Zhalarina is a rapper/actress/playwright born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She wrote, produced, and starred in a three-part, autobiographical music video series with PBS Wisconsin entitled The Light, which won a 2020 Chicago/Midwest Emmy. Appearing on stages such as the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in London, Zhalarina has showcased her work globally and is currently gearing up for the tour of her recently released debut album, Again. Her one-woman show, Rose Gold, features six characters using rap and monologue to tell a story of Black motherhood and the glory of its daughters. She is also co-founder of The JVN Project, a hip-hop centered non-profit, where she now serves as chair of the Board of Directors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.