The smells of incense and Pine-Sol along with the melodies of powerful R&B/Soul singers such as Anita Baker and Mary J Blige were a familiar weekend scene for iamchelseaiam growing up in Cincinnati, OH. Between the influences of her mother and the Baptist church, it was hard to escape the music that created the soundtrack for her childhood, which led her to play several instruments.
Currently, with a New York State of Mind and a Midwestern Spirit, Singer/Songwriter iamchelseaiam uses her guitar to deliver melodic riffs, taking audiences on a rhythmic journey. Inspired human connection, every-day conversations & relationships are what drives iamchelseaiam to create music. As a writer, she’s had the opportunity to write for The Voice contestant Kenny Araujo, actress Taryn Manning as well as several independent artists. She was mentored by Eric Robeson (Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott, etc) through the ASCAP "The Collective” program and was selected to be apart of Valerie Ghents (Ashford & Simpson) "Songwriter Accelerator" program. Recently she had the opportunity to be apart of the NY Topliner Songwriting Camp as well.
iamchelseaiam continues to expand her repertoire by producing her own documentary “A Beautiful Mess” to coincide with her EP release of the same title, alongside Director, Matt Marlinski. The documentary has been accepted and shown at the Philadelphia International Film Fest, Sound Unseen Festival in Minneapolis, and the Hip Hop Film Festival in NYC.
As a touring artist, she has opened for Grammy-nominated artist Lucky Daye, performed at Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati, City Winery NYC as well as the Blue Note. She recently made her BET Jams debut with her recent video release "Nice Guys Lie"
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival?
The HHFF was an amazing experience that allowed me to watch the reaction of the audience which is a feeling that never gets old. Watching people become invested in my story and also their surprise when a few of the people in the documentary was actually with me. It was always a great place to meet other filmmakers from around the world.
Why are stories from the culture important? (Same As 4)
As humans, our perspective comes from a different lens. These films provide an inside look into our daily experiences around the world, which makes us unique and what makes us similar with regards to our needs. It provides beautiful colors to the painting that is the black experience.
What projects are you working on now?
I just released my latest music video called "Nice Guys Lie" and I'm working on my next EP called "A Beautiful Struggle". Prior to the quarantine, Matt and I were discussing the next installment of the documentary.
Why do you think the Harlem film house and Hip Hop Film Festival is important? As humans, our perspective comes from a different lens. These films provide an inside look into our daily experiences around the world, which makes us unique, and what makes us similar with regards to our needs. It provides beautiful colors to the painting that is the black experience.