From Mixtape to MFA
How Boston based media production company is changing the game for artists
On Friday, March 2nd Boston based media production company, HipStory, will be creating a unique, innovative and inspiring HipStoric Night at the Museum of Fine Arts for the MFA Late Nights. This takeover will be reminiscent of their HipStory House Parties, with performances and interviews of local artists and DJs playing well into the early mornings. Yes, this hip-hop infused event is all happening at THE Museum of Fine Arts, amongst depictions of life in Ancient Greece and art in the Ancient World.
An invitation to takeover the Museum of Fine Arts began with a mixtape. Well, there’s a team, a tour, production, house parties and oh yea, a bunch of hard work in there too. HIPSTORY, the concept and name, was born while Boston-bred co-founder Cliff Notez was finishing his undergrad at Wheaton College. It was put on hold for a few years until he met Tim Hall in 2015, a Detroit native who had moved to Boston in 2013 to work at Berklee College of Music. HipStory was reignited over a shared love of music and a desire to create a platform to uplift artists and creatives of color in a community they loved. Their friendship turned into a natural business partnership and HipStory was resurrected to tell the untold stories of people and community, hip hop, identities through media. A platform that, in Boston’s communities of color, is hidden to the average eye.
Throughout the past year HipStory has had many wins including graduating from Transformative Culture Project #AccelerateBOS cohort in 2017. The summer of 2017 they went on their first multi-city tour, outside of the state, that included picking up a major award on the way for their film Vitiligo at the March on Washington alongside Ta-Nehisi Coates. Taking the tour out on the road presented challenges and opportunities. They had budgeted for the tour to cost $8000. Right before they went on the road they only at $400. Last minute they secured a $1000 sponsorship from Zumix, and roughly $3000 from the Boston community that allowed them to hit the road.
The goal of taking everything on the road was a need to highlight nationally the talent that is coming out of Boston. Boston is known known to have major artists and a lot of artists from Boston don’t leave. They wanted to make sure that they were not squandering themselves as artists and to expand the opportunities for others from Boston. It was their first time putting together a tour, which had its fair share of bumps along the way, eventually bonded them closer together.
Once the dust settled from life on the road they got back to Boston energized and with a new focus. Using the tools and knowledge of #AccelerateBOS HipStory is at a transitional moment. They credit their ability to reflect and grow to being a part of an accelerator that created space and opportunity for people of color businesses. They recall it as a validating experience to be amongst those that are like minded, a group that embraced making mistakes and a place to receive mentoring from well known business leaders. It was #AccelerateBOS unique approach to marry research from the field of Positive Psychology with entrepreneurship that they credit to a pivotal experience. At the end of the day, although one may be running a business and those skills are imperative, you also need to be in a space emotionally and mentally that allows you to keep going after the speed bumps of running a business. The focus on resiliency and on themselves has allowed them to refocus, readjust and transcend to new heights.
Join them on Friday, March 2nd as they takeover the MFA with their HipStory House Party. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
