2025-06-19T08:32:00-04:00 2024-08-31 Thomas Posey 1426 G Street SE Rear Washington DC 20003 990 2023-09-01 270062812 Words Beats and Life Inc WORD 2026671192 1525 Newton Street NW Washington DC 20010 Mazi Mutafa Executive Director 2025-06-19 false Thomas Posey P01956990 3012005410 2025-06-19 X 2023 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Mazi Mutafa 1525 Newton Street NW Washington DC 20010 2339266 false X www.wblinc.org X 2003 DC The mission of Words Beats and Life is to transform individual lives and communities through Hip-Hop culture in all its forms: emceeing, deejaying, graffiti, street art, spoken word poetry, dance, beat production, and knowledge of self. 15 15 7 75 0 0 1393312 2070829 545583 268437 288 0 0 0 1939183 2339266 0 0 0 0 211362 366723 0 0 28117 1614840 2050314 1826202 2417037 112981 -77771 433923 541193 124553 368007 309370 173186 X The mission of Words Beats and Life is to transform individual lives and communities through Hip-Hop culture in all its forms: emceeing, deejaying, graffiti, street art, spoken word poetry, dance, beat production, and knowledge of self. false false 586045 Our Arts Education programming exposes students to new knowledge, techniques and methods, as well as provides opportunities to grow their knowledge and network through alternative winter and spring break activities. We also provide opportunities for young artists to practice what we teach through performances, and public art making, as well as encouraging these students to manage their own projects and events by participating in our Arts Management program. Our work in schools has been with young people in Middle School, High School and College, with participants ranging from 12-22. In community contexts, we work with people as young as 10 and with adults 23 and older. Despite popular misunderstandings about our culture, Hip-Hop is likely created, participated in, and celebrated by the most diverse set of people in terms of audiences, practitioners, supporters, and consumers. Our teachers, students, audiences, and selected master artists are diverse not just racially, ethnically, religiously, and economically but also in terms of age, gender, orientation, and ability status. Programs include the WBL Academy, Like a Boss: Arts Management Program, Walk It Like I talk It, Entrepreneurship Program. Finally we have our College and career mentorship program called College Material. 227490 67544 1311096 Other Programs 1311096 2192175 true true false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 93 0 true 7 true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false 15 15 false false false false false false false true true false false false true true true true true true false false false false X X Words Beats and Life Inc 2026671192 1525 Newton Street NW Washington DC 20010 Jamila Sams Chair 3 X X 0 0 0 Kenysha Bartee 1st Vice Chair 3 X X 0 0 0 Ptosha Davis 2nd Vice Chair 3 X X 0 0 0 Naima Costello Secretary 3 X X 0 0 0 Elaine Kennedy Treasurer 3 X X 0 0 0 Helen Bryant Member 2 X 0 0 0 Saafir Rabb Member 2 X 0 0 0 Timothy Anne Burnside Member 2 X 0 0 0 Erwin Kwawu Member 2 X 0 0 0 William Hegwood Member 2 X 0 0 0 Tonia Wellons Member 2 X 0 0 0 Mark Lawrence Member 2 X 0 0 0 Samantha Armstrong Member 2 X 0 0 0 Gloria Nauden Member 2 X 0 0 0 Dishan De Silva Member 2 X 0 0 0 Mazi Mutafa Executive Director 45 X 119231 0 0 119231 0 0 1 false false false 0 981499 1089330 595927 2070829 268437 268437 268437 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2339266 268437 0 0 108846 79231 21154 8461 223220 203412 19808 5602 1166 4436 29055 24948 4107 53713 5611 41581 6521 1442545 1417046 16869 8630 153784 152073 1632 79 35500 27615 7885 6514 5974 540 63305 60581 2724 74078 72211 1008 859 37562 37562 14995 14995 22506 21360 1146 Program Supplies 60018 58810 1208 Bank and Credit Card Processing Fees 12294 1317 10960 17 Event Space Facility Equipment Rental 18869 17543 1326 Meals Food 9370 9217 153 45261 34060 7651 3550 2417037 2192175 196745 28117 X 51791 63082 268875 377650 168673 68212 113257 100461 433923 541193 44641 104995 95913 79912 167099 124553 368007 X 206725 171848 309370 173186 433923 541193 X -77771 -58413 X X false false false false false X 388979 939851 1187229 1393312 2070829 5980200 0 0 388979 939851 1187229 1393312 2070829 5980200 5980200 3 72 3 288 366 0 0 5980566 1301550 0.99990 0.99990 X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED false false false false false false 0 false 0 0 0 0 0 false false false 0 0 55124 0 55124 0 113549 68212 45337 0 100461 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Form 990 Part VI Section B Line 12c The Executive Director is responsible for monitoring compliance with the conflict of interest policy. Any disclosed or potential issues are brought to the Board of Directors for discussion for an ultimate resolution. Form 990 Part IX Line 11g Outside Consultants: Contractors $1,426,024, Grant Writer $14,602 Other Professional Services $1,919 Total $1,442,545 Form 990 Part III Line 4b Creative Employment: Work focuses on engaging members of the larger creative community, to share their knowledge and experience as guest speakers, mentors and potential employers. To that end WBL hosts a regional alternative spring break focused on Visual Arts and Performing Arts, and a national alternative Winter Break speaker series focused on the media arts. Each year we also host an annual Creative Economy Internship and Career Fair by partnering with Creative Non Profits in the DC metro area. Form 990 Part III Line 4b (continue) Cultural Diplomacy: Since 2010, words Beats and life has been working to send artists abroad, and bring artists from abroad to the US. These collaborations have taken the form of master classes, musical and dance performances, along with public art creation and offering scholarships to pay for primary schools for students in partner organizations abroad. We are working to make more of these collaborations more focused in commerce. We want to develop cooperative agreements that allow for greater exchange, and revenue generation for WBL and our international partners. Form 990 Part X Line 22 Loans payable to Executive Director Form 990 Part XI Line 8 Prior period adjustments to Local Government Grants and Depreciation Expense