Inside the 7 Year Anniversary of Something Dope For The People
Something Dope For The People has cemented itself as a cultural staple on the West Coast and nationwide for organizing some of the most impactful open mic experiences in the game. Their steady growth and longevity speak volumes about what they mean to the independent music scene. On October 28 they celebrated their 7-year anniversary with returning artists and newcomers alike. They switched things up this time around by bringing a completely different twist to the performances rather than sticking to their usual competitive studio format.
For this anniversary milestone at Catch One they utilized an unpredictable open format that was entirely free entry for artists. Anyone looking to perform just had to write their name on a piece of paper and drop it into a bucket on stage. This random selection process meant artists had to stay ready. Jeremy Hecht who is an UPROXX journalist and Something Dope collaborator handled the hosting duties for the night. He introduced the talent while providing words of encouragement and even blessing the crowd with some impromptu standup comedy between sets.
The night kicked off with a massive line that wrapped roughly a whole block around the venue. Inside the building was absolutely packed with about 300 people who were predominantly hungry artists ready to prove themselves. Obviously not everybody had the chance to touch the main stage but the organizers made sure the energy kept flowing outside. They set up an external mic and speaker system where artists took turns spitting their records for the crowd hanging out by the entrance eating good food and taking photos.
We always pull up to Something Dope events because we know we are guaranteed to find at least a couple profoundly talented artists who genuinely move us. Their stage has historically been the exact place where we discovered rising stars like Natia and Mrcl before they really took off. Both of those artists were doing great things prior to their Something Dope experience and have only gone on to reach incredible new heights as they continue to grow. For instance, Natia went from dropping one of our favorite Top 10 West Coast Projects of 2025 to delivering crazy freestyles On The Radar and a full Media run on the east coast and south regions. His new project Ingleworld even boasts heavy features from Los Angeles favorites like D Smoke and G Perico.
Mrcl is another massive success story from this ecosystem who proves the platform breeds true talent. He has already found himself sitting in exclusive studio sessions with superstars like Sza and Frank Ocean while also recording tracks alongside JasonMartin. For his personal artistry he focuses on delivering heavy live instrumentation alongside his talented bandmates in The Melodiks. It is beautiful to see alumni from Something Dope to continue to elevate their sound and build such impressive industry resumes.
Our absolute favorite artist from the 7-year anniversary event was Adwoa who is a soulful RnB singer with incredible presence. She completely shifted the entire energy of the night the moment she stepped to the microphone. She will be going on a serious show run this December. This upcoming tour is presented by Live Jazz LA alongside Louis Murrary to celebrate the release of his project Wait and See. Moving forward Something Dope will look to get back to their regular competitive format for future events. Regardless of the structure they will definitely continue to be a vital space for artists to connect and share their gifts for many years to come
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