Chattanooga Mayor’s Office, Public Library and Early Learning Departments partnered with Brewer Media’s Power 94 and Dynamo Studios to launch the Beats and Books literacy program on Sept. 5. This program will run through the 2024-25 academic school year.
“As hip-hop artists, we’re lyricists, writers and storytellers,” said YGTUT, the first artist to participate. “To be able to work with, inspire, and give back to our community by encouraging the next generation of kids to read through our art is a blessing in itself.”
Kevin Adams Jr., better known by his stage name YGTUT, was born and raised in Chattanooga. As the son of Olivet Baptist Church Senior Pastor Bishop Kevin L. Adams Sr. and gospel singer Lady Cynthia Adams, he grew up attending church and would often play the organ or drums after service. He started rapping when he was around 13, after his father brought him to a studio.
The rapper, singer and record producer first gained recognition and acclaim after the release of his 2015 mixtape, Preacher’s Son. He is signed to Same Plate Entertainment and Sony Music. He is also a founding member of the Chattanooga art collective, TheHouse.
The Beats and Books program features hip-hop and R&B artists, celebrities and influencers reading a children’s book accompanied by a musical beat created by Hamilton County students enrolled in the Dynamo Studio’s program. Each month, the Beats and Books program will feature a different artist, as well as a different children’s book, selected by the city of Chattanooga’s Public Library and Early Learning Departments.
Created to promote literacy and spur an enthusiasm for reading amongst minority students, Beats and Books aims to not only promote literacy, but foster community and improve educational resources by providing families with free, high-quality children’s books that encourage literacy at home.
The Beats and Books program will air the first week of every month on Power 94 at 3:30 p.m. Once aired each month, take-home library kits will be given to students in grades K-3, and a limited number of copies signed by the month’s featured artist will be available for pickup at the Downtown Public Library, Eastgate Public Library, South Chattanooga Library, and Avondale Community Center.