As a musical genre, hip hop has had the ability to bridge racial, economic, and cultural barriers and since the 1970s, it has created a culture that has tremendous influence. On Friday, November 17th and Saturday, November 18th, 88Nine's Cultural Commons initiative will celebrate the 5 elements of hip hop culture - DJing, MCing, breakdancing, graffiti, and knowledge - during Check The Rhyme: Connecting Generations Through Hip Hop, a FREE event open to the public.
On Friday, Tyrone Miller aka DJ Bizzon hosts a panel discussion exploring the cultural influence of hip hop here in Milwaukee from the 1970s to today. Doors open at 5:30pm.
Each decade will feature two panelists and lyrics that will be explored on multiple levels. Panelists include JDL & DMT (1970s), Joaquin Altoro & Maanaan Sabir (1980s), Tiffany Miller & Donte McFadden (1990s), Mikey Apollo & Genesis Renji (2000s). Together, panelists and audience members will explore the 2010 decade, examining where hip hop has been, where it is now, and where it will go in the future.
Doors open on Friday at 5:30pm, food will be provided by Maxie's, and attendees are invited to an after party at The Highbury for hip hop karaoke hosted by DJ Bizzon starting at 10pm.
On Saturday, our doors will open at 6:30pm for a multi-generational celebration of additional elements of hip hop culture, hosted by A-Biz and DJ The Jenius. See our full schedule below:
7:00pm: Fashion show, in collaboration with CopyWrite Magazine
8:00pm: Breakdancing with Motion Disorderz Crew
8:30pm - 11:30pm: Generational DJ's with DJ JDL, DJ Bizzon, and DJ Loop.
On both nights, Check the Rhyme attendees will have the opportunity to view designs by hip hop inspired artists and to vote on sneakers designed by 10 local artists. The Sneaker Design Competition is a project made possible through a partnership with Roots: Underground Outfitters.
This event is free and open to the public. RSVP for one (or hopefully both) nights here!