Q-Tip, Kanye & Friends Make Brooklyn Hip-Hop Fest Memorable
Ah, Brooklyn. The uninspired flavor of wildly varying culture, the brownstone housing and screeching of kamikaze cab wheels, the unending, faint scent of a nearby pizzeria... there's nothing quite like the neighborhoods just south of Manhattan's prodigious grid complex, home to a world of uniqueness and character.
With a rich atmosphere of culture and community, it's of mean surprise that the 2011 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, a week-long celebration of Brooklyn's unique community and Hip-Hop urbanity, culminating in an all-star musical extravaganza on the final day (Sat. July 16), was a fantastic success. Performances by Sean P, M.O.P., Kendrick Lamar, Diamond Ward and more were topped by a guest-packed performance by New Yorker and Hip-Hop legend Q-Tip of iconic rap outfit A Tribe Called Exploration. Hell, even Kanye showed up to show his love for the big B.
By celebrating the very things that enrich the city with such vivid disposition, Brooklyn has once again illustrated why it's a vital hub of Hip-Hop culture. Festivities began on July 11, with several varying events during the week, cardinal up to the Main Day finale. Monday was the Show & Prove Super Bowl, where up-and-coming rappers and artists who had in days of yore qualified competed for the chance to open at the main event. Tuesday, an art event entitled “Under The Favour” focused on celebrating the visually artistic side of hip hop, including famed hip hop photographer Jamel Shabazz and several other hip hop-connected artists. Wednesday, Brooklyn Bodega, the organizers of the festival, held Bodega Education Enterprise panel discussions on journalism and the music business.







