FREE RAP
As sunsets gave way to streetlights in the South Bronx of the '70s, innovative teens converged at city parks and created hip-hop culture. Some thirty years later the 2nd annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival transports the party to a less hardscrabble turf, DUMBO, and translates the vision for a disparate bunch, generation Y hip-hoppers. The festival's impressive lineup shines equal spotlight on a veteran, Big Daddy Kane, a rising star, Lupe Fiasco, a funky talent, Sleepy Brown, hip hop instrumentalists, The Procussions, and even a homegrown songstress, Maya Azucena. Chicago's Rhymefest, a larger-than-life emcee with a down-to-earth approach to hip-hop, returns to the festival after sharing last year's stage with Leela James and Little Brother. Best known for penning much of Kanye West's Grammy-winning "Jesus Walks," the gregarious entertainer with a self-described "moral compass" promises a religious experience akin to the hysteria of late eighties Michael Jackson concerts. The open air affair is a sure bet for those able to secure free tickets available through registration at the festival's website: www.brooklynbodega.com.