Chicago Hip Hop Community Coming Together To Help People Heal

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hip hop is a powerful art in observing the human condition and calling for change, but with many venues closed, the music and message can't always get out there.

Chicago's hip hop community is coming together in a socially distanced way to help people heal.

Subterranean Nightclub has sat silent since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

"Words are powerful, more powerful than people give them credit for," said artist Shadow Master MC.

But in this moment the music can't be held back.

Shadow Master MC and Anyialation are rap artists.

"That's what rap is," said Anyiahlation. "That's what hip hop is. It's the art of storytelling."

Their art reflects what they see unfolding in the world around them.

"In a lot of the cases we are the CNN or the CBS News of the hood," said Shadow Master MC.

Lately that's a country coming to grips with racial injustice and too many black lives that didn't matter

"This is something that's been going on for years," he said. "We have been regurgitating the same thing, and it's time for something different."

But they also know music can help people heal

"That's what music does," said Anyiahlation. "It brings people together with positivity."

Subterranean for 21 years has sponsored a weekly open mic hip hop session called 606.  Tuesday night they're inviting 20 artists back to express their frustrations and calls to action.

The voices that can make reason out of all this aren't being heard," said Robert Gomez. "Their voices need to be heard now more than ever."

There won't be an audience present, but the performances will be streamed online, and though they echo in difficult times, they will also reverberate with hope.

"To show we are a unified front, that we love each other, we have love for each other, and that's what we need to reflect to everyone," said Anyiahlation.

The performances will be streamed on 606m Chicago as well as the website for Subterranean and the individual social media pages of the artists performing.

Watch the stream here.