Synergy
The Synergy Collective performs live on Windy City Live.
“Synergy, is the result of the cumulative effort of a myriad of female creators, from graphic designers to producers to audio engineers. A love letter to female creatives and acknowledging of the unique obstacles women in hip-hop face, the project is a moving testament to female solidarity, and ultimately shows the industry how it’s done.”
This album features 50 women & femme identified collaborators.
Through social media, previous working relationships and word of mouth were how we sourced and hired 9 rappers/MCs, 4 producers, 1 B-Girl, 19 filmmakers, 2 makeup artists, 9 interlude interviewees, 2 photographers, 1 engineer, 1 DJ, 1 graphic designer, 1 event curator, and 1 entertainment lawyer involved on Synergy.
synergy | ˈsinərjē | (also synergism | -ˌjizəm | ) noun: the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
Synergy is the first all-woman produced, performed, and engineered Hip-Hop album created by Jovan Landry. The development of the album began in 2016 when Jovan Landry had a conversation former emcee TeQuila "Unmuvabo" Shabazz. Shabazz generally said: "I want to see a female rap album." The rest was history. Landry gathered some of her favorite women emcees from Chicago and sought after grants. In 2017, she discovered the WeWork Creator Awards application with a short deadline through a Black Women's Entrepreneur group on GroupMe, and immediately she applied. In May 2017, Jovan was awarded the Incubate grant from WeWork Creator Awards in Detroit. Synergy was no longer than an idea, and it was time to follow through. WeWork Creator Awards was a tremendous support to this project to cover production and marketing costs and compensate all of the artists that contributed to the album.
Why Chicago? Why only women? Chicago gave birth to many great Hip-Hop acts: Common, Da Brat, Twista, Kanye West, Shawnna, Chance The Rapper, and more. Chicago has adopted its own Hollywood, home to many TV shows and films. Like its landscape and the people in it, Chicago has versatility, flavor, energy, and, most of all, a vibrant music scene. Working face to face with the talent that's already present in Chicago. Within the last five years, women have been taking over in the creative industry all around the world. In Hip-Hop's time of existence, we have never seen a project from top to bottom crafted entirely by women & femme identified artists before Synergy. This what makes Synergy the stand out from any other woman Hip-Hop project ever created.
The Synergy Collective live at Fly Honey Show (Video)
The Synergy Collective Album Shoot | Photo by Zakkiyyah Najeebah.
Synergy Music Video Premiere + Discussion at Experimental Station | Photo: by Grace Pisula.
Press and Interviews
2019: Slingshot Scenes: 6 Chicago Hip-Hop And R&B Artists To Watch In 2019 - NPR Music/Vocalo
2019: Leikeli47 and The Top Female Artists Shaking Things Up in 2019 - Erin "Rin" Davis, VOX ATL
2019: Jovan Landry - filmmaker, photographer, and Emcee - discusses the new album "Synergy," the first Hip-Hop album created entirely by women - Victoria Taylor, Cake.co
2019: Synergy Album & Release Show Review - KPL, Chicago Crowd Surfer, Issue #52
2019: Synergy Album Interview - Chicago Crowd Surfer, Issue #51
2019: Jovan Landry Brings Women To The Forefront On An All-Female Produced And Performed Hip Hop Album - Vocalo Radio
2019: Amazing things can come from synergy, like a female-produced rap album and video series - Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune
2019: OK-Tho Premiere: Jovan debuts 'Synergy' project with empowering cypher - Goose, Ok-Tho
2018: Creating SYNERGY: From Production to Lyrics, This Album is All Women - Nadirah Simmons, The Gumbo
2018: Synergy Chi: A Project Dedicated to Showcasing Women in Hip-Hop - Fresh & Local ATL
2017: Triple Threat Jovan Landry Is Revolutionizing Hip Hop - Reesa Hylton, WeWork
The Synergy Workshop Collective music video led by Jovan Landry and Sundé.
Through two years of hard work, commitment, dedication, constant communication, embracing the experience and creative freedom of each artist, and accountability: The album was completed and released on March 15, 2019, during Women's History Month. The format of the album consists of 11 original tracks: The emcees (Jovan Landry, Sundé, Tweak'G, Tee Spirit, Jade The Ivy, Sauda Muse, JuJu MinXXX and Glitter Moneyyy), were divided in half to contribute to one of the two lead singles: "Synergy Cypher Pt. 1" and "Synergy Cypher Pt. 2". Following the singles, the two artists paired together based on the instrumental they chose (Production by Jovan Landry, _Qisum, K Flow, and Schenay). As the artists worked with each other for the first time, writing and recording sessions scheduled to create their concept for their song. Five songs resulted from these collaborations. The remaining four tracks are interludes of interviews Jovan Landry conducted with Hip-Hop artists, educators, organizers, mentors, and curators involved in the Chicago Hip-Hop scene for decades: TeQuila "Unmuvabo" Shabazz, Lady Flipside, Lady Gemstar, Jaquanda Villegas, Jacinda Bullie, Tasleem Jamila, Ang13, Anyi Ahlation, and Amina Ayo. Their responses to women in hip-hop gave narration and a story to the album that was insightful, informative, and retrospective. Their voices were a way to include and connect all of the generations of women in hip-hop. The album was recorded and engineered by Landry and Viibez from LSD Studios, Chicago.
Since its release, Synergy featured the Chicago Tribune, Windy City Live, Vocalo Radio, and NPR; nominated for three awards at LA Music Video Awards and screened both music videos at Women of The Now Anniversary Screening; performed at Columbia College Chicago, Wicker Park Fest and The Fly Honey Show. Before its release, hosted a music video premiere screening & discussion at Experimental Station, spoke about Synergy at WeWork Creator Awards in Berlin, and at the Women in Hip-Hop Conference at St. Louis University. In July 2019, Jovan Landry donated two physical CD copies to the archives at Universal Hip-Hop Museum. In August 2019, The Synergy Collective hosted its first free Hip-Hop workshop series for young women and girls at Experimental Station. They produced, wrote, and engineered their song, and presented what they learned in a live performance and screen their music video.
The Synergy Collective live at Lincoln Hall | Photo by CHIologi.
Performances and Appearances
2019/09/07 — AMFM Presents FEAST, Homan Square Park
2019/08/15 - 2019/08/17 — The Fly Honey Show X, The Den Theatre
2019/08/16 — Blackstone Summer Block Party, Experimental Station
2019/08/05 — 2019/08/16 - Synergy Hip-Hop Workshop Series, Experimental Station
2019/07/28 — Wicker Park Fest
2019/07/09 — Chicago Music Series, Windy City Live
2019/05/11 — LA Music Video Awards, Covina Performing Arts Center [Nominated for Best Hip-Hop, Best Performance, and People's Choice]
2019/04/08 — Chicago Hip-Hop Theatre Festival, Uplift High School
2019/03/30 — Women of The Now Anniversary Screening
2019/03/15 — Synergy Album Release Show, Columbia College Chicago
2019/03/03 — Mykele Deville Album Release Show, Lincoln Hall
2019/01/12 — Synergy Music Video Screening + Discussion, Experimental Station
2018/11/03 — I Still Love Her, Urb Arts (St. Louis, MI)
2018/11/03 — Women in Hip-Hop Conference, St. Louis University
2017/09/27 — WeWork Creator Awards Berlin