Big congratulations are in order for our community partners at Ether Nashville for the success of the 2023 Citywide Cypher tournament, which concluded with the Citywide Cypher Finals on Sept. 24 at The Pyramid Nashville.

The tournament — held at select locations throughout Middle Tennessee — was a summer-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Preliminary rounds were held throughout July and August, with eight finalists (plus a special round of Nashville hip hop legends) invited to compete for top honors at The Pyramid.

Murfreesboro-based rapper Izzy Rage took home top male emcee honors, while Nashville’s own Yonna Jones was named top female emcee. Throughout the evening, members of the Greater Nashville hip hop community presented the true artistry, sonic diversity, and cultural impact of the hip hop genre, while supporting Ether’s “Heal Hop” movement and overall mission to “empower leaders of the hip hop community with the tools they need to consistently deliver transformative work.”

Check out a few photos from the event below. Congrats to the Ether team on making an impact!