Asha Santee

Multidisciplinary Artist

     In one box she drew an astronaut. Another, a scientist. The last, an artist. Who knew that a kindergartner’s dream would later be her reality. On September 3,1986, Asha “BOOMCLAK” Santee was born with a beat in her heart and has been rocking to it ever since. Following in the footsteps of her father, who played the drums for their local church, Asha started playing at the age of 6. The entrepreneurial bug bit her early and at 14 she was teaching drums to kids in her neighborhood. 

     After a successful high school basketball career, she received a full scholarship to play for Howard University and study Audio Production. By day, Asha was an athlete, but after practices, she would return to her dorm room to teach herself piano and music production. In an attempt to add some cool music t-shirts to her closet, she caught the train to the mall and to her surprise, her college budget could not afford her desires. She returned home with a $5 blank tee from Old Navy with dreams of painting for the first time, a musical design. In April 2007, her Junior year, Note 2 Self was born after her shirt caught the eyes of her teammates and campus. 

     In pursuit of a professional basketball career after college, a broken leg injury would put her through two months of bed rest and there, she would find clarity in her gift of music.  In 2017, she relaunched Note 2 Self with a refreshed approach to design, music, and community. Her affiliate program Bangin’ with BOOMCLAK offers affordable private and group drum lessons to kids and adults of all ages and provides a beat making program to black girls battling depression. Asha also launched The BootyHearts Art Gallery which is a growing 150 piece collection of original works inspired from music, relationships, and love. Recently, the gallery started the Equal WALLportunity Act which provides free art to homes in need during the COVID-19 quarantine. 

     Asha Santee’s passion for music and art have taken her all over the world as she has been asset to several bands across the DMV such as The Peace & Body Roll Duo BOOMscat, The CooLots, The Huda Asfour Trio, Grammy Nominee Carolyn Malachi,  and Grammy Award Winning, Mya. Asha currently has three solo projects on all streaming platforms including her latest release, GINKGO.  It is by far no mistake that she is not in outer space collecting moon samples or in a lab mixing potions for the next beauty elixir.  The vision was written and plain. Today, Asha Santee is an artist. Simple. Powerful. Inspiring. True.