MuchMusic and RapCity are proud to support this summer’s UNITY event, which took place at Yonge and Dundas Square on July 14. Hosted by RapCity’s T-RexXx, the event featured performances from dancers, beatboxers, spoken word artists and more. Each week this month we’re featuring one of UNITY’s many talented artists. This week we shine the spotlight on Mike Posserman aka B-Boy Piecez. Click here to check out RapCity hanging out with the amazing young artists at UNITY.

UNITY Charity is an Arts Based Alternative Education Organization. UNITY engages youth 10 to 18 by implementing school and community programs helping youth positively express their stress and develop skills for success. UNITY empowers youth to make better choices as leaders, mentors and positive community role models leading to more productive citizens, safer schools, and healthier communities.

One of Mike’s largest accomplishments has included founding UNITY and seeing it grow from a volunteer organization to a Charity. Today UNITY has over 40 people on staff across the country. By grade twelve, Mike was accepted into the pool of performers for Cirque Du Soleil. He was honoured to be featured in the major motion picture Honey at the age of eighteen and performed alongside artists such as Kardinal Offishall, Shawn Desman, Maestro, Michie Mee and Jully Black.

Mike had the chance to compete in Japan, Italy, Holland, Thailand, California, Hong Kong, New York, Jamaica, Florida, Detroit, the Yukon and Chicago against many of the world’s top break dancers, placing first in over twenty two competitions. Break dancing helps Mike relieve the stress and anger in his life so that he can focus and make solid choices each day. W

In University, Mike founded a youth-led organization called UNITY Charity based on my high school project. Since then, UNITY has reached over 70,000 young people across the country through inspiring performances, workshops and after school programs. UNITY teaches youth to use break dancing, spoken word poetry, graffiti art and beat boxing as a means of expressing their stress and anger in a positive way. Mike was also blessed to have been a finalist for the Top 20 Under 20 award, received the Vital People award from the Toronto Community Foundation, was invited to present at TED x Youth Toronto and represented Canada with UNITY in Italy at the “WeFree Day” Drug Prevention Conference.

Mike’s plans as an artist within UNITY are to continue to be the role model to young dancers and young upcoming artists. Mike wants to be that positive role model for as many young people as he can not only as a dancer but also as a person. He hopes to reflect positive values on many young people across this country.

For more information, please visit: www.unitycharity.com

RapCity Guests