It’s very hard to put Bilal Abbey, Clara Kent and Pharoah Lum in a box.
They are the core group of individuals that make up Tribe Eternal Music Group, a self-described “artist collective” that “aren’t just people rapping together; we’re a family, we’re friends, we really connect,” Abbey said.
While the Pittsburgh music scene currently is dominated by either “punk rock or trap music,” Kent said, Tribe Eternal affords artists of many genres and forms to perform at their events and on their albums.
The group, which has roughly 12 members in Pittsburgh, a management branch in Arizona and a graphic design outlet in Atlanta, began its signature event, Writings on the Wall, in February. Writings on the Wall 2 was held in April, Writings on the Wall 3 was held in June, and Writings on the Wall 4 will occur Aug. 5 at the Flow Lounge, 282 Morewood Ave. “The atmosphere is very genuine, very rich,” Kent told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview. “It feels like you’re going home, but you’re out at the same time. We get to introduce different people in the city that really don’t get exposure a lot.”
Writings on the Wall gives people that love art and music “to interact in a creative way,” Kent continued. “Most of the time people go to an event just observing, and they don’t get to participate. At this event, you get to participate and actually become an artist yourself – paint on the wall, write on another wall, either quotes, poems or whatever you want. And you get to see a lot of people doing their (talent).”
The core group of Tribe Eternal have known each other since 2008. Once under a different name, they settled on “Tribe Eternal” in 2016 and haven’t looked back. “The name encompasses that family element, but it also just talks about the simple fact that what were doing is based out of a familiar connection and not just for money. We are a collective that invests in each other in more ways than just monetary,” Abbey said.
“We really help build each other’s crafts, being there for emotional support, also expanding each other’s horizons. We like to take trips together and bond continuously, which is important if we’re going to have a business together,” Abbey added.
While the Tribe Eternal members pitch in for whatever the group may need, most have specific titles. Abbey, who holds a Bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University and a Master’s in teaching from Pitt, is an audio engineer, emcee, and handles the group’s grant writing. Kent, a Penn Hills High School graduate who attended the Columbia College of Chicago’s vocal jazz and radio broadcasting program, is a singer/songwriter, a visual artist, and is dabbling into rapping here and there. She said her single, “Outside,” is her biggest to date, released a few months ago.
So what’s “Outside” about?
“It’s like a jazzy, nice, polite way of telling someone off,” Kent said with a chuckle. “It’s like, if you wanted to tell someone off with jazz and Hip-Hop beat infused, that’s what it is.”
Other members of the group include Sydney Davis, a model and fashion designer who has been featured in many fashion shows, Kevin Howard out of Arizona, and A.K., the graphic designer in Atlanta.
Pre-sale tickets to Writings on the Wall 4 at Flow Lounge, Saturday, Aug. 5, are available for $5 with the purchase of a Tribe Eternal compilation CD, by visiting www.wotw4.eventbrite.com. Tickets are $10 at the door. Doors open at 9 p.m. For more details concerning the group, E-mail tribeeternalmusicgroup@gmail.com. Videos from the group can be viewed on YouTube, search “TribeEternalTV.”
At their Writings on the Wall events, one will see quality performers, Abbey said. “We really want to find artists who have taken the steps to take their careers serious. We want people that know, ‘This isn’t a hobby anymore, this is how I’m trying to feed myself for the rest of my life.’”
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