DJ Kuttin Kandi

DJ Kuttin Kandi

It was hip-hop that gave DJ Kuttin Kandi — aka Candice Custodio-Tan — a career and also informed her politics. The respected and longtime DJ, artist and organizer grew up in Queens, N.Y., where she fell in love with the music and culture that told the stories of people on the margins. She and her friends were those same people, working their way through similar struggles and systemic violence and oppression, with only each other at their backs for support.

In the years since her introduction to the culture, her work in music and in community has been prolific. She’s been a global hip-hop and cultural ambassador with Next Level’s Meridian International Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She’s a co-founder of the People’s Collective for Justice and Liberation, and the University for Justice and Liberation. She’s competed in dozens of DJ competitions and been featured in numerous publications. And she helped develop the Hip Hop for Disability Justice Campaign and is currently co-editing a new anthology on Pin[a/x]y activism to be released in 2021.

[source: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/lifestyle/people/story/2020-08-29/dj-kuttin-kandi-music]