On the summer evening of Tuesday, Aug. 15, Shakey Graves pulled a crowd of friends, strangers, and lovers to the rooftop of New York City’s Pier 17. On their “Movie Of The Week Tour,” Shakey Graves is celebrating the release of their newest EP, Big In The World. New York City was lucky enough to be a stop on Shakey Graves’s map, for the performance was unlike anything else the rooftop has seen before. As the unique sunset of pearly pink tufts and layers of soft yellow fortified, the perfect evening settled and waited for the show to begin.
Photograph by Emma Dowd.
Lucius, the opener, put on a riveting show of their own. The Brooklyn-born indie-pop band successfully combined the subgenre of alt-pop with disco tech, which called for a dancey audience. The crowd sang along with the instruction of lead singers, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig. Their matching hot pink blazers couldn’t be missed, neither could their impressive lyricism and captivating stage presence.
The duo left the stage, while the band held the set with an instrumental serenade. After a brief interlude, Wolfe and Laessig returned in disco-tile mini dresses. They made their way to the center of the audience, and the entire venue took a seat to listen and admire. At the center of gracious applause, Lucius closed out their performance.
Photograph by Emma Dowd.
In between Lucius’s and Shakey Graves’s set, the rooftop filled up with fans. A vital cooling August breeze rolled off the East River and sewed its way between the bodies of the crowd. With the wind came a threatening sheet of gray clouds holding in their bellies of rain, but the crowd stood unwavering, true to Pier 17’s rain-or-shine nature. Thankfully the weather prevailed, and the night remained nothing short of perfect.
As the sun finally set vocalist of Shakey Graves, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, made his way onto stage dressed in all black, from his cowboy hat down to his boots. It was just him on the stage for the first two songs. During that time he introduced himself with his guitar and established his tuneful and guttural vocals. He spoke about the theme of his show before singing his song “Late July,” saying “The running theme of tonight’s music is that time flies by.” In New York City fashion, time whirred around and above the audience, across the Brooklyn Bridge, and in the flickering seconds of the downtown skyline. Though, time moved slowly on the rooftop, for the audience swallowed every guitar strum and studied the lyrics like a hymn.
Photograph by Emma Dowd.
The rest of his six man-band joined him for the third song of the set. Cameron Neal, Patrick O’Connor, and Taylor Craft owned the strings. Matt Pence conducted the versatile percussion, and Dancey Jenkins commanded the keys. The sound was immediately elevated, and the smokey influences of blues, folk, country, and psychedelic rock could be heard clearly and with intent.
Photograph by Emma Dowd.
The music became something tangible through the physical effect it had on the audience. It became elusive as it settled as personal emotion in everyone’s gut. Pockets of people danced barefoot on the concrete, piling up their shoes, tossing their bags, and stomping on the rooftop. There was something about Shakey Graves’ music that was so raw, so human, that it elicited movement. Music can do that, it makes the body want to feel the ground connect with its soles, meet skin with every beat, and allow the passage of the body to really feel the relationship between sound and soul.
Photograph by Emma Dowd.Photograph by Emma Dowd.
The band paused their performance for Rose-Garcia to make a toast. “I want to congratulate all of you on making it through some crazy shit… I have a lot of things I love that I need to be more grateful for, family and friends… to you and yours, may you live forever. Cheers.” A roar of gratitude washed from the crowd onto Shakey Graves. Audience members embraced each other and smiled endearingly at their best friends and lovers, daughters and sons, mothers and fathers. Bodies held each other a bit tighter, and stood a bit closer, as the rest of the show unfolded.
Photograph by Emma Dowd.
Shakey Graves’s music spotlights the romance, the pain, the peace, that comes with falling in and out of love with people, places, and moments in time. It’s the moments of transition, realization, and reckoning that live in their lyrics. People sang their songs like they would solidify a promise, so faithful and sure. The rest of the evening consisted of songs of old and new. Rose-Garcia spoke on his relationship with New York City, one he created when he was young and “flat broke,” which landed relatable to the crowd of New Yorkers. He told the birth story of his hit single, “Tomorrow” (released in 2016), and how he wrote it during his time in the city.
The band left the stage, but the crowd remained in hungry anticipation of an encore. Sure enough, the band met the audience’s needs and returned to the stage for a branding final performance. People towards the spacious back end of the crowd let loose, dancing with their entire bodies and singing with their hands clasped to their chests. The band expressed their gratitude once more, and Rose-Garcia introduced his band members. When it came time for Shakey Graves to leave and the lights to turn on, everyone remembered it was a Tuesday night. Time sure had flown by, just as the band promised it would.
The Joe Marcinek Band will take the state at Iridium Jazz Club in NYC on Aug. 26. The evening will also feature multiple guest musicians who look to compliment the vibrant and engaging sounds of the band.
Uniquely, the Joe Marcinek band is a carousel of different musicians and set lists. Each performance is made to be its own individual experience. The music varies from the psychedelic tones of the Grateful Dead to the brassy sound of Chicago Blues.
Baltimore’s renowned Dennis Chambers will be on drums during the evening. A longtime fixture in the East Coast jazz scene, Chambers began performing at just six years old. Despite lacking formal training, he has gone on to share the stage with the likes of John Scofield, Santan, Mike Stern, and Parliament/Funkadelic. As a teenager the drummer was recruited to be a part of the storied Sugar Hill Label. Chambers will be joined by legendary harmonica figure Howard Levy. Backing them all up is percussionist Jason Hann, who cut his teeth with The String Cheese Incident.
Lending his keys to the night is jazz pianist Jesus Molina. The Columbian-born artist has made a name for himself in the world of jazz. Originally a saxophonist, Molina transitioned from saxophone to piano as a teen. Cincinnati vocalist Reilly Comisar and bassist Ola Timothy will also be performing during the evening.
Click here for more information on the event and ticket details.
World Music Institute recently announced that Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily will be stopping at The Town Hall in Manhattan on September 14. The event will be a performance of the group’s self-titled 2023 album titled Love In Exile. Together, the trio concoct mesmerizing music by incorporating sonic elements from around the world.
Brooklyn-based vocalist Arooj Aftab burst onto the scene with her captivating debut project Bird Under Water in 2015. Since then, the Pakistan-born artist has been making waves for her alluring voice and varied musical range. With Love In Exile, Aftab partnered with esteemed pianist Vijay Iyer and instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily to create a project unlike many others.
Jazz and South Asian traditions help to influence the sound of Love In Exile. Despite the album’s footing, it is a swirling and genreless piece of music. The project is as eerie as it is entrancing, and is truly a unique listening experience. As a group Love In Exile aims to deliver a spellbinding live show. The trio dips into the improvisatory soul of jazz and the Urdu poetic tradition to create a performance full of “timeless beauty and sudden surprise”.
What Is World Music Institute?
World Music Institute was founded in 1985 and has long stood as one of the pillars of American music and dance. The non-profit looks to bring the best music from around the world to venues throughout New York City. WMI attempts to foster awareness and appreciation for the cultural traditions of people across the globe through performances and conversations. The New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs partially support the program.
Kalia Vandever, a Brooklyn trombonist and composer, will open the show. Vanderver’s nuanced approach to the trombone is distinctive and defined by her resounding tone and lyrical improvisational voice. We Fell In Turn, her debut solo album, released back in March and featured works for trombone, voice, and electronics.
Here for tickets and more information about Love in Exile.
There is perhaps nothing more synonymous with hip-hop than New York City. The genre was birthed, nourished, and has continuously evolved thanks to the five boroughs. From hip-hop’s Jamaican influence to its eventual inception on the streets of the Bronx, NYC has helped to propel hip-hop into the mainstream giant that it is today.
New York City has produced an endless list of iconic and influential hip-hop figures, from the all important Grandmaster Flash, to The Notorious B.I.G, and even to groups like Wu-Tang. The city has been a hotbed for rappers and hip-hop artists throughout much of the genre’s history. Acts like Nas, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Nicki Minaj have not just become rap superstars, but have elevated to some of the biggest names in all of music.
NYC Rapper Nas performing
NYC DOMINANCE
Part of the aura and mythos surrounding New York is not just the artists that are associated with the region, but also the way that the city itself has influenced the music. Having originated in the Big Apple, hip-hop was inherently New York. From its embryonic stages in the ’70s to its “gangsta” personality in the ’90s, the genre’s identity has been linked to NYC for much of its lifespan.
For close to 30 years the “sound” of hip-hop was the “sound” of New York. Characterized by confident flows, lyrical versatility, classic samples, and an atmosphere of authenticity, “East Coast Rap” was the ultimate standard.
Historically, hip-hop acts from the city have dominated, whether it be commercially or critically. Seven of the top 25 highest selling hip-hop albums belong to New York artists, a mark higher than any other city . Additionally, of the twelve rappers/hip-hop artists currently in, or scheduled to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, seven come from NYC, with two more representing Long Island.
Hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash
The popularity and success of hip-hop in NYC led to the genre’s diaspora throughout much of the United States. By the mid to late ’90s Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta were all major players in the scene. Artists like Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Outkast, Lil Wayne, Common, etc. all had tremendous success being outside of NYC, however up until the last 10-15 years it was still the Empire City that really moved the needle.
A CRUMBLING EMPIRE
Despite NYC’s hip-hop pedigree, the “East Coast” sound that made it so influential has become quieter and quieter in recent years. Instead, influences of trap, drill, cloud rap, and even reggaeton have filtered into the city to create a diverse, intricate, and hard to pin down sound from many NYC artists. Even with the likes of rappers like Joey Badass, Fabolous, and Roc Marciano, the often grimy, word play heavy, and sample laden sounds of the ’80s through early 2000s East Coast rap has largely dissipated from the city.
As NYC has lost its sound, other cities have refined theirs. Today, avid hip-hop fans will easily be able to identify where certain artists are from within seconds of hitting the play button. Acts like 21 Savage, Lil Baby, and Migos all have a distinct sound and atmosphere that connects them with Atlanta. Other artists like GloRilla, Moneybagg Yo, Key Glock, and the late Young Dolph boast specific features and elements that represent Memphis.
On Complex’s 2023 list of “The Best Rap Cities Right Now”, NYC sat at #2, yet there was no city with more of a musical or even social disconnect between its most prominent artists. In terms of musicality, and apart from maybe an accent, there is very little that artists like Ice Spice, A$AP Rocky, Fivio Foreign, and Nicki Minaj have in common.
Nicki Minaj
“As a whole town we’re losing… I’m talking about the new New York, who do they have to look up to? We’re losing identity and it’s crazy because we was the treadsetters,” Queens legend N.O.R.E. said in a 2013 interview with DJ Vlad.
Not only has there become a stylistic schism in NYC but there has been a long standing adversarial attitude amongst many of its biggest artists. Of course there’s the well publicized beef between Jay-Z and Nas, then there’s 50 Cent taking on all of NYC, and in the 2010s it was Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. While other places were fostering and supporting new sounds, promoting upcoming artists, and building together, many New Yorkers were divided.
“The older rappers that were already situated in the city didn’t pay up-and-comers no mind if they didn’t sound like the old sound. Bobby Shmurda was the first one with a newer sound, a different sound, that was accepted by New York City hip-hop culture,” Jamel Robinson, the host of Brooklyn rap Youtube Channel Melz TV said in an interview with Complex.
The mention of Shmurda’s name also shines a light on another troubling aspect of NYC’s identity crisis. Controversy and tragedy have plagued the city’s biggest and brightest stars. Shmurda burst onto the national stage after the release of his mega-hit “Hot N*gga” in 2014. Proudly repping NYC, the then 19-year-old became an internet star, spawning viral trends and memes all around social media. Just two years later however, Shmurda would be sentenced to seven years in prison after facing conspiracy and weapons charges. The rapper helped to pave the way toward a renewed New York sound and image, but his untimely removal from the game left NYC without another trailblazer for years.
Bobby Shmurda
Unfortunately, the artist that would garner the same kind of attention as Bobby would also have a short run at the top. Fellow Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke took hip-hop by storm in 2019. Blending Chicago and UK Drill with a distinctly New York attitude, the artist was hailed as one of the next Brooklyn legends. But, while renting a house in LA in February of 2020, Pop Smoke was tragically shot and killed during a botched home robbery. Once again the city was left without an artistic talisman.
Warning signs of NYC’s eventual fall from hip-hop have been there for years. Even New York’s own have referenced the influence of other locations and subgenres. In A$AP Rocky’s 2011 song “Palace”, he sings “Harlem N*ggas gon’ be feelin’ this, East Coast n*gga but how trill is this?” alluding to the Houston slang term “trill”. Rocky goes onto praise the Texas city later in the track rapping “Influenced by Houston hear it in my music, a trill n*gga to the truest, show you how to do this”.
The Harlem’ native’s love for Southern sounds helps to demonstrate the way in which New York artists have grown to accept and incorporate other attributes of hip-hop. While New York’s current sound may represent the diversity within music and the area’s population as a whole, it diverges from the hip-hop legacy that was crafted there. Without identifiable qualities and features, it makes it hard to discern a “New York City” artist from any other act.
Perhaps New York’s current lack of identity is due to the natural evolution of genres, especially in a place that has such deep roots in one specific kind of music. It may be the normal progression of any artistic originator to eventually move on from the elements and features that made it so special to begin with.
Whether it be because of a natural artistic change, tension between artists, or even just “bad luck”, New York City’s reputation in hip-hop has faded over the last 10-15 years.
Pop Smoke
UPSTATE IS THE NEW “EAST COAST”
But, as the longstanding “East Coast” sound has begun to leave the blocks of New York City, a refurbished sound has traveled upstate, seeping into cities like Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, and most notably Buffalo. These cities have partially curated their own subgenre of hip-hop, characterized by many of the same ideas, trends, and themes that helped to establish NYC as a mecca.
The most notable of these artists hail from Buffalo and are a part of the “Griselda” collective. Spearheaded by Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, and Westside Gunn, the three have helped to carry the torch for the “new wave” of hip-hop coming out of Upstate New York.
While they all certainly have their own individual characteristics, like Westside’s unique flow or Benny’s confident delivery, their music all shares similar themes and perhaps most apparent, a certain atmosphere. Defined by lyrics about drug dealing, street smarts, high fashion and systematic failures, their content is the musical offspring of acts like Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, Onyx, and even early Jay-Z.
“I just do me and if you like it, you like it, if you don’t, you don’t… me being a real individual, people love that. It’s enough to build a cult following. It’s not a gimmick, this is just what we do for real, ” Westside Gunn said in an interview with Complex.
Westside Gunn
Conway’s authenticity and edge mirrors much of the sentiment that ’90s and traditional East Coast rappers were known for. The success of Griselda has helped to provide sustenance for a section of hip-hop fans who have been starving for a more gritty and dark sound.
It’s all the way left [west] from the City but the mindset is similar, very similar
It’s not just the lyrics and attitude of Griselda that calls back to the boom-bap era of East Coast rap, it’s also their production. For years the trio has enlisted the help of the producer Daringer, who has seemingly managed to hold onto all the unused samples, sounds, and techniques that legends like DJ Premier and RZA would’ve craved for.
In an era where hip-hop production is full of cheap snares, 808s, synths, overdone bass, and half-baked samples, Griselda and Daringer combine to create beautifully violent, vivid and foreboding records. Even lacking drums at times, their tracks provide a listening experience unlike anything in contemporary hip-hop.
Streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music can easily expose lovers of Griselda to other similar artists. And after some quick research it’s clear to see that a lot of these “similar artists” come from Upstate New York.
Whether it’s Syracuse’s Stove God Cooks, Rochester’s 38 Spesh, or the plethora of other Buffalo artists, there is a blossoming of rap talent in Upstate New York. While this vibrant and nostalgic subgenre has been making waves in and amongst hip-hop heads for years, it has yet to make a big splash in the mainstream.
“It’s more about being creative, making dope music, and just solidifying my name. I don’t give a fuck about none of the other shit,” Stove Good Cooks told Peter Rosenberg in a conversation with Hot 97.
Despite the individual success of some artists in the subgenre, there has yet to be a track or album that has crossed over into popular music. Benny The Butcher gained notoriety for having J.Cole on “Johnny P’s Caddy” while Conway and Westside appeared on Ye’s Donda. With that being said there is still a disconnect between mainstream hip-hop lyricists like Cole, Kendrick, Cordae, JID and many acts from the grimier subgenre.
Buffalo rapper Che Noir
Although widespread commercial success has evaded the subgenre as a whole, the influence and inspiration that it has supplied cannot be ignored. Back in 2021 Tyler, The Creator credited Westside Gunn for “making me want to rap again”. Additionally, legendary comedian Dave Chappelle has gone on stage to shout out Griselda.
Thanks to the ground covered by some of the larger acts in the subgenre, rappers like Rome Streetz, Che Noir, Mach-Hommy, plus producers like Conductor Williams have all been able to shine. Even without large-scale commercial backing, the subgenre has provided some of the most talented and innovative artists in contemporary hip-hop.
As hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, the genre has never been more accessible, popular, or accepted. While the future trends and sounds that will define New York hip-hop are unknown, it seems all but certain that artists outside of the traditional NYC metro will have an impact. Amongst a flurry of sonic changes and social media fads, there’s something refreshingly nostalgic about the style of hip-hop emanating from Upstate. Although NYC has relinquished its throne as the genre’s king, the state of New York is still an important thread in hip-hop’s cultural and musical web.
Legendary comedian Dave Chappelle recently announced his fall tour which includes four stops in NYC. Dave Chappelle Live gets underway on August 22, 23, 25, and 26 from the world famous Madison Square Garden.
Chappelle is widely regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. His work includes multiple stand-up specials, his own sketch show, appearances on Saturday Night Live, and acting. In 2019 Chappelle was awarded the illustrious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. All in all the comedian has racked up five Primetime Emmy Awards and four Grammys.
Attendees at the show will be prohibited from using cell phones, cameras, or other recording devices during the performances. Upon arrival, all phones and smart watches will be secured until the end of the show. Guests will still have possession of their phones however use is only permitted in designated areas. Anyone caught with a cellphone in the venue will be immediately ejected.
Dave Chappelle Live is presented by Pilot Boy Productions. Originally founded by Chappelle in 1992, Pilot Boy looks to deliver quality and thought-provoking concerts, films, television shows, and live events.
Pre-sale tickets start on July 26 with general on-sale tickets dropping on July 27. Here for tickets and more information.
Dave Chappelle Live Dates
Tue Aug 22 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Wed Aug 23 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Fri Aug 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden – NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Sat Aug 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden – NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Maya Donovan has just released her latest single “Lenox,” a contained ballad that recounts the residual emotions created through trauma. This track sees Donovan embrace rich bass lines, complex vocal harmonies, and a uniquely electric piano tone to establish her signature sonic environment.
Following her 2018 debut EP and her new successful single “We Should Get Dinner,” Maya Donovan is hopeful to bring her mellow compositions to audiences through a string of upcoming single releases. Her music is beautifully made, blended with her heartfeltly modern lyricism.
Maya Donovan is a 24-year-old singer-songwriter raised and based in Brooklyn whose style draws on a host of genres: folk, soul, pop, and jazz. A masterful storyteller, Donovan writes of the most painful parts of life with unflinching honesty, empathy, and humor. Her rich voice, armed with delicate control, will pull you into her music and keep you there.
Since almost as early as she could talk, Maya Donovan has been writing tunes to express her innermost feelings. Most recently, Donovan continues to utilize songwriting to chronicle her battles with anxiety and her constant re-discovery of herself through adolescence and young adulthood.
A graduate of New York City’s prestigious LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts (the “Fame” school), Donovan has been making music for as long as she can remember. Some of her first songs she wrote before the age of 10, hunched over a first-generation iMac computer. Donovan comes from a long line of creatives: daughter of Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Vanessa Roth, and granddaughter of screenwriter Eric Roth, whose prolific work includes the Forrest Gump screenplay.
To enjoy Maya Donovan’s charismatic presence live, you can find her as a resident artist at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, which has been graced by some of her biggest musical influences, such as Carole King, Billy Joel, and Lady Gaga. Additional inspiration for her art comes from fellow contemporary singer-songwriters such as Fiona Apple, Sara Bareilles, and Julia Jacklin.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Zombies will perform in Adler Hall at New York Society for Ethical Culture in NYC on October 27. The stop comes as the group celebrates their long awaited album Different Game which was released earlier this year.
Tom Toomey
The Zombies are one of the most iconic bands in Rock & Roll history. The group came together in 1961 and grew in large part because of their role in the British Invasion. The Zombies have fostered a massive fan base throughout the years due to their unmistakable melodies, breathy vocals, and elegant harmonies.
In 1967 the band found worldwide success after their song “Time of the Season” reached #3 on the Billboard charts. The song would go onto be one of the most recognizable tracks of the 60s. It has since appeared throughout pop-culture, featuring in hit TV shows like “Friends” and “NCIS”.
Rod Argent
Rolling Stone has named The Zombies’ 1968 album Odyssey and Oracle to the “Greatest Albums of All Time” list twice. In total the band has released nine albums and has established itself as one of the most influential groups in music.
For tickets and more information about the show in Adler Hall click here.
Different Game Tour (North America)
Oct, 1 – New Westminster, BC – Massey Theatre
Oct, 2 – Seattle, WA – Washington Hall
Oct, 3 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
Oct, 5 – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts
Oct, 6 – Glendale, CA – Alex Theatre
Oct, 7 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
Oct, 9 – Santa Fe, NM – Lensic Performing Arts Center
Oct, 11 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
Oct, 13 – St. Paul, MN – Fitzgerald Theater
Oct, 14 – Milwaukee, WI – South Milwaukee PAC
Oct, 15 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music
Oct, 17 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Oct, 18 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
Oct, 19 – Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center
Oct, 20 – Cincinnati, OH – Ludlow Garage
Oct, 22 – Northfield, OH – MGM Northfield Park
Oct, 24 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
Oct, 26 – Beverly, MA – The Cabot
Oct, 27 – New York, NY – Adler Hall at the NY Society of Ethical Culture
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts revealed the details of Hip-Hop Week, an event to honor the 50th anniversary of the genre. The celebration runs August 9-12 and will coincide with the end of the Summer for the City festival.
Hip-Hop Week will feature a slew of different events, performances, conversations, and workshops. The goal is not just to celebrate the music of hip-hop but also appreciate the wider impact that the genre has had across the world.
Rakim is set to participate as part of the celebrations
Born out of the Bronx in the early 1970s, hip-hop has since become a musical and cultural force. The genre has given birth to countless subgenres and sounds, not to mention its effect on other art forms like dance, fashion and design.
We recognize and celebrate the profound significance of Hip-Hop as a powerful New York-born culture. It connects generations and propels a number of contemporary art forms
Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer of LCPA
All of the Hip-Hop Week events are free and operate as first-come first-serve. The celebration starts on August 9 with a “Dance Storytime” during the day and a dance battle and silent disco during the evening.
Having already made a name for himself as former classmate Spike Lee’s go-to cinematographer over the preceding decade, in 1992 Ernest R. Dickerson embarked on his own directorial career with Juice, a propulsive, noir-tinged coming-of-age drama starring Omar Epps as Q, a Harlem teen and aspiring DJ whose talents at the turntable seem to promise an authentic means of thriving within, and perhaps transcending, the material confines of his working-class upbringing. Meanwhile, a 20-year-old Tupac Shakur, fresh off the success of his debut album—with which he had swiftly established his own status as a bona fide star, and a leading figure in the ascendant genre of politically conscious West Coast rap—delivers a tour de force performance as Bishop, the mercurial wild card of Q’s tight-knit crew of friends, who harbors a hot temper and a budding violent streak that threatens to derail Q’s musical ambitions and place the futures of all four young men in jeopardy. With an assured hand and cool virtuosity, Dickerson reconsiders the themes and real-world concerns that were animating Hip-Hop culture at the time, refracting them through a distinctly cinematic lens.
Friday, June 30 at 9:00pm– Damrosch Park– Film at Lincoln Center
Co-writers and producers Ice Cube and DJ Pooh originally envisioned Friday as a boisterous corrective to the despairing hood dramas that proliferated in the pop-cultural landscape of the early ’90s, most of which emphasized violent conflict and ingrained hopelessness as endemic conditions of the inner-city milieu. First-time feature filmmaker F. Gary Gray, who had recently come up in the industry as an acclaimed director of music videos, handily translated his talents to the longer narrative format in order to chronicle a sprawling day in the life of newly unemployed Craig (Ice Cube) and his stoner friend Smokey (Chris Tucker) as the two South Central residents scramble to settle a $200 debt with their drug dealer. A riotously funny high-water mark in the tradition of successful Hip-Hop artists pivoting to assume the role of Hollywood auteur, Friday quickly achieved the status of genuine cult hit, equally celebrated for its affectionate, lived-in evocation of life in the hood and for its chart-topping, double-platinum soundtrack.
Wednesday, July 12 at 9:00pm– Damrosch Park– Film at Lincoln Center
Celebrated as a foundational depiction of early Hip-Hop culture—and one of the first to engage cinematically with the lives and perspectives of the young people whose creativity fueled its development—Wild Style was conceived as a collaboration between young No Wave filmmaker Charlie Ahearn and the renowned street artist Fab 5 Freddy. The loose narrative follows Raymond (played by fellow practitioner Lee Quiñones), a precocious teenage graffiti writer in the Bronx known by the pseudonym “Zoro,” and his friend Phade (Fab 5 Freddy), a club promoter, as they navigate a scene fraught with artistic rivalries and a creative community that’s ambivalent about the interest it’s attracting from the upper-crust art world. Filling out the cast with the Rock Steady Crew, Grandmaster Flash, and other pioneering talents of early Hip-Hop culture playing versions of themselves, Ahearn’s film offers an extraordinary semi-documentary portrait of a vibrant cultural movement in its first flowering. A New Directors/New Films 1983 selection.
Wednesday, August 9 at 11:30 am– The Garden at Damrosch Park– Dance Storytime with Hip-Hop dance artist TweetBoogie and DJ Go BIZZY!
Presented in collaboration with New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
The staff of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division and internationally renowned dance teacher and artist TweetBoogie and DJ Go BIZZY! present a storytime focusing on the music and dancing styles of Hip-Hop. Beats and books combine for an activity that the whole family can enjoy. Participants will listen to the story, When the Beat was Born: DJKool Herc and the Creation of Hip-Hop by Laban Carrick Hill, and learn a short dance routine to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop.
Wednesday, August 9 at 6:00 pm– The Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza
Presented in collaboration with New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
To celebrate the recording of five street dance life story interviews by the Dance Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dances Division at the Library for the Performing Arts, Gabriel “Kwikstep” Dionisio and Ana ‘Rokafella’ Garcia bring together the legendary Violeta Galagarza, Anthony G. “Cholly Rock” Horne, Kim D. Holmes, Float Master John, and Emilio Austin Jr. aka Buddha Stretch for a dance battle and silent disco on The Dance Floor. Different street and club styles will be on display as the invited Top eight competitors go toe-to-toe for a cash prize. Hosted by TDK Zone with DJ KS 360, come outside and check out NYC’s finest as we help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop!
This event will be preceded by a screening of oral history clips and a panel discussion at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
Wednesday, August 9 at 8:00 pm– Damrosch Park– Featuring Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, and Special Guests
Brooklyn DJ and producer J.PERIOD (The Hamilton Mixtape) is renowned for his “audio-biography” mixtapes—featuring icons like Nas, Q-Tip, Lauryn Hill, and The Roots—which have solidified his reputation as a top-tier producer, a trusted collaborator, and a groundbreaking musical historian. His long-running performance series J.PERIOD Live Mixtape transforms the traditional Hip-Hop stage show into a high-energy moment of record, captured live onstage in one take. On August 9, Lincoln Center continues its celebration of 50 years of Hip-Hop with J.PERIOD Live Mixtape: Gods & Kings Edition, a commemoration of 2023’s golden anniversary with performances from two of New York’s most legendary emcees, Rakim and Big Daddy Kane, along with more special surprise guests.
This performance integrates ASL-interpretation.
Thursday, August 10 at 7:00 pm – The Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza
Get your groove on at New York City’s largest outdoor dance floor with a 10-foot disco ball and celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary with the Ladies of Hip-Hop, an all-female collective dedicated to empowering girls and women in Hip-Hop culture. Enjoy a summer celebration of Hip-Hop dance culture with DJs, a dance lesson, and even a performance or two!
ArtDontSleep, World Music Institute, and Lincoln Center join Jazz Is Dead to present the first-ever NYC performance by Arthur Verocai. Accompanied by a full orchestra, Verocai will travel from his native Brazil to perform his 1972 seminal self-titled debut album in its entirety. Sampled by MF Doom, Ludacris & Common, Little Brother, Action Bronson, Curren$y, and countless others, the album is a staple for Hip-Hop producers and is now considered a “holy grail” within the crate-digging community. Hosted by composer, arranger, and music producer Adrian Younge and DJ, record producer, and rapper Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) in Damrosch Park, Jazz Está Morto will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience one of the greatest Brazilian arrangers/composers of all time.
Friday, August 11 at 10:00 pm – The Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza
In the summer of 1973, Bronx DJ Kool Herc spun tunes at a backyard block party and kicked off a musical and cultural movement. Flash forward to today, that legacy continues in this evening with DJ Spinna, a founding member of The Jigmastas who has worked with everyone from Mary J. Blige to Stevie Wonder, and DJ Cocoa Chanelle, a native Brooklynite, recording artist, and radio personality (Hot 97 and Kiss FM) named one of the top 17 DJs by Vibe Magazine. Jam with us at a Silent Disco in honor of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop!
Saturday, August 12 at 11:00 am– The Art of Wellbeing– LeFrak Lobby, David Geffen Hall
Presented in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Perfect for anyone looking to learn the styles and moves of some of the most popular social dances, this unique workshop incorporates wellness, movement, and joy! Based on popular dances born from African American & Diasporic culture and celebrating Hip-Hop Week, this class will provide a space for participants to connect with their bodies, minds, and community through movement.
Led by experienced instructor Ethel Calhoun, the class will begin with exercises that include elements of mindfulness and breathwork, before engaging participants in a variety of social dance forms from swing, salsa, soca, Hip-Hop, and more. Experience is not necessary; the instructor will guide guests through each step to help them feel comfortable on the floor, creating a welcoming and inclusive space for all.
Saturday, August 12 at 11:00 am– Hess Grand Promenade, David Geffen Hall
Join a hands-on, creative Pre-Show Family Workshop led by Lincoln Center Teaching Artists! Open to visitors of all ages and ability levels who are excited and curious to explore art-making inspired by the performance that follows.
This performance integrates ASL-interpretation.
Saturday, August 12 at 12:00 pm– Hess Grand Promenade, David Geffen Hall– A Party Featuring Rap’s Next Generation
Lincoln Center’s celebration of Hip-Hop looks to the future with the Art of the Cypher for kids, teens, and families. Cyphers, improvisational circles where rappers share their freestyle skills, are a foundational Hip-Hop tradition. Join host Dr. Chris Emdin, founder of #HipHopEd, for a rap Cypher and Hip-Hop celebration featuring some of our city’s talented teen rappers selected especially for their exceptional rap prowess. Before the show, take part in a hands-on, creative Pre-Show Family Workshop led by Lincoln Center Teaching Artists! Open to visitors of all ages and ability levels for art-making inspired by the performance.
This performance integrates ASL-interpretation.
Generous support for this event provided by Amazon.
Every year, nearly 100 teams and more than 1,000 young people audition for Step It Up NYC, a program designed to create positive change across all five boroughs. A program of the City of New York’s Department of Youth and Community Development, Step It Up began in 2009 as a youth engagement program focused on fusing the passion to move with the drive to create change. This year’s teen dance groups were challenged to incorporate themes of celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop and minimizing violence within NYC communities. And this year, the winning team premieres their final dance routine at Lincoln Center, sharing their piece with you, perfected, fine-tuned and ready for the big stage!
Saturday, August 12 at 6:00 pm – The Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza– Featuring DJ Fannie Mae
Founded by international sensation DJ Fannie Mae and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter and producer Dennis Reed, Sainted is a trap choir offering audiences an eclectic range of gospel, R&B, Hip-Hop, and trap music. Paying homage to the Southern Black Church experience, Sainted highlights the spectrum of Black musical excellence throughout the decades and takes you on a journey that identifies Black Church music as the bedrock of countless musical traditions. Through a combination of scholarly and formal training, along with a unique improvisational approach to music learned in the Black Church, the ensemble reinvents choral norms. Audiences will experience this vibrant celebration of a full choir accompanied by a live band, original choreography, and DJ Fannie Mae herself on the decks.
No serious conversation about history’s top five rappers can be had without mentioning Rakim. A technical innovator whose use of internal rhyme and complex lyrics helped the form evolve, Rakim remains your favorite emcee’s favorite emcee nearly forty years after his debut. With his partner DJ Eric B, Rakim’s record releases in the 1980s and 90s established him as a world-class storyteller whose calculated flow and extended use of metaphor set the bar for future generations. As part of Lincoln Center’s series of shows honoring Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, The God MC headlines the big stage at Damrosch Park for a concert of classic cuts, supported by a select roster of special guests, including Rapsody. The Jamla/Roc Nation artist has spent the better part of the present decade lapping peers and counterparts while mesmerizing fans who still prefer their rhymes detailed and nutritious. One-of-a-kind Bed-Stuy native Mr. Life Of Your Party fka DJ FLY TY gets the party started as opening act, and extends the night leading a Silent Disco at 10pm. Don’t miss this once-in-a-generation celebration of an eternal exemplar of New York’s Hip-Hop excellence!
This performance integrates ASL-interpretation.
Saturday, August 12 at 10:00 pm– The Dance Floor at Josie Robertson Plaza
Our celebration of Hip-Hop Week culminates in a Silent Disco led by Mr. Life Of Your Party fka DJ FLY TY! Brooklyn’s own, born and raised, from Bedford Stuyvesant, Mr. Life Of Your Party – the name speaks for itself! He’s played drums since age 12, performing since 18; he brings life to everyone’s party as soon as he steps into the room! From clubs to venues, churches to houses, blocks to businesses… and now straight to you at Lincoln Center!
NYC electronic act MIDNIGHTCHOIR has just released the single “Lovecrimes,” along with this, a music video to accompany it. Along with this, they have also confirmed the forthcoming release of their second album, Loverboy Molotov, to be released July 14th.
New York-born and raised electronic producer Patrick Bobilin has been producing music as MIDNIGHTCHOIR since 2014. Bobilin’s love for 80s goth rock and pounding electronic beats combined with his political experiences color the tone and tenor of his music.
Speaking on this new single, Bobilin wrote, “After 7 years of being in the public eye, the only times I felt I could be myself were at NYC dance bars like Pyramid Club or Saint Vitus. I started traveling to Austin, TX more often to visit a group of friends, free from the political infamy I’d become ensnared in.”
“I recorded it quickly in one night, with the urgency of having to get out of town and shake loose of those tangles. ‘Lovecrimes’ was inspired by late nights in NYC and dancing at Barbarella in Austin, where they always play INXS on 80’s Night. The cover of ‘Need You Tonight’ was also inspired by those late nights and features guitar from David Simutis who I met at an office job and who I learned was a seasoned indie rock vet, having engineered and played on some of the coolest records of the last 20 years.”
The combinations of sex, politics, and gothic imagery explain the lyrical content and the inclusion of three covers: Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” INXS’ “Need You Tonight,” and “Personal Jesus” by Depeche Mode.
Since then, Bobilin ran for public office, led community action organizations during the 2020 social justice uprisings, and has been an active community organizer. He was even arrested twice during the 2020 movement for black lives while organizing protests. That social justice work, which had Bobilin arguing with former-mayor de Blasio about policing on live radio, has found its way into the lyrics of the punk-infused new darkwave album he recorded in the first few weeks of 2023.
The new album was made with much of Bobilin’s urgency and energy of his political campaigns in 2017, 2020, and 2022. Having firmly decided to leave politics behind, Bobilin was compelled to write about many of the frustrations that inspired his far-left politics.
While Bobilin may lean on 80’s new wave and goth influences, the autobiographical elements of the album reflect his experiences in politics and protest. The politics of the album are far left, with emotional, social, religious, and political concerns peppered throughout.
Listen to “Lovecrimes” by clicking the link here. Loverboy Molotov will be available on all streaming services this July.
NYC’s indie-pop and folk-rock artist KAZIMI shares the single “Fever Dream,” the second track from her debut album River Run out later this year. The layered percussion is the heartbeat of this single, with drums that are both slinky and sexy, a groove comes across your hips effortlessly.
The singer-songwriter wrote, “’This is a song about pleasure and craving. About wanting something (someone) so bad that the desire seeps into your every moment, coloring everything you see. That obsession, that need, that want. Bodies seeking bodies.”
“I never sat down to make a record. I don’t think I would’ve started if I had.”
-KAZIMI
For most of her life, KAZIMI played music alone and in secret. She crafted songs as a way to work through life’s peaks and valleys but they were never meant to be shared. When the world stopped, something in her changed and that change led to the writing and recording of her debut album, River Run.
The New York-based singer-songwriter offers up her personal brand of indie-folk with tracks that explore the trials of being a living, breathing human: betrayal and heartbreak, pleasure and resilience, the death of loved ones, and the rebirth of self. With a soundscape that drifts effortlessly between dreamy, seductive, cinematic, and folky, River Run is as evocative in its style as it is in its storytelling.
The indie-folk (although very different it’s also somewhat reminiscent of John Grant, don’t you think?) artist deals with the myriad layers of the human condition as a way of wrestling with difficulties.
– Americana UK
For KAZIMI, the project was an opportunity to dethrone the internal demons that lurked in the shadows of her mind. “Part of making music is letting go so there can be space for magic to enter the room, but giving up control is not something that comes easily to me. I had to constantly recenter the importance of making something true over the temptation to chase perfection.”
The title track was written in an empty hotel lobby in Nashville at the height of quarantine in 2020, “I was driving from Texas to New York. Passing through Memphis, I crossed the Wolf River and something about the name stuck in my mind. That evening I went downstairs and sat at the keys. I hadn’t had a piano to play in 4 months. Over the course of the time I wrote the song, I never saw another person. No other guests, no staff. Just me alone in a hotel, singing to the walls,” she says.
Swimming in the depths and then soaring through the clouds, the record traces the journey of a path unknown. The very act of making it, says KAZIMI, is a victory. “I am following what makes me feel most alive, even though I don’t know where it will lead. I found an ember and I held it close. I blew on it until a fire burst forth.”
