Despite rainy weather, people flocked to Franklin Park in Northwest D.C. for the third annual Jazz and Blossoms Jam on Sunday, April 6, uniting attendees of all ages for an all-day celebration of hip-hop, jazz and poetry, centered around a shared message of joy, community and cultural pride.
The event was part of the Words, Beats and Life Festival (WBL), organized in partnership with DowntownDC Business Improvement District and the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and closed out the four-day series of concerts and art exhibitions.
“The whole idea is to create an event that you could bring your grandmother to, but you could also bring your kids too, or you could come on your own to enjoy some good music,” said Mazi Mutafa, founder and executive director of Words, Beats and Life, a non-profit that aims to elevate the voices of young creatives through hip-hop arts education.
In its third year, Mutafa emphasized why the 2025 Jazz and Blossoms Jam was particularly important.
“We have a desire to be witnesses and advocates for joy,” Mutafa said of his organization’s mission. “And it becomes especially important in a moment where there is so much misery, uncertainty and sadness, to be a space that is dedicated to connecting families and celebrating the beauty of our communities in D.C. and beyond.”
The jam featured performances by Masta Ace with Sound of the City, Kokayi, Ra Brown, and headliner Arrested Development. It also included food trucks, small business vendors, a family fun zone for kids and haiku and origami creation stations, promoting a connection to Japanese culture in honor of the ongoing Cherry Blossom Festival.
Attendees ranged from college students to families to long-time fans hoping to hear some of their favorite ’90s hip-hop classics.
“Music is the universal language, you don’t even have to understand the lyrics,” said Chinomso Njelita, 25. “The poet who started the whole concert, [Ra Brown], some people probably didn’t know what she was saying, but then they heard the beats that were behind it and people started coming up and standing up there and kids were jumping, and one guy was up there like it was a whole sermon.”
Like Brown, performers used musical storytelling to communicate messages of cultural uplift.
“It takes a certain amount of boldness to get out here and still do conscious music in an age of unconsciousness,” rapper Speech said as crowds braved the weather to catch Arrested Development’s closing set. “Here we are on the stage in D.C. and we’re rocking for y’all words of wisdom, affirmation, lifting the brothers and sisters up despite rain, despite whatever comes at us, we’re still moving strong and forward.”
Other artists emphasized the need for positive and inspiring music, especially among youth, in today’s musical, social and political landscape.
“There’s enough destructive music and not enough music that’s uplifting and enlightening. These kinds of celebrations are very necessary for the community. It’s some way to make them feel optimistic about the future,” Masta Ace told The Informer. “In these days and times where there’s efforts to strip away art programs and culture, these types of events are super important so we can teach our young people to stay engaged and creative through the arts.”