Beats, Rhymes, & Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization empowering at-promise youth in Oakland, California through the therapeutic power of Hip Hop since 2004. Since its birth, the community-based organization has grown on a national level from a provider to a thought leader in the nonprofit space through pioneering an innovative teaching model, now coined ‘Hip Hop Therapy’, that uses the process of creating rap music to engage troubled teens in mental health services.

Presently, Beats Rhymes and Life (BRL) stands at the forefront of the burgeoning domain of Hip Hop Therapy. BRL’s primary objective is to eradicate health disparities by collaborating with young people to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health services for various Black and Brown communities. As the sole nonprofit organization in the nation employing teams of skilled clinicians, teaching artists, and peer mentors, BRL champions the implementation of Hip Hop Therapy in underserved urban environments. Moreover, BRL imparts training and technical support to individuals, organizations, and systems involved in youth assistance, ensuring all young individuals can obtain top-notch and culturally relevant therapeutic care.

In 2020, through a Stretch@KP project Nani took on to develop her professional skillset in marketing and communications through her employer, Kaiser Permanente, she connected with cofounder of BRL, Rob Jackson, to partner on developing a comprehensive communications plan for a brand and website revamp. The initiative would include social media strategy and corresponding templates for content creation, writing for website landing pages, donor engagement strategies, the design and implementation of a new quarterly newsletter, program curriculum updates, and collecting staff testimonials.

After learning about the organization and the impact it had on youth in her hometown, Nani was honored to exercise her professional strengths and insights to lift the organization up and help them establish a strong online presence for the brand. BRL has since moved forward with her recommendations and continues to thrive in the local Bay Area community as a safe space for Black and Brown youth to explore their most authentic narratives.