Tune in to witness the talent and warmth of the Stomping Grounds community TODAY, Thursday, 12/17! 

Stomping Grounds is a free monthly open stage event for young creatives to develop performance, curation, and exhibition skills while connecting to the Chicago creative community. The event is hosted by Free Write Arts & Literacy in collaboration with Kuumba Lynx and Elephant Rebellion.

Melanie Roldan, the artist known as M.E.L. (Mind Evolving Lyricist) is a singer/songwriter/model born and raised in Chicago. She is a fierce MC with a commanding tone and a dexterous flow that was honed early on in her life, as she sang in choirs throughout her childhood. She discovered Hip-Hop later in her life due to her natural curiosity and an affinity for the unseen and the supernatural, which she alludes to not only in her music but in her aesthetic as well. She got her name M.E.L. from meeting Kendrick Lamar in an airport when she was 16, as she approached him to show gratitude for his art, in which he unexpectedly bestowed her name to her, without ever having to rap for him. She creates heartfelt music combining rap and soul seamlessly with a sultry tone, tackling issues of spirituality and womanhood. Her current release “MELEMENT” out now.

Sign Up in the Linktr.ee : https://linktr.ee/Stompinggroundschi

Watch here: Twitch.tv/freewritechi