arts incubator spaces for all

Cypher Plug n’ Play

with Cedric St. Louis

Cypher Plug n’ Play

was awarded a 2024-2025 ArtsAlive Grant from ArtsWestchester as part of StorySpace Arts “Arts Incubator Spaces for All” programs.

A cypher is a collaborative space rooted in hip-hop culture…fostering community, spontaneity, and creative expression.

A hip-hop cypher is typically a spontaneous gathering of rappers, beatboxers, or dancers in a circle, taking turns to showcase skills, freestyle, and exchange verses.

It acts as a non-competitive or friendly, competitive, and collaborative space rooted in hip-hop culture, often fostering community, spontaneity, and creative expression.

Sound and Visual Artist Cedric St. Louis conceived of the “Cypher Plug N’ Play” program in early 2024 after noticing that there were no spaces for hip hop artists, producers and rappers in the lower Hudson Valley to gather in a non competitive, intimate space to network, build community and grow artistically.

Some words from program creator St. Louis:

“The Cypher PlugNPlay has been one of my proudest journeys of my artistic life. Each gathering carried its own theme and segments…but at the core, the Cypher was always about supporting creativity, connection, and growth. I watched artists walk in hesitant to be on stage and leave lighter, more confident, more open to being freestyle artists. I saw real relationships form and people supporting outside the shows. The cypher wasn’t just about rap, it was about belonging.”