History · For The Ladies is born, then the pivot
The year the brand learned to exist without a room.
January 18 brought the first Something Dope For The Ladies, hosted by Tatyana with Drea Faux Real on the decks and Flyana Boss performing. More than 150 people came out for a night dedicated to women in the creative community.
Then the rooms closed. The June comeback party sold out its guest list in two days, the first sellout in Something Dope history, and when live events stopped again the brand kept building anyway: the Dope People blog launched in June and the filmed rap series Something Dope: The Cyphers followed in July.
The moments that mattered
Ranked against the rest of 2020, so the founding era competes on its own terms instead of against the years that came after.
6 photosSomething Dope promoted the next Something Dope For The Ladies for the following Wednesday and reported that the last event drew more than 150 people. The caption invited followers to join the family, using the attendance figure as proof the room was growing.
2 photosSomething Dope announced a Saturday event with doors at 8pm and shows starting at 9, promising a full lineup along with pop ups for the crowd. The brand also confirmed an after party at Birthday Bar LA with RSVPs through the link in bio, saying the room was going to hit capacity. It marked the point where a single show grew into a night that ran across two venues in Los Angeles.
@Birthday Bar LA
The night after it happened, Something Dope shared a recap of the collaborative party held in Hollywood for the birthday of Speed Suspects, also known as Joshua Shafighi. The post, carried over from Based Moises, described a room that blended genuine people from across the collaborating brands and thanked everyone who attended. It also noted that the event sold out in two days, a fast response for a guest list night. The organisers closed by pointing to the next one.
@Speed Suspects, @Joshua Shafighi, @Based Moises
2 photosSomething Dope published its first blog post, extending the brand from the stage into written coverage. The piece came out of a sit down with Rokeaux about the release of his single "Sweetest Song", digging into the thinking behind the record. Criddle Clayton wrote the article, and the full read went up through the link in the account bio. The post marked the start of an editorial side to the platform and gave a Los Angeles artist and songwriter a longer form feature.
@Rokeaux, @Criddle Clayton
Something Dope revisited a moment from the show it held for Kate Rose's single release, when a giveaway turned into a performance. The winner was unexpectedly asked to freestyle. Dabid Music, working the DJ set that night, had no advance warning and still had a beat ready to go, and the room got a full freestyle out of it. The brand called the moment epic and completely unplanned, and shared the footage as one of the standout memories from the night in Los Angeles.
@Kate Rose, @Dabid Music
The full year
48 moments in total, every one verified against the post it came from.
January 7 · for the ladies
On Instagram ↗The first all female lineup is announced for January 18, 2020 in Hollywood, with pop ups and an after party at Madame Siam. It becomes the brand's first spinoff format.
January 15
On Instagram ↗Something Dope pushed RSVPs for the upcoming event through the link in bio and told people the after party was right beside the venue, inviting the room to keep the night going after the show. The caption doubled as a recommendation to attend.
January 20
On Instagram ↗Something Dope reported back the morning after, calling the previous night amazing and describing it as a packed out show. The caption thanked everyone who came and reminded followers that events were happening every month, setting the expectation of a regular schedule rather than one off nights. It was one of the earliest posts where the brand publicly claimed a full room.
January 20
On Instagram ↗Something Dope posted a carousel from the night before, asking attendees to tag the brand in their own photos, and highlighted Bobbi Dean and her Diosa by Bobbi pop up inside the event. The mention marked one of the early vendor activations sharing the space with the live music, expanding what the room offered beyond the stage. The caption carried the community hashtag used to gather footage from each night.
@bobbi_dean
January 25 · for the ladies
On Instagram ↗The recap of the first Something Dope For The Ladies calls the night a movie. Tatyana hosted, Drea Faux Real held the decks, Flyana Boss performed, and over 150 people packed the Hollywood venue.
@Flyana Boss, @Tatyana, @Drea Faux Real
January 30 · for the ladies
On Instagram ↗Something Dope released a recap video from the last Something Dope For The Ladies, produced by U Wavee, and thanked host Trap Yana Ali along with everyone else involved in the night. The caption pointed viewers toward the next edition on February 5, using the footage to carry momentum from one Ladies event into the following one. The post documented the format settling into a repeatable monthly slot with a named host.
@u_wavee, @trapyanaali
February 3
On Instagram ↗Something Dope introduced Shaelle Etienne as one of the performers for its Wednesday show in Los Angeles, telling followers to watch her Honay music video on YouTube before she arrived. The post sat inside a run of short artist spotlights the brand published in the days ahead of the night, so the room would already know the catalogue of everyone stepping up. The announcement framed her set as a highlight of the bill.
@Shaelle Etienne
February 3
On Instagram ↗Something Dope announced Cami Petyn for its Wednesday show, noting that she had recently released her first single, Static, and that the music video had passed sixty thousand views in one week. The post told followers doors opened at 7 and invited them to catch her live. It was part of the brand's practice of giving each booked artist a dedicated spotlight so the audience arrived familiar with the music before the set began.
@Cami Petyn
February 3
On Instagram ↗Something Dope announced Taylor Morse for its Wednesday show at Foxhole Hollywood, telling followers she was bringing all the vibes. The post listed doors at 7pm with the show starting at 8. Foxhole Hollywood was the room where the brand had been building its Los Angeles nights, and the announcement was one of several artist spotlights published in the days before the bill to introduce each performer to the audience.
@Taylor Morse
February 4
On Instagram ↗Something Dope announced Two Neighbors for its Wednesday show in Hollywood, noting that their Do It For The Photos music video had already passed twenty thousand views. The post gave doors at 7pm and a show start of 8. Like the other announcements that week, it introduced the act with a piece of their released work so the audience recognised the material when the duo played it live on the brand's stage.
@Two Neighbors
February 4
On Instagram ↗Something Dope announced that Realakazi would perform new unreleased music at its Wednesday show at Foxhole Hollywood. The post gave doors at 7pm and pointed followers to the ticket link in the brand's bio. Premiering unreleased material was exactly the kind of moment the room was built for, and the announcement placed her alongside the other artists spotlighted in the days leading up to the bill.
@Realakazi
February 5 · for the ladies
On Instagram ↗The February 2020 Ladies night features Cami Petyn in her first performance ever, alongside Taylor Morse, Akazi, Shaelle Etienne, and Two Neighbors. Several artists on the bill arrive with fresh videos already gathering tens of thousands of views.
@Cami Petyn, @Taylor Morse, @Akazi, @Shaelle Etienne, @Two Neighbors
February 6 · for the ladies
On Instagram ↗Something Dope shared a photo from its night, calling it an amazing evening and singling out Sophia Pfister of Two Neighbors for killing it on stage. The caption asked attendees to tag the brand in their own photos from the room and carried the For The Ladies hashtag alongside the main one, marking the night as part of that series. The recap kept the audience involved in documenting what had happened.
@Sophia Pfister, @Two Neighbors
February 6
On Instagram ↗Something Dope thanked everyone who came out to support its night and highlighted that people made purchases in the room. Love Love Creations sold one of their pieces instantly, which the brand called out directly in the caption. The moment showed the events working as more than a stage, with independent creators set up alongside the music and finding buyers among the crowd that turned up for the show.
@Love Love Creations
February 7 · early days
On Instagram ↗Less than five months in, the team marks five very successful events and credits the people who attend. Events are already running monthly with pop ups, after parties, and a growing family.
February 7 · for the ladies
On Instagram ↗Something Dope posted a shoutout to Trapyana Ali, calling her the brand's dope host and saying it could not wait for the next ones. The caption carried both the main hashtag and the For The Ladies one, tying her to that run of nights. Naming the host publicly credited the person holding the room together between sets and signalled that more editions were already on the way.
@Trapyana Ali
February 15
On Instagram ↗Something Dope closed out its night by thanking everyone involved and all the artists who killed the stage. The recap video came from createdbyba. In the same caption the brand teased that it would return the following week with a special after party, the first hint of an expansion beyond the main show. The post worked as both a thank you to the performers and a setup for what came next.
@createdbyba
February 18 · alumni
On Instagram ↗Nisha brings a fresh gold record to the February 2020 stage and performs with her dancers. She is one of the earliest markers that the Something Dope stage attracts artists on the way up.
@Nisha
February 18
On Instagram ↗Something Dope shared a recap video from its last event, credited to u_wavee, and told followers to get familiar. The caption pushed straight into the next date, announcing that Saturday was going down. Posting footage from one night to build the crowd for the next became a regular rhythm for the brand, and this recap drew the strongest engagement of the run of posts around it.
@u_wavee
February 23
On Instagram ↗Something Dope posted a photo after its show, calling it a great night and asking attendees to tag the brand in their own pictures from the room. The caption stayed short and let the crowd carry the documentation.
February 23
On Instagram ↗Something Dope wrapped a night the team called epic and thanked everyone who filled the room. The recap credited every artist on the lineup for delivering, and singled out Liam Horne, whose album was set to arrive later that year. The post read as a straight thank you to the performers and the crowd who showed up, with no other details offered beyond the gratitude and the note about Horne's upcoming release.
@Liam Horne
February 24
On Instagram ↗Nisha performed for Something Dope alongside her dancers, and the team called the set incredible in its recap. The post thanked her directly for blessing the room and carried the brand hashtag, sharing a carousel of images from the performance. The caption offered no further detail beyond the credit to Nisha and her dancers, but it marked one of the few sets in this run that arrived with full choreography attached.
@Nisha
February 24 · for the ladies
On Instagram ↗Ashley Imani performed at a Something Dope For The Ladies edition and the team said she killed it. The recap thanked Ashley and everyone in attendance, then asked the crowd to tag the account in their own photos from the night. The post carried both the main brand hashtag and the For The Ladies hashtag, tying the performance to the women focused format the brand was running at the time.
@Ashley Imani
March 2
On Instagram ↗Something Dope gave a shoutout to DJ Dabid for keeping the room lit during the night, with photos from Cami J Fatat documenting the set. The caption kept it short, crediting the DJ for the energy behind the live performances. It was one of several posts in this stretch that credited the people working the room rather than only the artists on the microphone.
@DJ Dabid, @Cami J Fatat
March 3
On Instagram ↗Something Dope looked back at its most recent event, crediting Cami J Fatat for the photography and Nisha for her performance on the stage. The post doubled as a signal that another event announcement was coming soon. The caption stayed focused on those two credits, giving the photographer equal billing with the artist and keeping the room's documentation in view while the next date was still being finalized.
@Nisha, @Cami J Fatat
March 4
On Instagram ↗Something Dope shared a carousel of Ashley Imani from her performance, with photos credited to Cami J Fatat. The caption said she had it too lit and added nothing further. It followed the earlier recap that thanked Ashley for her set, extending the coverage of her appearance with a fuller gallery of images from the room.
@Ashley Imani, @Cami J Fatat
March 5
On Instagram ↗Something Dope released an official recap video of its most recent event, shot and edited by U Wavee. The caption called the night crazy and thanked everyone who came out, adding that another event announcement was arriving shortly. The reel gave the brand its first moving picture record of the night to sit alongside the photo galleries, and it kept attention on the room while the next date was being prepared.
@U Wavee
March 6 · party
On Instagram ↗Something Dope announced an event for the following week built in collaboration with Kate Rose, who was releasing her single "Outside." The post invited the community to come party with the brand and framed the night around her release. It marked a collaboration where an artist's own single rollout became the reason for the event, with Something Dope hosting the party around it.
@Kate Rose
March 10
On Instagram ↗Something Dope posted a carousel from the room with a note that you never know who is in attendance, telling followers to get familiar with the faces in the crowd. The caption asked attendees to tag the account in their own photos using the brand hashtag. It was a community post aimed at the people filling the room rather than the artists on the stage.
March 13 · early days
On Instagram ↗The Kate Rose single release party for Outside becomes the final event before the pandemic pause. The caption signs off with stay sanitized, a time capsule of March 2020.
@Kate Rose
March 13 · party
On Instagram ↗Something Dope shared a recap from the single release party it put on for Kate Rose, timed to her single "outside" arriving on all platforms. The clip pulled together moments from the room that night, from her set to the crowd celebrating with her. Camera work came from Haidinho and Focus with Joseph, who captured the performance and the energy around it. Posting the footage gave the community a record of the night and pointed listeners toward the release itself.
@Kate Rose, @Haidinho, @Focus With Joseph
March 15
On Instagram ↗Something Dope thanked Huni PV Productions for bringing a selfie booth to the event and turning it into a spot where guests documented themselves through the night. The brand asked everyone who took photos to tag the account so the images could be gathered under the somethingdopeforthepeople hashtag. The post kept the room going online after the doors closed and gave attendees a reason to send their own pictures back to the community.
@Huni PV Productions
May 20
On Instagram ↗Something Dope revisited a performance by Tray Haggerty, sharing archive footage of his set alongside a nod to his song "2 Sides". The post encouraged followers to go stream the record after watching the clip. Created By Ba shot the video. Sharing it during the spring of 2020 kept past stage moments in front of the community while live shows were paused, and it put an artist who had already performed for the room back in front of new listeners.
@Tray Haggerty, @Created By Ba
May 21
On Instagram ↗Something Dope looked back on a night when Allison Rose Williams serenaded the room, sharing an image from her performance. The caption paired the memory with a question the whole community was sitting with at the time, asking who else was ready for quarantine to end. With live shows on hold, the post used the archive to keep the feeling of the room present and reminded followers of an artist who had already sung for that crowd.
@Allison Rose Williams
May 27
On Instagram ↗Something Dope opened its platform to the community, inviting people to send in their stories and talent for a feature. The post asked followers to reach out by direct message or email for further information and to pass the call along to anyone with a story worth telling. It extended the brand beyond the stage and set up a channel for artists and community members to be documented directly by the account.
June 16 · party
On Instagram ↗Something Dope invited the community out for a Thursday party celebrating the birthday of Speed Suspects, also known as Joshua Shafighi. The night came together as a collaboration among several Los Angeles brands and creatives, with Something Dope as one of the partners. Entry ran on a guest list only, and the brand asked anyone who wanted in to send a direct message to inquire. The announcement pointed the Something Dope fam toward a room built with other creatives from the city.
@Speed Suspects, @Joshua Shafighi
June 18 · early days
On Instagram ↗The guest list comeback party in June 2020 sells out in two days. The caption reads sold out, see you all tonight family, this is just the beginning.
June 25 · party
On Instagram ↗Something Dope announced an EP release party for Jixi, held that Friday at Chance Vintage. The brand ran the night on a guest list and asked anyone who wanted to come kick it with the fam to send a direct message. Bad Nites and Chance Vintage were credited alongside the release, placing the show inside a partnership with the shop as a venue. The post gathered the community around an artist putting out a new project.
@Jixi, @Bad Nites, @Chance Vintage
July 1 · early days
On Instagram ↗With venues closed, the brand launches Something Dope: The Cyphers, a filmed rap series with XXL and BET cypher energy, days after publishing its first Dope People blog article. The community stays active while the stages wait.
July 27
On Instagram ↗Something Dope turned the focus onto its audience, sharing a photo from its own events and crediting the people who fill them. The caption said the events bring out the dopest people and that the brand would not be what it is without them. With live shows on pause in the summer of 2020, the account used the archive to keep the community close and to name the crowd as part of the brand rather than an audience sitting outside it.
July 29
On Instagram ↗Something Dope revisited a performance by Mike Parker, sharing a photo from a night when he sang directly to the room. The caption described it as a serenade, a slower moment inside the brand's live music programming. The post ran in July 2020, while gatherings were paused, and it worked as an archive entry that reminded followers what the stage felt like. Parker's set became one of the performances the account returned to when it wanted to show the tone of its rooms.
@Mike Parker
October 10 · party
On Instagram ↗Something Dope hosted an EP release party for Croosh, announcing it the same day it happened. The caption told followers capacity was limited and asked anyone who wanted to attend to send a direct message, so the guest list was handled privately through the account. The night centered on the artist's new project and gave the Something Dope audience a live gathering in October 2020, when rooms stayed small and entry was managed one message at a time.
@Croosh
The archive keeps growing