We caught up with the brilliant and insightful A’C.R.E.W. LLC a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

A’C.R.E.W. , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

A’ C.R.E.W. (Artist’s Creatively Recognizing Everyone’s Worth) started at the right time. As a large group, we all had to travel along our paths until God saw fit to bring us together as a collective. Our story could not have been written any better. We have grown so much since our first show in 2019. We have traveled and touched many stages together, and the blessings are still coming. God’s plan is always the best.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

The birth of A’C.R.E.W. came about when Dave Johnson decided to put together a showcase in 2019 called The Art of Storytelling: Poetry vs. R&B. This was the first time we came together in a battle of music and poetry. The chemistry between us made the show unique. Due to the success of The Art of Storytelling, we decided to form a group that would perform productions under the moniker of Poetry vs. R&B. The name A’C.R.E.W. came about because we want to embrace all creatives looking to follow their dreams in the arts. We often have guest artists join us for our productions. In 2020 our name and production became an official business as ACREW LLC.

Every member of A’C.R.E.W. has their brand and has released projects. The members include Dave DAVĒ Johnson (vocalist), LoveTies (Jamille and Dominicque Smith, Poetry Duo, and Hip Hop Artist), Val B. King (vocalist), Nolana “Liberty” Price (Poet), Britton Grace (Poet, Comedian, and Author), Coco Vonne (Model and Fashion Consultant) Anwar “Woe Jay Simpson” Winfield (Hip Hop Artist and Actor) Kenleeta Armstrong (Model, Esthetician, and Actress) Jeremy Holmes (Poet and Author) Racquel “Microphone Diva” Armstrong (Poet) and Jayden Fomby (Production Manager and Entrepreneur).

Our journey to this day has afforded us opportunities to put on productions both nationally and internationally. We have done remakes of the hit movies “Harlem Nights and Boomerang,” using music and poetry. All the members take on roles of the characters in the films and bring their A game. Our sold-out productions catapulted us into a brand that brought many more great productions to come. Other productions we have presented included The Art of Storytelling 1 & 2, an A’C.R.E.W. silent party, Artistic Expressions, Forbidden Vows, a recent performance in Los Angeles for the Player Networking Event for Superbowl 56 Weekend and an upcoming international performance in Dubai. As a collective, the ultimate goal of every production is to provide an unforgettable experience that will touch our audience’s minds, hearts, and souls.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A’CREW’s journey has been a continuous blessing and challenge simultaneously, so it’s many stories to tell when you have a large group of people and personalities. The beauty of A’C.R.E.W. is that we love and support each other outside of just performing together. We are not all about business. We spend a lot of time together. We share our successes and struggles with each other. We pray, meditate, hang out, motivate, hold each other accountable and push each other to extend beyond the limits we place on ourselves. It’s been a learning experience for all of us, but the level of commitment we all have due to having the same vision is what sets us apart from other groups. So many times, we had to pivot, be it in our personal lives or minutes before a production. But we adjust, adapt, support, and make it work.

What do you find most rewarding about being creative?

The most rewarding part of being creative artists is the growth and opportunities that have been afforded to us in a short time because we hit the ground running and never stopped. God has blessed us both collectively and individually in so many ways. Outside of being performance artists, we all have 9 to 5 jobs, and some have spouses and children. We have careers from manufacturing to nursing, educators to banking, and we are all entrepreneurs. We specialize in providing our audiences with an experience instead of just a show as a collective. We create customized productions around what clients want to accomplish for their events. No two shows are alike; you never know what may happen during a performance. We are known for being a family of artists full of surprises when we put a production together. What sets us apart is that we always move as a unit. We are so in sync with each other that it is sometimes scary. We are often told that people can see our chemistry as a family.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://acrew216.wixsite.com/cleveland
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acrew216/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acrew216
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCIbyiJ1unGNaejH2MNZ_2w
• Other: https://artistecard.com/ACREW

Image Credits
Dream Architects
Camcorder Media