The intersection of music, healing, and entrepreneurship has always been a focus for Mandela Msanii. Born in San Francisco, and raised in Oakland CA, Mandela is a multifaceted singer-songwriter, actor, model, activist, and mentor using his life experiences to create a world of mentally stable and financially sustainable artists who work, heal, and create together.
In 2015, Mandela founded the Anyxmeans Collective to give QTBIPOC youth the tools to be proactive and productive about their life, mental health, and artistry. Since 2018, Mandela has facilitated and hosted restorative justice and mindfulness workshops for young people at Yr. Media formerly known as Youth Radio in Oakland CA, Clackamas Highschool, Arts and Technology Highschool, and Open School, Literary Arts in Oregon, and Counseling in Schools Mandela has also worked with Gendetspectrum and California State Northridge’s Pride Center.
In 2020, Mandela co-founded #BlkCannaJoy. A social justice lifestyle collective supporting the holistic rehabilitation of Black people through community-based projects, proactive care advocacy, cannabis education, and compassion. #BlkCannaJoy urges change for the empowerment of Black people. We aim to provide our community with tangible resources to provide access to alternative healing modalities.
Among the list of Mandela’s accomplishments as an artist are performances at the United Nations annual Commission of the Status of Women conference, Ohlone College, the National Queer Arts Festival, the Portland Art Museum, the Tenderloin Museum, and a role as “Adrian” in the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots play. In 2019 the Anyxmeans Collective was nominated for Best Open Mic and Best Underground Cultural event 2019 by the East Bay Express. Mandela’s most recent achievement in 2020 completing the Zoo Labs music accelerator program.