Bringing Black Excellence to the (Round) Table
Plus interdisciplinary Hip Hop events you should know about
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Black History Month started off with an onslaught of Black woman excellence on one of the grandest of award stages, with Beyonce, Doechii, Samara Joy, and others garnering historic wins at the not-always-on-the-right-side-of-herstory GRAMMYs. And while validation by legacy institutions isn’t always needed, when it’s given, it’s usually received.
Of course, throughout my own history as a journalist and advocate for Hip Hop music and culture, I’m more known for uplifting artists and movements that live below the “mainstream,” but are no less worthy of attention and praise.
For example, as I have said about Doechii, while there is only ONE Doechii, there are also other Doechiis, if you know what I mean. In other words, Doechii has been rocking for years on her come up. There was plenty of time to discover and latch on to her impending stardom before the algorhithms and social-media-fueled peer pressure finally put you on. While she is a fantastic talent, I can assure you there are other fantastic talents lurking below the surface that will hear the “Finally! A Hip Hop artist I can get with!” claims about Doechii and say “Yes, AND…!” as in, “…and we exist too!”
In that spirit, I wanted to take a quick departure from my normal “Hip Hop as a vehicle for social change” lecturing to go back to my indie journalism roots and give you a quick event recap. Though, to be honest, it’s still very much a Hip Hop-adjacent story. From the incorporation of the music, the style and the flair, and the ingenuity of making something from nothing and a dollar out of fifteen cents, let me tell you a little bit about the brilliant Black women behind the internet-to-real-life journey of The Round Table Game Show.
Mmmmmmmmm!
Recent years have seen the rise of several online video series which pit people against each other in some form of “bad joke” battle. A Dad Joke faceoff, or, in the case of the Round Table crew, “fake deep quotes,” where the goal for all participants is to not laugh at the musings of the others. Of course, the effort it takes to try and not laugh, is in itself laugh-inducing, as can be the quips in response. These “battles” can be quite entertaining, and when the PG-rating comes off, even more enjoyable absurdity emerges.
The Round Table Game Show consists of a collective of women who participate in such a competition, trying their best to hold back their laughter by humming a signature “Mmmmmmmmmmm!” and crab-like clapping of two fingers. I may have been vaguely familiar with them, having likely come across their skits in the past, but as the algorithms would have it, I wasn’t fully tapped in. However, as Christmas 2024 was approaching, I got a request from Mrs. Faces:
“If you want somewhere to take me, take me to The Round Table Game Show! They’re coming to Atlanta.”
As any smart man will tell you, when your woman actually TELLS you what to get her, it’s not a hint. It’s a… loving command. But she also made her case by showing me an assortment of their viral clips, and to be honest, I was relieved. This wasn’t going to be a husband sacrifice — the kind of thing I’d go to reluctantly. No, these women were fun and silly and clever and they got jokes!
I acted nonchalant — “Oh, OK. Interesting. Thanks for the suggestion.” — But quietly, I was all in.
As it happens, their show was to fall on February 1st. If you know me at all, you know that January 31st is both me and Mrs. Faces birthday — #birthdaytwins. The timing was perfect, and so, as a Christmas gift, I surprised her with tickets.
The show ended up selling out (shouts to me for jumping on it and not waiting!) and after a barely-any-parking-nearby scare, we took our seats at the venue. Atlanta’s Center Stage is a great spot for this sort of event — not small, but also not too big that it can’t be somewhat intimate, and utilizing the floor space ensured there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. This setting allowed occasional emphatic crowd participation to add to the controlled chaos, so all in all, it was a perfect choice of venue.
Disclaimer: I hadn’t gone in with pen and pad, intending to write this recap, so forgive the lack of full journalistic information gathering, as I give you my raw recollections and thoughts.
The show kicked off with a live set by a comedian (damnit, I can’t remember their name, someone tell me so I can update this) and DJ Kali Dean on the tables, who deftly warmed up the crowd and would keep the crowd jumping while the ladies were individually introduced.
And I mean JUMPING. The crowd erupted as each of the women were introduced — first, the “starting 5” of show creator Melo and several regulars known mostly by their nicknames, Whit, Jojo, Nessi, and Tee. (Tee also doubled as the show’s MC/Hypeperson—and completely ate in that role!)
As the show went on, surprise guests would be added on, crowd favorites like Bev, Mera, Tenishia, and Anj, each with their signature style and flair.
To see what they did, just watch any of their videos. It was pretty much that. But in person. With some of the aforementioned crowd participation.
Clearly, the crowd was fully tapped in with all of these personalities, their mannerisms, the inside (and often very raunchy) jokes. This audience wasn’t full of walk-ins, these were absolute fans, and it is testament to the creativity, consistency, and community that these ladies built online that it translated so well offline — to the point where a sizable portion of the crowd wasn’t even from Atlanta, with some audience members yelling out that they had literally flown to the A just to attend the show.
For a casual observer like me, it was a fun time, no question. For fans of the show — like Mrs. Faces — it was something even better. Something deeper. Connecting in this close proximity to folks that they grew attached to over the internet — especially during or coming out of the pandemic — clearly was something incredibly special.
This was particularly exemplified by an audience member who, during a post-show Q&A, thanked the ladies for keeping her spirits high as she battled (and won!) against breast cancer.
And as if that wasn’t enough of a tearjerking moment… As she shared her story to the ladies (and the entire audience), the survivor mentioned missing the chance to purchase a ticket for the meet-and-greet that was to follow, but that it was ok, as she was thankful just for the chance to share her appreciation. Amid the “awws” from the audience, the mic was passed to another woman who immediately turned to the the survivor, explained that her own meet-and-greet plus-one was a no-show, and offered up that extra ticket.
This powerful, unscripted moment underscored the deep bonds that have formed within this fanbase—one built on shared experiences, mutual support, and genuine connection.
The fact that not much has been written about them so far, in terms of press writeups, etc., is testament to my earlier statement about Doechii. I think that too often, artists from certain communities that are exploited for their talents are not afforded the same opportunities or resources or attention when they come to the (round) table as owners. Being able to financially sustain any independent venture in 2025 without soul selling — in any field or discipline — can be nearly impossible (Trust me. Sigh.) I know this is even more so for innovators from communities of color, so for me, when I see it happen, I like to amplify it.
And while me and my wife (who, by the way, thoroughly enjoyed the show) didn’t win the raffle to be among the five lucky audience members who were welcomed on stage to present their own fake deep thought, I figured I’d ask her what she would have said if we did.
Completely straight-faced, Mrs. Faces affirmed, “Sam was told he couldn’t sing...” pausing brilliantly for dramatic effect… “But Samsung!”
As for me, I took a page out of the raunchy book that the show’s stars often hilariously delved into as I wondered… If the Knights of the Round Table were called Camelot, would the ladies of the Round Table be called… Cameltoe??
Mmmmmmmmm! 🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌
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📅 INTERDISCIPLINARY HIP HOP EVENTS & IMPORTANT DATES
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DEADLINES, CALLS FOR PAPERS/PRESENTATIONS/ETC.
Mar. 3: Conference: Hip-hop dances as fields of research and invention
UPCOMING EVENTS
Throughout February [NYC]: Girls Make Beats - Music production classes
Feb. 5 [ATL]: "NABS Got Something to Say” – Screening | Panel Discussion | Exhibition
Feb. 6 [Harvard - possibly livestreamed] “The Future of Hip Hop Studies” Symposium
Feb. 11 [ONLINE]: New Orleans, Katrina, and Bounce: A Conversation with Big Freedia
Feb. 13 [L.A.]: 25th Anniversary of Hip Hop Feminisms, Celebrating Joan Morgan’s When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost
Through Feb. 16 [Chicago]: Kid Prince and Pablo, a Hip Hop adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper [Review]
Saturdays, Through Feb. 22 [NYC]: Hip Hop Literacies Series at New Lots Library, Brooklyn
Feb. 22, 2025 [Bellport, NY]: Cultural Empowerment Event: Hip-Hop & Mental Health
Mar. 14, 2025 [NYC]: Hip Hop Orchestra Experience
RELATED: Interview with orchestra leader JooWan Kim
Mar. 21-23 [Columbus, OH] The 2025 Hip Hop Literacies Conference at The Ohio State University
April, 3-6, 2025 [D.C.]: Words, Beats & Life Festival
April 11 [Rutgers]: Hip Hop Youth Research and Activism Conference (Call for proposals coming soon.)
April 18-19, 2025 [Hartford, CT]: The Trinity International Hip Hop Festival
April 22-25, 2025 [NYC]: Teachers, bring your class to Word.Sound.Power at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
April 30 [Rutgers]: Dr. Lauren Kelly talk: Drawing from Hip Hop and Youth Popular Culture in ELA Instruction and Assessment
June 6-7, 2025 [NYC]: #HipHopEd Conference (Email hiphoped@gmail.com to be added to the update list)
Oct. 11, 2025 [L.A.]: Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final
November, 2025 [D.C.]: Third Annual Hip Hop Studies Conference at Howard University (More info to come)
KNOW OF AN EVENT THAT SHOULD GO HERE? TELL ME!!
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That’s all for now. Until next time, peace and love to you and yours.
-Manny