2023

By 2023, many of the ideas Muhammad had spent years developing were becoming visible on a much larger scale. The studio, MVSTERCAMP, and his work with St. Louis CITY SC were beginning to operate as parts of one larger mission: creating real platforms for St. Louis artists to be heard.

CITY SC’s inaugural season gave Muhammad an entirely new kind of stage. Through his role shaping the club’s musical experience, local artists were brought into matchdays, public events, and a rapidly growing culture surrounding the team. Music was not treated as background entertainment. It became part of how the club introduced itself to the city and how the city could recognize itself within the stadium.

At the same time, MVSTERCAMP continued developing into a community where artists could learn, experiment, perform, receive honest feedback, and connect with people who understood the challenges of building an independent career. What Muhammad had once done informally through conversations, studio sessions, and personal mentorship was becoming a more intentional system of artist development.

I documented performances, portraits, rehearsals, workshops, studio life, and the growing network of people surrounding the work. Events such as Music at the Intersection showed how the different parts of Muhammad’s world could meet—his own artistry, his commitment to mentorship, and his belief that St. Louis talent deserved access to meaningful stages.

The archive from this year became increasingly communal. Muhammad remained at the center of the story, but more and more of the photographs showed him creating space for someone else: introducing an artist, listening to unfinished music, offering guidance, celebrating a breakthrough, or standing just outside the spotlight while another person stepped into it.

Looking back, 2023 was the year the community Muhammad had been building began taking the stage for itself.