23 Skidoo and the Secret Agency

April 21, 2024

This event occurred as part of the 23/24 Hop Presents season. This is an archived view.

Head-boppin' hip-hop for the whole family.

23/24 Hop Presents

Rhymers with deft styles and deep vocabulary trade verses with singers whose harmonies are as sweet as they are strong. The Secret Agency is an interactive and inspiring hip-hop experience for families everywhere, mixing the highly literate lyrical style of golden age hip-hop with soul, funk, reggae and storytelling alongside rapper and beat-maker 23 Skidoo.

Celebrated as the King of Kid-Hop, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is a Grammy-winning, internationally touring, purple velvet tuxedo-wearing family funk phenomenon. Combining the positive, primal power of hip-hop with the surreal storytelling of science fiction, 23 Skidoo has concocted a potent potion that wows family crowds across the planet.

Photo: courtesy of the artists

Hip hop has always been about bringing different elements together to create a powerful artistic union. The Secret Agencyrepresents this through the diversity of its members, each of whom come from different backgrounds and bring unique skills to the show. From musical theater graduates to battle champions, they all unite under the original purpose of hip-hop culture: Peace, Love, Unity, and Having Fun! The Secret Agency encourages kids to be proud of their own unique individuality, and remind grownups how exciting, scary, and beautiful it is to be young.

In 2007, Skidoo 23had already spent over a decade touring the nation with various live band/hip hop groups as a rapper and producer. He'd opened up for MOS DEF, RUN DMC, P-Funk All Stars and The Sun Ra Arkestra. Taking a break from the road, Skidoo taught his daughter, little Saki (aka MC Fireworks) how to rap, and together they made the world's first album of family hip-hop, literally from a family that makes hip-hop. It caught on quick, and they soon had a #1 hit on SiriusXM's family channel, which started planting seeds across the nation and beyond. In the next decade, 23 Skidoo, MC Fireworks and Bootysattva (aka Mom) rocked lots of shows with a bunch of awesome friends who sang, scratched records, danced, played instruments and did backflips. They played Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and the Smithsonian. They flew to Canada for the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and to India for the Buddy Daddy Family Festival. They got glowing reviews in TIME, USA Today, People and a bunch of other magazines. They racked up a total of ten #1 hits on SiriusXM, and ended up on NPR's All Things Considered twice. Their music videos are currently playing on NBC's kids' show Sprout House . And in 2014, they got nominated for a Grammy, and in 2017, they WON the Grammy for Best Children's Recording! That was cool. Got to go onstage in a tophat and everything. As well as releasing six full-length albums, two books, one record, a line of hot sauce and an EP that combines the entire Asheville Symphony with beats and rhymes, 23 Skidoo has written and produced the music for the US Library's Summer Reading Program for six years running.

The Hop Presents

23 Skidoo and the Secret Agency

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Debrissa McKinney
Ryan Barber
Bboy J Wall
Bboy Delma

Sunday, April 21, 2 & 5 pmDartmouth Hall, Room 105 • Dartmouth College • 2024

Program

Approximate duration: 50 minutes. Song titles will be announced from the stage.

About the Artists

Hip-hop has always been about bringing different elements together to create a powerful artistic union. The Secret Agency represents this through the diversity of its members, each of whom comes from a different background and brings unique skills to the show. From musical theater graduates to battle champions, they all unite under the original purpose of hip-hop culture: Peace, Love, Unity and Having Fun! The Secret Agency encourages kids to be proud of their unique individuality and reminds grownups how exciting, scary and beautiful it is to be young.

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is a Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and producer. Influenced equally by golden age hip-hop lyricism, classic funk beats and the wild imaginations of kids, he crafts songs and books that have inspired generations of families. Along with his daughter, his wife and his crew, the Secret Agency, he has performed around the world, headlining family festivals in the United States, Canada, India and Australia. As well as performing, he teaches rhyme writing workshops and residencies for all ages exploring creativity as a rite of passage. In all of his creations and performances, 23 Skidoo prioritizes wonder, curiosity and a vast respect for the diversity and uniqueness of his audience members and listeners.

Debrissa McKinney is an internationally touring vocalist and saxophone player. She performs with a diverse collection of groups, from Empire Strikes Brass, a high- energy horn and funk ensemble, to Dirty Logic, the world’s best Steely Dan cover band. Her powerhouse singing style is all over the map (both stylistically and from constant touring) and her positivity and smile are infectious! WhenperformingwiththeSecretAgency, she goes by the moniker Secret Agent Cool Breeze.

Ryan Barber is known throughout the southeast for his hypnotic funk falsetto and his DJ skills. Performing with the group Boogie Therapy, he mines the best of the 70s, 80s and 90s for nuggets of soul, funk, hip-hop and New Jack Swing. And his crates are just as deep when he spins tunes as DJ BaDonkey Kong, rocking parties and making memories. He is a singer, rapper and producer, specializing in smoothly delivered throwback hip-hop. When performing with the Secret Agency, he goes by the name of Secret Agent Hi-Fi.

Bboy J Wall is an internationally known performer and educator, and a member of the Dancing on Air Crew. He is a proven champion, taking first place at various competitions through the Southeast including the prestigious “Old to the New Jam,” and has traveled through Germany and the Netherlands to perform and compete. J Wall has graced the stage with a host of hip- hop legends including Curtis Blow and Newcleus, and dedicates much of his time to teaching and inspiring the next generation of dancers at DanceLab breaking school.

Bboy Delma is a dancer, a model and a hip-hop artist. As a part of the Dancing On Air Crew and the Secret Agency, he has wowed crowds throughout the United States. Delma has frequently won events across the country, especially making noise in the SouthEast, where he took first place in the Red Bull Competition in Atlanta and has remained a whopping ten-time champion at the Shamrock Breakdance Competition in Raleigh.

Artists in the Community

23 Skidoo and the Secret Agency give a School Matinée performance for regional schools and homeschools at Kimball Union Academy. During their time in the Upper Valley, they will lead a workshop with Kimball Union students who will be part of the performance.