Ari Miller is a New York based beat maker who started streaming from his bedroom in 2020. He grew his following by engaging with other popular streamers but where I learned about him was his from viral street performances where he dawns a 55-lbs mobile production studio. He puts on his backpack and walks around New York city with a keyboard, a BOSS RC-505 MKII Loop Station, a microphone, and a computer to run it all through Ableton.

The beats Ari makes are incredible and his production skills are going to win him a Grammy some day. It’s all off the dome live in front of people while walking down the street. Ari doesn’t stop at beats. He takes it to the next level and invites strangers to hop on the mic and he tailors the beat to their personal style and preferences. It’s improv. It’s art. It’s music. It’s communion. There’s something pure about the creativity happening.

What I think I like best about ARIatHOME is this: Seeing creative people expressing their gifts gives me hope. I know I’m watching six hour livestreams edited down to a 15 minute supercut, but Ari seems to have no trouble finding people who have talent and can rap. It might be becuase New York is the birthplace of hip-hop, but the city isn’t short of people willing to step up to the mic and drop some bars right there in the middle of the street.

I also love that ARIatHOME reinforces the mythos that New York is a city full of characters. On every block Ari seems to find someone with more personality than I’ve ever seen in my whole life. Bombastic people with big attitudes, next-level fashion, and outrageous rhymes. It’s like everyone in New York City has that main character energy and Ari seems to be able to draw it out and put it on full display.

The world needs less apartment tours and more of this.