Katarina Castro on Merging Art, Hip-Hop, and Activism to Fight for Orca Freedom

Inspired by Blackfish and a deeply personal spiritual connection to the ocean, Katarina Castro has transformed her artistry into a bold platform for advocacy — using music, visual art, and performance to challenge captivity and amplify the call for orca liberation. Blending activism with hip-hop’s roots in resistance, her work pushes audiences to confront uncomfortable truths while reconnecting with empathy and purpose. Through her upcoming show, she hopes to ignite awareness, inspire compassion, and remind people that true liberation—of both humans and animals — begins with collective consciousness and action.

Katarina, this show blends music, activism, and art. What inspired you to use your platform to advocate specifically for orcas in captivity?
I literally saw Blackfish around the same time I started painting and it’s just been a snowball of a decade-long journey ever since. After I watched Blackfish, I painted a mixed media portrait of Tilikum the main Orca that the documentary centers and I don’t really know when but over time I started painting portraits of Orcas who died in captivity. I’m a Spirit Worker so being able to honor the dead through my art is very healing for me and I want to share that with the world. I’ve loved Orcas for a long time. I’ve been to SeaWorld as a child. I’m a 90s baby where Shamu commercials were always on ABC during the One Saturday Morning Once A Week 5 Hours Of Sumer line up. I never really thought about how Orcas got into tanks. I don’t know one day I just grew up and knew if I loved these animals I wouldn’t want to see them in captivity for entertainment. PETA more than likely played a roll in waking up to the cruelty orcas face in captivity. What is a tank to the rhythms of the Ocean? I have a real gift so if I can use my gifts to help liberate creatures who can’t liberate themselves I’m finna do it. I do feel my mission is divinely guided by my head Orisha Yemoja. Yemoja Mother Of The Ocean she wants her children back and we gunna try our hardest to get the job done.

You mentioned that hip hop shouldn’t align with spaces like SeaWorld. Can you expand on why that connection is important to challenge?
Hip Hop is the true language of the revolution. Born out of the gutters of The Bronx (my hometown) Hip Hop gave the people a new voice to share with the world what WE go through. The Bronx is still burning by the way and yet Hip Hop is now global and everyone is consuming it and stealing it and flipping n dipping it… Hip Hop is our liberation. SeaWorld started booking Hip Hop artists around 2022… Blackfish caused a huge dent in SeaWorld’s pockets. We were finally getting the ticket sales down but here we are in 2026 and a nice chunk of artists I’ve grown up on has taken to SeaWorld’s stage. The spell of Nostalgia is filling up them bleachers making the white CEOs of SeaWorld rich again. OLD WHITE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT GET PAID TO EXPLOIT STOLEN WILDLIFE IDGAF IF MOST OF THE ORCAS IN SEAWORLD ARE NOW CAPTIVE BORN THEY ANCESTORS WAS RAISED OUT THE OCEAN PUT INTO CRATES AND SHIPPED LIKE CARGO GROSS. I just don’t understand how we aren’t connecting the dots here… Hip Hop is being used as a token to keep them rich while making us poor. When our gods are starving for their children back we throwing it back paying to keep Orcas locked up and separated from their home……………… HELLO HELLO? Hip Hop is supposed to be bigger than that. Hip Hop is a tool for liberation not a weapon to endorse captivity.

Your work seems deeply influenced by Michael Jackson not just as an entertainer, but as an activist. How has his legacy shaped your approach to your own artistry?
Mike Jack raised me. I can call him that because we’re cool like that. (I never met Michael Jackson a day in his life lmfao but in spirit it’s lit) I don’t ever remember a time where Starseed Michael wasn’t in my life. I was born during the Dangerous era and baby I’m one of the most dangerous shorties you’ll ever meet, like we tryna change the world here! Before all else, I’m a dancer. I’ve been dancing since I was 3 years old, been on stage since I was 5. I don’t know any REAL dancers who aren’t influenced by MJ. His fits alone are a big inspiration to me. Growing up, I got to experience many versions of The King of Pop all at once but one thing I always remember vividly was how the world turned on Michael. My artistry actually suffered SEVERELY after what the media did to him. Being a child and seeing the media rip into not only Michael but Britney as well shattered my brain. Here were two mega-talented KIND-HEARTED stars who at one point everyone loved. Next thing you know, they are being relentlessly persecuted by the media… IT TERRIFIED ME. It was in those moments watching all these images flying past my grandmother’s TV that I decided I’m not actually going to really GO FOR IT. I stopped having that desire to be a mega star. I didn’t want to end up like Princess Diana. The King of Comedy & The King of Pop died in the same year btw. At some point a few years ago, I just decided who cares if you have a mission in your heart just go for it and fuck the mainstream media do it for yourself whatever happens to me happens to me.

The event includes performances, vendors, and a screening of Blackfish. What kind of experience do you want attendees to walk away with?
More than anything, I really want people to walk away with empathy and compassion in their hearts. I want people to walk away feeling connected to something bigger than themselves. I really want people to see that I am deserving of Support. I exist and I am here. I just want people to care… to have a vision for freedom across the spectrum that when we liberate others, we can liberate ourselves.

As you step on stage June 7th, what message do you most want people to feel and remember through your performance?
“I Am The Greatest, I Said That Even Before I Knew I Was.” – Muhammad Ali

THIS R3B3L DA R@PT0R I GET WHAT I WANT.

I want the audience to feel like they just got snuffed in the mouth by the greatest boxer of all time. It’s time to Wake Up Now. SHOW ME THE LITE!

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