The COVID-19 pandemic was a tough time for many Americans, and in Madison, it was no different, as it was easy to see how it negatively impacted State Street businesses and culture in the downtown area. Local hip-hop artist Rob “Rob Dz” Franklin was living on State Street during the summer and fall of 2020 and he watched the social justice protests and the young people of color gathering around him every day, working on beautiful murals and trying to change the world … which led to the inspiration to create an event of his own.
“I was stuck inside the house, but I’m seeing kids, like the youth on State Street, and I’m watching TV, and I’m like, ‘This is not the war zone that they’re trying to make it out to be,'” Franklin tells Madison365. “Shortly after that, all the art went up along State Street. For me, it was kind of crazy, because I was noticing how people were actually talking to people of different races …everybody just kind of out here getting along for the sake of art. I began thinking to myself: How do we keep this going? Obviously, being a musician, I was like, ‘Well, it’s gotta have music, it’s gotta have visual art.’ Why don’t we make it a whole thing where it’s small businesses, vendors, art and music for people of color?”
The idea for Urban Community Arts Network‘s Mad Lit Event Series was born — a free Friday night outdoor concert series that features live music and highlights local artists and businesses of color while revitalizing the 100 block of State Street.
On a whim, Franklin sent an e-mail to Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway presenting this idea.
“I got a response … and here we are five years later!” Franklin says.
Traditionally, artists of color didn’t have a lot of venues to perform in Madison, which made the need for the Mad Lit Event Series that much more important. “My original thought process was: ‘How can I use my influence that I have to provide opportunities for other folks?’ That’s kind of where it started,” Franklin remembers. “Because there are a lot of great musical artists in this town that don’t get opportunities to perform on stages here. I felt like if they couldn’t get no venue, so let’s just take it to the streets. And that’s kind of what happened.”
Organizers of the Mad Lit Event Series would soon come up with different themes for different nights.
“So that was just kind of the idea with the themes where folks can get in where they fit in, and be their authentic selves,” Franklin says. “The hope was that other people who didn’t necessarily recognize these folks would be able to come and appreciate them. Here we are, five years later, and it seems like the appreciation has been there.”
(Photo by Hedi Rudd)
There have been some amazing moments over those first four years. Back in the summer of 2023, for instance, Madison hip-hop legends Fresh Force reunited for the first time in over 30 years to perform at the Mad Lit Summer Concert Series on the 100 Block of State Street. Last year was a successful season as Urban Community Arts Network hosted the fourth annual Mad Lit Event Series, showcasing 46 talented musicians and small business owners.
Franklin notes that it is expensive to pull this off every summer.
“It’s no easy feat, man, because while people and organizations have an appreciation for who Rob Dz is … it almost seems like there’s a reluctance to invest in urban art,” Franklin says. “I’ve gotten a lot of doors slammed in my face for just presenting art and culture as a way to appreciate our human nature. Although we come from different backgrounds, how do we interact with each other to get to a common place where we can really live up to that ‘progressive’ Madison that it really wants to be?
“So it does take a lot to pull the Mad Lit Series off and we’ve been fortunate and blessed that we’ve been able to make it through,” he adds. “But every year it goes down to the wire trying to make it happen. This year is no different. We just keep keeping on in hopes that the organizations that we reach out to for sponsorship realize the bigger picture.”
Sponsorships and donations to the Mad Lit Event Series are welcome. There are three different ways to donate to help make sure that UCAN can create a space where underrepresented artists can thrive.
In the meantime, the non-profit organization is getting its artists, and line-ups, and theme nights ready for Mad Lit 5.
“We go from late July to mid-September this year. I believe the first date is July 27 and we will go until September 19,” Franklin says. “For me, being a little bit more of a vet in the scene, the hope is that artists take this as a serious business opportunity and really kind of come through it and do what they need to do. Because, you know, that’s part of the game. We just want to set it up to help people be more business-minded and kind of be able to present their art at the same time.
“We are all looking forward to our fifth season,” he adds. “It should be a lot of fun.”
