Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n
The night before North Philadelphia<\/a> native Zayvion Hamiel set foot on the 2026 Roots Picnic stage, he stuck to his preshow routine. <\/p>\n For hours, ZayMoney, as he\u2019s better known in rap circles, and his two older brothers, Treyvon Hamiel and Tamaj Garner, rehearsed at his family\u2019s community center.<\/p>\n They worked on sharpening Zayvion\u2019s musical transitions and choreography. <\/p>\n Then hours later, he performed in front of thousands on the Roots Picnic\u2019s main stage, the same one graced by festival headliners Ja\u00ff-Z and Erykah Badu.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to turn up,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n ZayMoney commanded the stage like a seasoned vet, with fans dancing to his up-tempo tracks \u201cPop Out\u201d and \u201cPhilly Anthem.\u201d <\/p>\n Not bad for a 13-year-old. <\/p>\n Zayvion was one of the youngest acts booked in the festival\u2019s history. As impressive as that is, it\u2019s just one of several notable achievements for the North Philadelphia teenager, who has been rapping since he was 6, using his music to spread messages of positivity and nonviolence. <\/p>\n \u201cMy message is to get young people to believe that they don\u2019t have to do negative stuff. They can be who they want and believe in themselves,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Zayvion first dreamed of becoming a rap star watching his eight older siblings, who performed songs condemning street violence at their family\u2019s community center. <\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to give it a try because they were doing something great, giving back, and actually putting positive messaging in their music,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n The center, located at 3527 N. Ninth St., is home to the nonprofit organization Shadow Trax Media Arts<\/a>, which Zayvion\u2019s parents, Joanne and Rodney Hamiel, founded in 2007. <\/p>\n They work with other aspiring creators with interests in podcasting, modeling, graphic design, dancing, and T-shirt making. The venue also served as Zayvion\u2019s testing ground. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re the Jackson 25,\u201d said Joanne Hamiel. Zayvion is a favorite among folks who come to the community center. <\/p>\n The center, nicknamed Zay\u2019s House, is where Zayvion and his 10 siblings, who moonlight as DJs, dancers, choreographers, and hype men, shaped his confidence as a performer. It\u2019s also where he learned to pour his outside experiences into his music. <\/p>\n Beyond the studio, Zayvion is an outgoing eighth-grader at Overbrook<\/a> Educational Center who enjoys dancing, meeting new people, and playing basketball with his friends and siblings. <\/p>\n He\u2019s a \u201cbusybody,\u201d Joanne Hamiel said, and her son is rarely at a loss for words. But before each performance, he\u2019s at his most subdued. <\/p>\n The boisterous, outspoken teen falls into a \u201csilent meditation\u201d before walking onstage. Then seconds later, he transforms into a confident, fearless talent. <\/p>\n Zayvion said music has always been his preferred channel of self-expression, and his push for nonviolent music is also linked to personal tragedy. <\/p>\n On July 4, 2024, his 19-year-old cousin, Maurice Quann, was fatally shot during a party in Southwest Philly. \u201cIt was all fun until somebody wanted to go on [Instagram Live] and said, \u2018Oh, come shoot that\u2019 and \u2018come shoot this,\u2019\u201d Zayvion said. <\/p>\n His cousin\u2019s death deepened Zayvion\u2019s commitment to nonviolent advocacy. He launched a diversion program under his parents\u2019 nonprofit to inform his peers about the dangers of gun violence, drug use, and gang culture. <\/p>\n He\u2019s inserted more of these messages into his music, with hopes of steering his young listeners toward a \u201cpositive path.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cSeeing these kids dying every day, and nobody speaking up for them bothered me,\u201d Zayvion said. \u201cI just wanted to be able to speak up for them and listen to them. And also to see how they feel and what they think the community needs.\u201d <\/p>\n Most of his songs are fueled by up-tempo, South Jersey club beats, but it\u2019s his lyrics that encourage his listeners to focus on their education and recreational pursuits. <\/p>\n \u201cTo get what you want, you got to be on it. You got to believe in yourself (believe in yourself). Don\u2019t listen to them. Don\u2019t follow the trend. You got to just do it yourself,\u201d he raps on \u201cRich,\u201d featuring artist Amari Bryant. <\/p>\n Zayvion, his father said, is the \u201cMichael Jackson of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was always different. He had no fear on the stage,\u201d Rodney Hamiel said. \u201cHe always talked for himself, and he knew what he wanted to say.\u201d <\/p>\n Now, others have taken notice. <\/p>\n Zayvion has performed on concert and festival stages in cities from New York to Miami, and he\u2019s made fans out of Philly rappers Fis Banga and Amir Ali. He\u2019s also caught the attention of DJ Doc B of Power 99 FM, who\u2019s played his song \u201cPop Out\u201d on-air. <\/p>\n The longtime DJ and program director said he admires the kid\u2019s hustle and artistic stance. <\/p>\n \u201cHe and his family are putting in the work and are pounding the pavement,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd he has some really good music. It\u2019s energetic, catchy, youthful, and I was pulled into it.\u201d <\/p>\n Also among Zayvion\u2019s fans is Philly Mayor Cherelle L. Parker<\/a>, who he said always encourages him to continue making his brand of music whenever she spots him at an event. <\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s been backing him up,\u201d Joanne Hamiel said. \u201cEvery time she sees him, her eyes light up.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond his music, Zayvion is often seen organizing community events and addressing gun-violence intervention at national conferences. <\/p>\n