Kaicie Boeglin
News Editor
Madminds Takeover is set to be the next big festival to blow up on the East Coast. Presented and founded by New Jersey native Turkish Royale, Madminds is a collective experience offering artists of all realms a place to immerse themselves. Musicians, artists, photographers, cinematographers, vloggers, podcasts, producers and vendors are all in attendance supporting a combination of a valued concert, networking and encapsulating the moment.
Picture the energy of Woodstock, the hype of a Beyoncé x Dre show and the spontaneity of a rock concert: that's Madminds. It's a place where you can be free to be yourself. The takeovers consist of featured artists with an open mic to start the show. Live drummers Droovy and Ryan Grasso, DJ Griffin Moonstone, various sponsors and vendors always create an iconic setting. Each and every takeover is hosted with love. Madminds also engages in straight open mics which always have an array of 50-60+ artists of all genres. “It is incredible how diverse the shows can be sometimes and we’ve even seen comedians perform between rappers and indie rock artists.” Turk told The Anchor.
Turkish Royale is a rapper himself and built Madminds around a group of fellow friends and musicians; based on a drawing from his brother. When asked what the Madminds family was, Turk said, “We’re all Madminds! I believe every human on the planet is one of us. They just don't know it yet haha, but between the supporters, the artists, the vendors, and all the people who come to the shows and understand the message of what we're doing, it really is an amazing family I’m honored to be a part of.”
In a clear definition Turk describes Madminds as “Madminds is everything. It is a place that's open to crazy ideas, and it’s the idea of making the world a better place, and believing that it's possible to truly make that difference. The events are the embodiment of that energy. It’s bringing people together and showing that when some creative minds get together they can create anything they envision.”
The Madminds Takeovers have the potential to grow as big as Warped Tour and currently go harder than the ending scene in “8 Mile”. The takeovers are a traveling event, bouncing around various venues on the East Coast. In the last year they have taken over New Jersey and are in the works of expanding to New York and Philadelphia, with offers coming in from other states as well. The next takeover will be at The Williams Center in Rutherford, New Jersey on April 28.
Turkish Royale works with a team of a dozen members and is creating new roles for more to come. “On the team we have a wide range of roles and positions [that span] from media; photo, video, editing, social media, writers, interns; to Ayoo Chill who hosts our live interviews and also contributes so much to the growth and organization of Madminds as a whole. Every one of the team members provide incredible value not only through physically being at every event, running their respective positions, but also in terms of providing ideas and taking initiative.”
Madminds began as a drawing of an atlas holding the world with the name inscribed. Now it is a group of innovators creating a grand showcase for all to feel like a true performer, while promoting creativity and a message to be oneself. Madminds Takeover is a safe place to dance your heart out, speak your truth and simply call home.