- [Announcer] The following program is available with audio description and closed captions.

(uplifting music) (mellow music) (mellow music continues) - [Speaker] We are OnFyre Cypher.

(radio distortion buzzes) (speaking in foreign language) - [Speaker] WeOnFyre Cypher.

(crowd cheering drowns out speech) (hip hop music) (hip hop music continues) - I never really knew what I was gonna do with dance.

I knew that I always wanted to, and my mom has always been super supportive of everything I wanted to do, whether it be drawing, making things, reading the books that I read.

I just didn't know where it would go until I lost her.

And I knew that that was one thing she never got to see from me.

So I didn't want that to be something she didn't get to see at all.

(distorted hip hop music) Sometimes you meet someone that changes everything.

Sometimes you find the person that meshes with the things that you need, and you mesh with the things that they do, and from that, everything blossoms.

- It's like the constant in our relationship is these long road trips.

- [Kuma] Yeah, it reminds you of way back when, the beginning.

- Yeah, the very first long road trip to Tennessee, yeah.

That was an interesting trip because it was like we started dating, and the very next day it was all right, down to business, talking like dreams, pasts, things we wanted to do.

We first talked about like, of course building the crew, but also about building up the cypher.

- Yep, I told you about my dream of having a safe space be free for everyone, and just somewhere where all dancers can just come together and just enjoy the space, and the people, and just the culture.

And who would've thought that me talking to you about that would've branched it off into all of this?

When he asked me if I wanted to go to Tennessee, I had already been there once on my motorcycle, so I thought, okay, it's not that far.

And if it is far enough that, hey, my sisters can come get me if he tries to kill me.

(laughs) But I thought it was interesting that he wanted me to be so ingrained in his world.

I'd never experienced that before in a relationship.

And I was like, well, I mean, I don't have too many warning bells going off in my head about him, and I think this might be something fun, something new.

We talked a lot about our dreams.

He talked a lot about the stuff that he was already doing, his work, things he was passionate about and interested in.

And it really kinda lit a fire in me.

I have always been creative, but I've never really had somewhere where I can just, just splatter the paint on the walls.

And when I was listening to him, I was like, I feel like I can splatter the paint.

I feel like I can like branch out and just stretch.

And I decided to tell him about the WeOnFyre Cypher.

At the time, it was called Cypher Sundays.

But I decided that it's something maybe, maybe he might have an idea about it, maybe he likes it.

At the time, in a new relationship, you're really trying to figure out, hey, what do you like?

What don't you like?

Is he okay with this?

Is he not okay with this?

Fenix and Flo called us and asked us to meet up.

They're an amazing musical group.

I love their music.

They always add us into anything.

They're always asking us, "Hey, you wanna come to do this today?

You wanna be here?"

And even just hang out and whatnot.

And so we were like, "Of course, let's meet up and talk."

- Well, we have something coming out.

- Oh yeah, we got another Fenix and Flo show.

But before that, we releasing the project, our first EP, "The 7" EP.

You know what I'm saying?

- Oo.

- Okay.

- I used to work at this store called DBS Sounds back in the day, hollered at Tobago.

I'm like, "Yo, we need to come over there," because we want it to be like a listening party slash release party.

You know what I mean?

- I can pull it to me.

- So is this gonna be closer to y'all's lives events, or is it gonna be more of like structure?

- It's gonna be more chill, it's gonna be laid back.

So we were thinking let's bring another element of hip hop to the listening, partying, bring FyreNation through, if y'all, you know, if y'all down.

- Oh, you know we're down.

- We always down.

- Schedule-wise, I think we're good on the schedule too.

- Yeah, we're good, but we gotta check in with the crew and make sure everybody else is.

- I forgot about that part.

- Yeah.

- It is way different than it was in the beginning, everybody's busy- - There's so many of us.

- Doing different things now.

I mean, individually, everybody's moving around, so you know we're down, we're always down.

- So after meeting up with Fenix and Flo, me and Fyrefli had to go meet with the crew during one of our practice sessions, and let them know that Fenix and Flo is having a EP release and they want us to show up.

So we have to show up, we have to show out.

We have to give them what they give us.

- Hey!

- Hey!

- Where y'all been?

We already started training.

- My bad, I mean, y'all know how it is.

- Yeah, I mean, we got meetings.

- Uh-huh.

- Uh-huh.

- Gotta get stuff on the schedule.

We got a lot to do, you know?

- Right, right.

- But we do have some news for you.

So that means we're gonna be having a battle performance soon?

- So, well, not this time around, all right.

But we do have something going on.

So you guys know how we've actually been getting those Friday drops from Fenix and Flo, where they do the song every week as an original?

Yeah, well, they got something going on with that.

Want to tell 'em?

- They've been working hard, I say.

- Oh, word.

- Music go crazy.

And they're ready to release their first EP album.

- Ooh.

- Not as dope.

Big whoop for that.

- Yeah.

- Whoop, whoop.

- Now, if you guys want to be involved, if you guys are available, please let us know so we can make sure you on the list.

- Sweet.

♪ I'll be there ♪ ♪ Don't ya know baby yeah yeah ♪ ♪ I'll be there ♪ (crew members snapping) ♪ Yeah I'll be there ♪ - These guys are crazy.

- [Kuma] Alright alright, simmer down.

- Alright, so since y'all will be there, make sure to mark your calendars for May 24th, okay.

May 24th, it'll be from 2:00 to 5:00 PM, but we all know CPT, and we all know Atlanta traffic, so try to be there between 1:00 and 1:30 so you don't miss anything, all right.

All right, any questions?

- I have a question.

Do we have any more information about the 40th Cypher?

- We're still waiting on feedback for the location, and it's gonna be okay.

We're actually gonna get Fenix and Flo involved in this one.

See if they wanna really, they wanna help out with this one.

Might be a little bit bigger than usual.

- I'm gonna let y'all cook.

(Kuma laughs) - Elevate.

- That sounds very eventful.

It's gonna be lit.

Can't wait.

- Yeah.

Yes, indeed, y'all, yes, indeed.

So that's really it for all the updates.

And we do want to get back to this training, so yeah, can we get back to it real quick?

- Yeah.

- That's what we're doing.

- Don't move.

- Let's go.

- DJ, spin that.

(upbeat dance music) (upbeat dance music continues) (upbeat dance music continues) (upbeat dance music continues) (upbeat dance music continues) (upbeat dance music continues) (upbeat dance music continues) (upbeat dance music continues) (upbeat dance music continues) - I'm just, I'm excited, man.

Like there's a lot that's changed since we first started doing this.

- Yeah.

- You know.

- A lot more people in the crew and everything.

And on top of that, as we grow, so does everything we do.

- Yep.

- All right.

I think we're good.

Everything's thrown away, trash.

- Yep, trash is out.

All of our items are gone.

- Everything's locked.

- Everything's locked.

- Except for this door.

- Yep.

- All right.

- We're onto the next.

- [Fyrefli] Onto the next one.

Now we gotta get ready for this release party.

- Yeah.

(curious music) ♪ From the east to the west we rollin' ♪ ♪ Whatever we touch better know that it's golden ♪ ♪ The streets in a clutch yeah you know that we own it ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Playing ball in the streets is the life of a G ♪ ♪ From the east to the west ♪ ♪ Already know we stay putting it down ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ People ♪ ♪ From the east to the west ♪ ♪ We're the boys and we're repping the jam ♪ - You know, the funny thing is, I think people know our sound already, and it's like, y'all have no clue how many different ways we about to go.

You know what I mean?

Hip hop has been my, that's been my foundation.

But R&B, like soul, has been like her foundation.

She just started rapping in the car one day, and I'm like, "God, yo," freestyling, just going, like, yeah, we gotta go to the studio.

This whole Fenix and Flo thing didn't even, it didn't start like what it has become.

We had no clue we were gonna be working together.

- [Fenix] Yeah, it started totally different.

- Okay, my bad.

It's just, my bad, I'm just overwhelmed.

All right, what we got next, Treyo?

♪ We make the music that is real good for your soul ♪ ♪ We going to the top and everybody knows ♪ ♪ The way we move the way we grow ♪ ♪ Will keep you on your toes ♪ ♪ It's on time now and everybody knows ♪ - [Rapper] The door is ajar.

♪ Ah back at it again but you think ♪ ♪ This overflowing ink in my pen let it sink ♪ ♪ Been on the brink since way back when ♪ ♪ I just figured I'd pull a trigger ♪ ♪ And pay back them haters ♪ ♪ Say who's greater who made an impact ♪ ♪ I can play you data ♪ ♪ I've been intact, in fact, [indiscernible], came up ♪ ♪ Switch my name up ♪ - After the EP release, it was amazing.

We saw so many people.

Fenix and Flo, every song was a banger.

That is a no-skip album, completely.

We had so much fun, we had to bring that energy to the community.

So I decided, and Fyrefli decided, to have a meeting.

We found some of our vendors, some of our community reps, and just put a meeting together to figure out how to make this bigger, better, more inclusive to every art, and just make the WeOnFyre Cypher grow.

- Me personally, I feel like the more the event gets bigger, the more people we start incorporating, is the more food options we do need to bring in.

I'm not greedy, I don't mind sharing the wealth.

And when we are having events where 100 in attendance is becoming the norm, you get what I'm saying?

- Yeah.

- I'm not gonna be able to, not saying I couldn't, but I just, it's not necessary.

Let other people try other options.

Let them start to see other food, not just other food options, but you're bringing in people from all walks of life.

So before other dance styles is being incorporated, other categories of vendors like that that you know we may not have, as we have other different businesses, but there may be some people that got some stuff to bring to the table that we ain't never seen before.

- I mean, just piggy backing off of Bruce, I'm Pearl.

I am the owner of Beauteous Treats and Up the Scale insurance.

Just to mix it up a little, bring it back, just a little education to the community, also with the sweet treats on the side.

So I offer a free class for financial literacy, just to chop it up, give just a little education back into the community, like I said, give everybody a little insight on how to make money, grow money, transfer money, just mix it up a little bit.

But that brings a different element back into the community with parents there with their kids.

They can learn how to do stuff and make their kids millionaires in the future.

So I think that brings a different element in itself.

But with all the other vendors there, still bring back the cakes.

Chef by the chef, you know what I'm saying, chop it up a little bit.

(laughs) - After the meeting, we had a great time.

We got some good ideas and everything.

We ran into some snags.

As we are trying to get vendors and spaces together, sometimes you run into a few things, and we ran into quite a bit.

- Yes, my name is Anthony Gasaway, Jr., also known as Fyrefli.

I actually sent you guys an email a couple months ago about potentially doing one of our community cypher events at your space.

Oh you do?

Okay.

Yeah, it was for that date, but.

Okay, you have something going on that day.

No, no, that's fine.

We got your information from a list of contacts that was sent our way, just as potentially interested.

Sure, we can keep the schedule open for future dates, of course.

We're looking for something for this month, but of course we do this every month.

No, no, I got it, I got it.

If you gotta go, I understand.

All right, you have a good day.

- So what's going on?

- Well, it's just everyone that I contacted over the last couple of months, most of them didn't get back to me at all.

The ones I'm currently getting on the phone are saying that they're already booked, they basically just didn't see the email.

And I have a couple more to get through, but it doesn't look like anybody's available for a cypher this month.

Yeah, but apparently we're not supposed to do any emails or things about events or stuff like that.

We're supposed to just apply on their website, which I did.

- [Kuma] How did they expect anyone to have an event any time?

- I don't know.

But that was the most recent on the list to actually call back.

So they called back pretty much to just give us a hard time.

But anyways, that's kind of the bottom of my list.

I have like maybe one more place that might be available.

One of our contacts at GPB said that they potentially have an opening for us to use the space.

- Okay.

- But yeah, this is, I've been reaching out for two months straight.

- [Kuma] Yeah, I've seen the emails.

I check them to see if anybody's responded.

I haven't seen anything either.

- Yeah, it just messes up our timetable when we go from having two months advance to do marketing and promotion and build events to having literally like days to get a cypher out.

- [Kuma] I mean, typically I would say go back to how we did back in the day and find a park and just set up.

But there's a lot of things that have changed since then.

There's a lot of licenses, things we have to have to actually set up in these parks sometimes.

So we'll have to be very careful if we do anything like that.

- [Fyrefli] Yeah, 'cause you saw what happened last time.

They told us it was okay and then they showed up and told us to move like four different times.

- [Kuma] We have to be mindful of the heat too, 'cause it's hot or the cold.

We have to worry about all these things when it comes to outdoors events and also the vendors.

- Yeah.

- I think we should confer with some people that we work with in the community.

Sometimes our connections have other connections, and see if anyone knows of any spaces that are open to having community cyphers, or looking to add arts to their programs, or anything like that, and possibly go that route.

- Like you saw what happened when we went to Fourth Ward.

It's been perfectly fine.

We used that spot two times in a row, if I'm not mistaken.

- Yeah, two months in a row.

- And then the moment that we're getting coverage about the event and everything, suddenly we have to move, like several times over.

Also had a crew mate that was looking at some potential like pavilions and canvas spaces out in the middle of Atlanta.

But again, permits, so there's that.

- So we took a hit, a few hits.

We had people in the community telling other people not to come to our events, people trying to talk to our sponsors and make it look like we're just not the people that we said we're supposed to be and the people that we present ourselves as.

And that can be rough, it's hard on the mental.

It doesn't stop us, but it makes it really hard.

And so me and my husband decided to take a minute and just look at some inspirational stuff, our previous cyphers, just things people have told us, and just really try to knuckle up and kinda wind it down.

♪ You are my love ♪ ♪ All I need is you to hold me down ♪ ♪ And be there for me ♪ ♪ Love you are my love ♪ ♪ All I'm asking for is to show that you care ♪ ♪ Beautiful you're the most suitable ♪ ♪ Love you unconditionally ♪ - Some days we do still have those cyphers where there's just the crew, and you may get maybe one or two people that signed up online, and they saw and they really wanted to come.

And they still enjoy themselves, and I love that part.

They ask so many questions.

They're so intrigued by the idea of finding new people, and dancers, and getting into it.

And at the end of the day, that's essentially what it's for.

It's not supposed to, or it doesn't have to be this elaborate 250, 300 people event.

Sometimes it's for the intimate people, it's for the few.

And as long as somebody comes out of it needing, or getting something that they needed, I'm okay with that.

I find solace in that, and I find joy in it too.

- What's happening, y'all?

This is your boy B-Bop here.

We are at the WeOnFyre Cypher.

Gotta go down the A in amazing way.

(slow percussive music) (slow percussive music continues) (slow percussive music continues) - Y'all, like seeing everybody that's here, seeing everybody's faces and whatnot, it's always making me happy.

Y'all don't understand how much struggle it was for this event.

WeOnFyre Cypher ♪ We not gon' stop ♪ - [Kuma] Was born in 2014 when my mom was sick.

I wanted some people to dance with, I didn't know if I was gonna get it, I didn't know how to.

And y'all know how it is, being a young lady, trying to go out in the dance scene at night, it don't always work.

♪ We on fire ♪ - So I didn't meet a lot of people.

And also people I did meet, they did, like, gatekeeping.

And some of my friends even tried to take my idea and make it their own.

But you know how that works.

Sometimes you tell somebody something, and they take it and try to run with it, and they ain't got all the ingredients.

They ain't got all the oomph behind it, it doesn't always work.

- Definitely.

- Well, we here.

- Yes.

- 39 strong.

(dancers applaud) But when we here, when we're actually in this cypher, when we're together, I feel full.

I feel elation, I feel excitement because I get to see so many different styles, I get to see so many different personalities.

This is what I wanted in the first place, not just for me, but for you guys.

It may have started out for me, but I'm a giver.

Like I said, I ain't got a lot of words in me, but the ones I do say, my husband tells me all the time that they count.

So we'll take that.

(dancers applaud) What you see is one drop in a large ocean of events, love, care, and purpose.

♪ Fire fire fire fire fire ♪ ♪ We on fire we on fire ♪ - It goes everywhere, internationally, every state, every city.

And it doesn't stop, it happens every month.

All this started with just something very simple.

It brought two people together to create this giant thing.

But it all started just with a girl that lost her mother, that needed to find someone and something to really connect with the world around her, and the people, the need to connect, the need to create.

WeOnFyre Cypher.

- Yep, yep.

All right, y'all.

FyreNation, you're on now, man.

- [Speaker] ...that nobody else do.

- [Speaker] ...change no longer.

(low key music) (people chatting) - Hey.

- We got a lot of hands up.

- Push me.

- Hey, go.

- [Speaker] Hey, hey, hey.

Oh.

Okay, let it go.

(upbeat music) Oh.

- Oh.

- [Speaker] Matrix, feeling it?

- I'm feeling it.

- Where is that?

- [Speaker] Let go.

Hey, hey.

- [Speaker] Be sure you share in a circle.

- Let's go.

- Let it go.

- Let's go, Matrix.

- Matrix.

- [Speaker] Gonna have to see the B-Boy do.

(dancers cheer) (low key dance music continues) (dancers cheer) - [Speaker] Watch this.

(dancer groans) (dancer cheers) (dancer laughs) - Okay.

- [Speaker] Come on.

(dancer cheers) - Let's go.

- Keep going.

(dancer laughs) - Whoa!

(dancer claps) - [indiscernible] (dancers cheer) ♪ Back at it again but she was pink ♪ ♪ This overflowing ink in my pen, let it sink ♪ ♪ You know that brings me way back when ♪ ♪ I just think and I'm doing triggering ♪ ♪ Pay back them haters ♪ (dancers cheer) ♪ Who made an impact ♪ ♪ I can throw you data I've been intact ♪ ♪ In fact, [indiscernible], came up ♪ - Let's roll!

♪ Change my name up ♪ (indistinct lyrics) ♪ Sync it in my soul ♪ - Hey.

♪ Get back ♪ ♪ It's bad premium with no container ♪ ♪ [indiscernible] ♪ ♪ Shame on the crew, I pity the fool ♪ ♪ Make way I made the ace ♪ ♪ It's taken its tomb ♪ ♪ We make the music that is real good for your soul ♪ ♪ We going everywhere and everybody knows ♪ (dancers cheer and applaud) - Hey.

(singer vocalizing) (dancers cheer) - Let's go, Kuma.

♪ You act the clown ♪ (dancer cheer) ♪ (indistinct lyrics) ♪ Outside of the club I'm gonna crush ya ♪ - [Speaker] Eh!

♪ (Indiscernible) ♪ ♪ Searching, curling, cursing, thirsting ♪ ♪ First and last, first in class ♪ ♪ I heard ♪ - Get on, Kuma!

♪ Girls of rap ♪ - [Speaker] Come on, Kuma.

♪ Some of this massive be on trash ♪ ♪ ...I made it clear ♪ ♪ Depending on the iggy ain't graying your hair ♪ - Hey!

(hip hop music continues) (quirky music) - What?

♪ Hey ♪ - Y'all feel that?

- Yeah.

- Y'all feel that?

- Uh-huh.

- I don't know.

(escalating music) ♪ What ♪ ♪ Dance ♪ ♪ Dance ♪ ♪ So many haters so many tears ♪ ♪ Don't do me no favors just dance yeah ♪ ♪ So many flavors.

Black, white, Latino ♪ ♪ We know we just dance yeah ♪ ♪ So many haters nothing to fear ♪ ♪ Don't do me no favors just dance yeah ♪ ♪ So many flavors Asian wisdom get off the tables ♪ ♪ Fenix and Flo with seafood ♪ ♪ No pizza party rocking like we do ♪ ♪ Power like diesel ♪ ♪ God for the people ♪ ♪ Energy so live that it's lethal ♪ ♪ Outrageous outrageous ♪ ♪ Contagious contagious ♪ ♪ So amazing from pages to stages ♪ ♪ And want to be more ♪ ♪ Yeah we may just cyphers outside your local bodegas ♪ ♪ Venus to Vegas there's no other options ♪ ♪ Throw up your hands time to make those deposits ♪ ♪ Tracks so hot put you all in a trance ♪ ♪ No time to stand it's time to move and just dance ♪ ♪ So many haters ♪ (no audio)