Emerging from the Black underground sound, Cleo Reed moves fluidly between participatory art, music composition, instrument making, installation, and textile art. Raised in NYC and Washington D.C., the artist released the widely acclaimed double LP CUNTRY in 2025. The work seamlessly weaves American work songs in the tradition of blues, soul, folk, and country with dystopian electronic rap. Within this duality, opposing forces are negotiated—capturing the sharp contrasts between Reed’s urban upbringing and Southern roots.