Beats Rhymes & Life

Name

Beats Rhymes & Life

Legal name

Beats Rhymes and Life Inc.

Website

https://brl-inc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health and Therapeutic Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & MTSS/RTI Tiered SEL Supports (EDAKAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs & Supports (EDAJAIAC), Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAL), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)

Keywords

• Hip hop therapy
• Youth mental health services
• Train the provider
• Therapeutic activity groups
• Workforce development pipeline

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, BRL relies on donations from individuals and organizations. The organization runs campaigns such as the 'Deeply Rooted' campaign and Giving Tuesday campaigns.
2. Training Contracts: BRL generates revenue through training contracts with mental health providers, schools, and juvenile justice systems. By 2014, BRL had secured training contracts with five of Northern California's largest mental health providers.
3. Government Grants and Medi-Cal Reimbursement: BRL provides Tier 3 treatment services to Medi-Cal eligible youth under age 21 meeting medical necessity criteria for EPSDT. Government funding and grants from Alameda County Health Care Services Agency support operations.
4. Merchandise Sales: Organization operates an e-commerce shop selling merchandise including apparel and accessories. Products are priced at $0.00 pending launch.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Beats Rhymes and Life (BRL) delivers a proprietary Hip Hop Therapy model that uses rap music creation as a therapeutic intervention for at-promise youth of color and marginalized youth ages 12-26. Services are organized in three tiers (outreach/prevention, Therapeutic Activity Groups, and Medi-Cal billable clinical treatment), co-facilitated by licensed clinicians, teaching artists, and peer mentors. The organization also licenses its methodology to external providers through a Train-the-Provider program and runs a career pathway Academy for Transitional Age Youth.

Product overview

Beats Rhymes and Life (BRL) operates a multi-component social services portfolio centered on its proprietary Hip Hop Therapy model. The core offering is a three-tier therapeutic program (Tier 1-3) using hip-hop music creation as therapeutic intervention, delivered through Therapeutic Activity Groups (TAGs) co-facilitated by clinicians, teaching artists, and peer mentors. Adjacent programs include the Training Department offering Train-the-Provider certification and Best Practice trainings to social service agencies, and BRL Academy providing a career pathway program for transitional age youth through WISE and STEP initiatives. The organization also produces documentary films and hosts quarterly Youth Showcases. A merchandise shop rounds out the portfolio. The architecture is a platform-plus-programs model where Hip Hop Therapy serves as the foundational methodology that trains other providers and develops youth careers within the social services field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hip Hop Therapy Program Three-tier mental health service model using hip-hop music creation as therapeutic intervention for at-promise youth. Tier 1 provides outreach, prevention, and assessment for ages 12-18; Tier 2 offers early intervention through 18-week Therapeutic Activity Groups (TAGs); Tier 3 delivers clinical treatment for Medi-Cal eligible youth meeting EPSDT criteria.
• Therapeutic Activity Groups (TAGs) Co-facilitated groups led by a mental health clinician, a Hip Hop artist, and a peer mentor. Groups run 18 weeks, produce a final album, and culminate in youth showcase performances. Each group serves 6-10 youth in schools, community sites, and mental health settings.
• A Lovely Day Documentary Award-winning documentary film released in 2012 showcasing the power of Hip Hop Therapy in driving meaningful change in Oakland. Premiered at Grand Lake Theater and earned numerous awards on the independent film circuit. Airs nationally on Revolt TV.
• Train-the-Provider Program (TTP) Scalable training program that prepares social service providers to adopt and implement the proprietary Hip Hop Therapy model within their own service delivery, enabling them to address trauma and mental health issues among youth. Has trained close to 5,000 providers since 2012.
• Best Practice Training Series Interactive trainings disseminating best practices and encouraging strength-based, youth-centered, and culturally responsive approaches when working with marginalized youth in mental health, school, juvenile justice, foster care, and community systems.
• BRL Academy Career pipeline program for Transitional Age Youth (TAY) ages 18-26 in Alameda County. A holistic wrap-around services program nurturing the next generation of helping professionals through a tailored curriculum, including the WISE and STEP initiatives.
• BRL Shop E-commerce store offering merchandise including apparel and accessories (shirts, hi-fi headphones, and other items) priced at $0.00 pending launch.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant improvements in mood and self-esteem reported by participants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Kings County Behavioral HealthcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Kings County Behavioral Health in Hanford, California received BRL's Train-the-Provider program, enabling local providers to adopt and implement the Hip Hop Therapy model within their service delivery.
• Turning Point Community ProgramscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Turning Point Community Programs in Sacramento, California partnered with BRL to receive Train-the-Provider programming, extending Hip Hop Therapy to youth in the Sacramento region.
• California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CiBHS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012CiBHS recognized BRL's Hip-Hop Therapy model as a Community-Defined Practice (CDP) for Transitional Age Youth (TAY), providing official recognition of the organization's innovative methodology in the mental health field.
• Seneca Family of AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership with Seneca Family of Agencies enabled BRL to extend Hip Hop Therapy to youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems across Oakland and San Francisco. This partnership was instrumental in establishing The Academy, a comprehensive wrap-around services program for transitional aged youth.
• Edgewood Center for Child and FamiliesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMental health training client receiving BRL's best practice techniques and training methodologies.
• Lincoln FamiliesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMental health training client receiving BRL's best practice techniques and training methodologies.
• Alameda County Health Care Services AgencycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGovernment partner for workforce development initiatives and provider training programs in Alameda County.
• ZFF (Zendesk Foundation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNoted as a notable partner with logo displayed on BRL website.
• 00WF (Unlocking Opportunities Working Foundation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNoted as a notable partner with logo displayed on BRL website.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Steve Fund: National nonprofit focused on the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color, including programming, training, and crisis response for students and emerging adults. Highly comparable to BRL in target population, cultural-congruence framing, and provider-training approach.
• National Crittenton: National nonprofit focused on healing-centered engagement and advocacy for girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth impacted by systemic inequity, including trauma-informed workforce development. Comparable to BRL in healing-centered, culturally-congruent service model and youth-workforce pipeline.
• Active Minds: National nonprofit providing mental health awareness, education, and peer-to-peer programming for young adults primarily in higher education. Comparable to BRL in youth mental health mission and peer-led engagement model, though BRL is more clinical and K-12 focused.
• Youth Villages: Large national nonprofit providing mental health, residential, and community-based services for children and youth in or at risk of entering the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Comparable to BRL in serving youth in foster care/juvenile justice and delivering mental health services via trained provider networks.
• The Brotherhood/Sister Sol: New York-based youth development organization serving Black and Latinx youth with Afrocentric programming that combines arts, education, and social-emotional support. Comparable to BRL in mission, target population, arts-based engagement model, and age range.
• The Jed Foundation: National nonprofit protecting teen and young adult mental health and suicide prevention through school and college programming. Comparable to BRL in youth mental health focus, school-based delivery, and provider/educator training content.

Regional players

• The Door (NYC youth services): New York City-based comprehensive youth services organization providing mental health, education, career, and arts programming to young people ages 12-24. Comparable to BRL in integrated therapy + arts + career pathway model, though geographically focused on NYC and broader in scope.

Broad incumbents

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Large national mental health advocacy and education organization offering support groups, public education, and provider training. Comparable to BRL in mental health focus and provider/family training offerings, though BRL is more clinically oriented and youth-of-color focused.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth-development organization providing after-school programming, mentoring, and increasingly SEL/mental health supports to young people. Comparable to BRL in youth-services mission and presence in underserved communities, though operating at much larger scale and broader scope.

Emerging players

• Center for Native American Youth: National nonprofit advocating for and supporting Native American youth well-being through leadership development, mental health, and culturally-grounded programming. Comparable to BRL in culturally-congruent, youth-led, and identity-affirming mental health approach for marginalized youth populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hiphoptherapy
• Facebookfacebook.com/hiphoptherapy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brl-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Beats Rhymes & Life