In 2016, Rhyme Combinator staged their first live reading of ZipSloth the Musical to a sold-out crowd, written and developed by Beau Lewis, Jodie Ellis, Brent Schulkin, and Jason Tan. The project started as a weekly freestyle rap session, building steam with amazing collaborators in music, tech, and the arts - who all saw meaning in getting vulnerable and celebrating the grit of Bay Area innovators and creators. That team has since evolved and staged dozens of live performances at theatres, warehouses, and tech companies from the Bay to LA, creating media with millions of views online along the way.
Rhyme Combinator's vision is to create an innovative live Musical format to rival Broadway - one that captures the attention of the next generation while scaling digitally through viral media, developed by an unlikely coalition of outsiders that bridge the Bay's diverse cultural community from Silicon Valley to Vallejo.
MILESTONES:
Jan, 2020 - Workshop 10: Table reading @ A.C.T.
April, 2019 - Workshop 9: Table reading @ ZooLabs
Oct, 2019 - Show 10: Keynote @ Lean Startup Conference with ERIC RIES
Sept, 2019 - Show 9: Selections @ NETFLIX
Sept, 2019 - Video 3: Bitcoin rap debate collaboration with REID HOFFMAN
May, 2019 - Show 8: Selections @ KAPOR CENTER in Oakland with NEXTPLAY EVENTS
Jan, 2019 - A.C.T. producer and director KEN SAVAGE joins the team
Jan, 2019 - Oakland writer, performer, and entrepreneur RYAN NICOLE joins the team
Dec, 2018 -Show 7: V3 Staged Reading @ ODC Theater
Oct, 2018 - Oakland Director and hiphop activist DAN WOLF joins the team
Oct, 2018 - Oakland Writer and musician ADESHA ADEFELA joins the creative team
Oct, 2018 - NYC Broadway producer MEGAN KINGERY joins the team
Oct, 2018 - Berkeley musician BRIAN RODVIEN joins the team
Sept, 2018 - Workshop 8: Artist Residency @ ZooLabs
Sept, 2018 - Workshop 7: Table Reading @ ODC Theater
June, 2018 - Tech legend and investor BEN HOROWITZ tweets about the show
June, 2018 - Show 6: V2 Demo Nights @ Folsom St Foundry
June, 2018 - Oakland hiphop legends TAJAI of Hieroglyphics, LATEEF of Blackalicious, and MAC MALL join the team
May, 2018 - Show 5 Selections @ STANFORD GSB
April, 2018 - Show 4: Selections @ PowerShift conference
April, 2008 - Oakland hiphop legend DJ TOURE of Hieroglyphics joins the team
April, 2018 - Workshop 6: Table reading @ The Speakeasy
Feb, 2018 - MC Olympics champion FRAK joins the team
Jan 19, 2018 - First weekly meeting w/ producer Anthony Veneziale
Jan, 2018 - Producer of Broadway’s In The Heights and Freestyle Love Supreme, ANTHONY VENEZIALE joins the team.
Jan 11, 2018 - Workshop 5: LA retreat Act II w/ Jodie
Nov 10, 2017 - Workshop 4: Whidbey Island retreat Act I w/ Jodie
Sept 15, 2017 - First weekly script session for v2 revision
Sept, 2017 - Writer and producer of Netflix’s Mortified SARA FAITH ALTERMAN joins the team
Feb, 2017 - Hiphop legend CHAMILLIONAIRE compliments our performance and takes selfie
Feb, 2017 - Show 3: Selections @ 500 STARTUPS Demo Day
Jan, 2017 - Kickstarter successfully funded!
Dec, 2016 - Kickstarter launch
Oct, 2016 - Show 2: SILICON VALLEY FASHION WEEK with BetaBrand
Oct, 2016 - Show 1: V1 Demo show @ the Lab
Aug, 2016 - Tech entrepreneur legend JUSTIN KAN and editor JOSH CONSTINE join the team
July, 2016 - Video 2: Kickstarter video and partnership with BetaBrand
May, 2016 - Video 1: Arrival Music Video . Oakland producer THEO HOLLINGSWORTH & director OBATALA MAWUSI join RC May, 2016 - Oakland rapper BEEJUS joins the team
Mar, 2016 - Workshop 3: Rap Camp 3 @ Half Moon Bay
Oct, 2015 - Workshop 2: Rap Camp 2 @ Bonny Doon. PATRICK DUNNAM joins the team
Sept, 2015 - Workshop 1: Rap Camp 1 @ Bodega Bay
July 7th, 2015 - First weekly freestyle w/ co-founders BEAU LEWIS, JODIE ELLIS, BRENT SCHULKIN & JASON TAN.
June 18, 2015 - Rhyme Combinator is officially born at SARAH POLLET’s birthday.
