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Based in Washington, DC and a graduate of the Metropolitan area’s University of Maryland and Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts, Dior Ashley Brown’s multi-hyphenate hip-hop artistry and public speaking skills have her aimed at growing global renown.

Her recent successes as a Recording Academy member, Kennedy Center performer, and winner of Washington’s Wammie Awards and Mayor’s Arts Awards show that her peerless communication skills, honed since her Army brat childhood, are growing in acclaim.

Her principled, timeless approach to creating hip-hop (including popular songs “Vernacular” and “Delivery,” with a 2025 album forthcoming) has attracted the attention of renowned superstars, including The Roots’ Black Thought, and hip-hop chart-toppers, including Fat Joe, LL Cool, and Rakim.

Dior Ashley Brown’s authentic connectivity benefits her innovative musical approach. This vision has led to her opening for Grammy-winning orchestral musicians Yo-Yo Ma and Esperanza Spalding to New York Times bestselling poet Rupi Kaur, and hip-hop icons including Cee-Lo Green, Slick Rick, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Her ability to bridge these diverse musical worlds has earned her widespread recognition and respect.Those appearances, plus performances at the 930 Club, Smithsonian National African Art Museum, Carnegie Library, Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, and the Congressional Black Caucus, have also allowed her to be covered locally by CBS and FOX affiliates and nationally by the Washington Post.

Dior Ashley Brown's contributions extend beyond her music. She has successfully bridged the gap between hip-hop culture and the corporate and professional realms. Her decade-long work as a festival programmer and producer has culminated in her role as the founder and executive director of the DC Music Summit, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that acts as a professional accelerator for creatives and professionals like her, aiming to develop independent-minded hustles into sustainable careers.