Latifa "Lady Atiya" Habibah
Project Manager
She is responsible for overseeing the planning, execution, and completion of projects within our organization. She is in charge of collaboration of cross-functional teaming, resources management, project progress/evaluation, and ensures that deliverables are completed on time, within scope, and within budget.
Bio
I am Latifa Atiya Habibah Cleveland, the Founder and Chairman of Dapdum Productions & Publishing LLC, which was established in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1999. A graduate of Schenley High School, Class of 1997, I had the privilege of exploring diverse opportunities as a vocalist in the vibrant Pittsburgh music scene.
Currently, my expertise lies in developing global digital ecosystems that bridge the analog and digital realms. In 2020, I was tasked with creating a remote digital office to facilitate virtual meetings and stream both digital and physical events in the Bay Area. This initiative supported nonprofits working to raise funds to combat food deserts, sustain local chefs’ businesses during the pandemic, and help their communities weather the effects of COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders. As I developed this digital space, I also created a cohort of independent artists eager to launch their own record labels and participate in a digital music collective. This transition led me to shift from operating an analog studio to a fully integrated digital network. Thus, Dapdum Music Collective was born, evolving into a global music technology company dedicated to assisting analog artists with web 2.0 solutions and establishing independent music 360 deals.
Through this process, I established a core network of artists within a Producer Collective. In 2021, I focused on curating live audio rooms on Clubhouse and organizing creative activations to empower 17 artists to form their own local LLCs, develop digital startups, and explore digital twin galleries and metaverses. As I embraced my role as a Web3 business developer, I introduced a digital residency program designed to help creatives build their business roadmaps and understand both decentralized finance (DeFi) and traditional business strategies. This included co-creating the Cre8tors DAO and co-founding the Cre8tive Seasons Gallery Collection from our New Jersey office, which was featured on OpenSea.
In 2020, I relocated to Texas to escape the California wildfires and to lay the groundwork for a physical A&R production studio, where creatives could learn to navigate working from home in a virtual office setting. As I scaled this second physical office amidst the challenges of COVID-19 and shelter-in-place, I recognized the growing importance of digital identities and the evolution of the traditional workforce. Technology’s rapid advancement, coupled with mass layoffs—particularly in the entertainment sector—prompted me to rethink how workforces engage in a world that is increasingly digital. During this time, I also sent my son to school for the first time, and as a former educator, I found myself addressing the unique challenges of onboarding people of all ages to new technologies.
As I continued to innovate within the Dapdum Music Collective—helping five core creatives build their dream music companies in five different cities worldwide—I watched my son thrive in a learning environment enriched by remote meetings, digital art, music, DeFi, and business systems. Together, we created the Captain Analog Digital Comic Series,and he became a recognized NFT artist, releasing his first album on Bandcamp.
Building on these experiences, I created the Dapdum Kids platform to bridge generational divides by offering educational mentoring and hands-on opportunities for children to develop skills in the digital space. The platform enables kids to explore their creativity, solve real-world challenges, and safely engage in beta testing skills while learning to build their own economies and virtual worlds. The goal is to impact local communities with a global reach, using a zero-budget, doughnut economic design.
At Dapdum, we focus on helping artists shape their own journeys, whether through startup or gig-economy models, and providing them with the tools they need to build sustainable marketplaces in their local communities. I curate digital workspaces tailored to these needs, creating bespoke toolboxes and structuring C-suites that allow creatives to manifest their companies and bring their visions to life.
The post-pandemic shift to hybrid work environments has presented both challenges and opportunities. These are the forces that drive me to stay motivated, solutions-oriented, and focused on innovation. My leadership principle is rooted in leading by example—guiding others through my own artistic vision as Lady Atiya, the multidisciplinary artist. As a music producer, educator, and immersive artist, I channel my creative energy into collaborative projects such as The Girl in the Matrix NFT and album series, which has propelled me into my role as project manager for the Rhyme Calisthenics Academy.