The Brooklyn Academy of Music brings back its annual Word. Sound. Power. series on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 at the BAM Fisher in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, with both shows starting at 7:30 p.m. This year’s edition marks the program’s 20th anniversary and centers on women in hip-hop culture across generations and boroughs.
Playwright, composer and performer Eisa Davis serves as special guest co-curator, co-host and performer for both evenings. A Pulitzer Prize finalist for her play Bulrusher and a member of the original Broadway cast of Passing Strange, Davis has performed at BAM multiple times over the years.
“Come what may, the feminine principle creates the environments for life to flourish,” Davis said. “With Word. Sound. Power., we will give you life.”
She is joined by three artists representing three distinct New York City boroughs. Anessa Folds, a Queens-born singer, actress and MC, moves between theater, music and performance. Kaya Kulu, born in Brooklyn and of Afro-Latina heritage, weaves together R&B, hip-hop, neo-soul and jazz. Stephanie Pacheco, the eighth U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate, comes from the South Bronx with a practice rooted in advocacy, equity and language as a tool for change.
Series director and co-host MC Baba Israel and resident DJ Reborn round out the evening.
Now in its 20th year, Word. Sound. Power. has been a fixture of BAM‘s programming at the intersection of hip-hop, poetry and community. The series also extends beyond the stage through a classroom residency program that works with NYC students and BAM teaching artists to produce an original poetry anthology.
Tickets start at $25 and are available at BAM.org.
Word. Sound. Power. 2026 BAM Fisher, Fishman Space — 321 Ashland Pl, Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Friday, April 24 — 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 — 7:30 p.m.
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