troupe, acting in musical theater, and pursued singing and songwriting full-time.

Tommy Soulati Shepherd is an actor, playwright, composer, educator, rapper, drummer, beatboxer and music producer. In 2018, he won an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for his work with Marc Bamuthi Joseph on "peh-LO-tah", Living Word Project, at the YBCA Theater in San Francisco, CA. In 2021, he and his son won a National Parenting Product Award for the collaborative album, "28 Days”. Shepherd and his son Tommy Shepherd III are the second parent/child team to win a Grammy Award, with the first being Beyonce and her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

Discography

Source:

• 2024 - Eclipse the Musical (EP)
• 2022 - The Movement
• 2021 - All One Tribe (with 1 Tribe Collective)
• 2019 - The Love
• 2017 - Rise Shine #Woke
• 2016 - The Playground Zone (EP)
• 2012 - Back to School: The Remix
• 2012 - Go!

Awards

References

1. ^ "Grammys Alphabet Rockers". Grammys. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
2. "Alphabet Rockers - Millennium Stage (May 11, 2019)". Kennedy Center. May 11, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
3. "Lollapalooza 2023: Here's a list of every performer and when you can see them by Fiona Hurless". NBC Chicago. August 2, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
4. "Alphabet Rockers: 2020 SF Pride 50th Anniversary". SF Pride Main Stage. August 26, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
5. ^ "Alphabet Rockers Come to the Wallis by Stephi Wild". Broadway World. October 11, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
6. "Alphabet Rockers". Music to Life. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
7. "It's kids who are the stars of the Grammy-nominated Alphabet Rockers by Chloe Veltman". NPR. September 10, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
8. "Local kids' music group brings a Grammy back home to Oakland with 'The Movement'". East Bay Magazine. April 26, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
9. "Alphabet Rockers on Using Activism to Inform Their Grammy-Nominated Children's Album by Stephen Daw". Billboard. January 23, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
10. "Alphabet Rockers". PAC NYC. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
11. "Friday Nights at OMCA Featuring Alphabet Rockers". OMCA. June 2, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
12. "Alphabet Rockers". The Reser. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
13. "Alphabet Rockers We Got Work to Do". Children's Hour. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
14. "The Alphabet Rockers, a multi-racial, multi-generational hip-hop group, uses music to combat racism". CBS This Morning. September 6, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
15. "All One Tribe Grammy Nomination". Grammy. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
16. "All One Tribe Album Credits". 1 Tribe Collective. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
17. "You Are Not Alone by Alphabet Rockers Illustrated by Ashley Evans". Kirkus Reviews. January 11, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
18. "Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy - I Love Peace". Apple TV. November 17, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
19. "A Whynot Christmas Carol". American Conservatory Theater. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
20. "Alphabet Rockers' Kaitlin McGaw on Motherhood, Music, and Celebrating Diversity With the Love by Marisa Torrieri Bloom". Santa Clara Country Library. September 4, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
21. ^ "Hip Hop for Change with Alphabet Rockers". Agile Vocalist. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
22. "National Parenting Product Awards". Nappa Awards. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
23. "Alameda father-son duo still basking in Alphabet Rockers' Grammy win Oakland group's 'Movement' kids album features social justice themes; parent, child got same award for just second time by Lou Fancher". East Bay Times. March 22, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
24. "Alphabet Rockers Discography". Apple Music. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
25. "3X Grammy-nominated Alphabet Rockers drop new album 'The Movement'". CBS News. December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
26. "The Grammys' wokest act? Meet the Alphabet Rockers, kids rapping about gender nonconformity by Julissa James". LA Times. January 15, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
27. "2020 2020 Notable Children's Recordings". ALA. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
28. "Parents' Choice Awards 2019 - "The Love" Gold Award Winner". Arapahoe Libraries. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
29. "Parents' Choice Music Awards - Spring 2018 - "Rise Shine #woke"". Santa Clara Country Library. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
30. "2017 Notable Children's Recordings". ALA. Retrieved December 10, 2024.

• American hip-hop groups
• American children's musical groups
• Musical groups established in 2007