| The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Dates | Week in July |
| Location(s) | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Years active | 2005 - present |
| Founders | Brooklyn Bodega |
| Website | http://www.bkhiphopfestival.com |
The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (BHF) is an annual celebration of Hip-Hop music and culture. It is produced The Bodega Agency a wholly owned subsidiary of Brooklyn Bodega, Inc.
According to the official BHF website, "Our aim is to highlight Hip-Hop’s legacy as an agent of artistic progression, community building and social change." [1]
The festival is held during July at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is situated on the shores of the East River and is accessible by multiple subway and bus lines, the thruway and New York Water Taxi service.
Established in 2005, BHF has grown from a parking lot in Williamsburg to the largest hip hop event in New York City. The Festival's format centers around its Hip-Hop Performance Day and includes a variety of affiliated hip hop cultural events that occur in the days leading up to the festival. Besides its music programming, the festival also features a "Family Day" segment that has music, performances, demonstrations and seminars from a host of family centric organizations.
In 2012, the Festival continued its new format of programming with “Busta & Friends” and topped Festival history with a record-breaking 30,000+ in attendance (20,000 on its Performance Day). Busta Rhymes & Friends would feature classic hits performed with Spliff Star and a surprise line-up that included Buckshot of Black Moon, Smif-N-Wessun, Lil’ Fame of M.O.P., Slick Rick, Reek Da Villain. The icing on the cake was a Leaders Of The New School reunion with Charlie Brown and Dinco D which was 19 years in the making. The night ended with L.O.N.S performing “Scenario” and bringing Phife and Q-Tip out just as the cops killed the power.
According to Time Out, "(The BHF is) (d)ifferent from the bigger hip-hop packages like Rock the Bells that will be touring the U.S. all summer, this is a show that seems purely for New York, and it affords an opportunity for the artists to give back... Local businesses also showed their support, with booths ranging from Brooklyn Brewery to FLUD Watches and Hoodman Clothing." [2] In 2010, NY1 interviewed Hip-Hop artist Torae who said "It's just awesome, you know, for new, upcoming artists like myself to be out here and perform with legends and get to touch people from young to old, every race." Steele (rapper) of the hip-hop duo Smif-N-Wessun added "It's packed -- no violence -- so it dispels all the myths that hip-hop brings violence and stuff. It's beautiful out there, it's young kids out there, it's older people out there. It's people from all walks." [3]
The BHF is owned by Brooklyn Bodega, which uses the proceeds from the festival to support year-round cultural programming including but not limited to: the blogazine and online home BrooklynBodega.com, and most recently The Bodega Agency, our boutique marketing and branding operation. [4]
The Festival has been held yearly since 2005 when it was founded by Wes Jackson, entrepreneur and current executive director and President of Brooklyn Bodega and co-founders, Gregory Trani and Douglas Nettingham. Since 2006, it has been hosted by Ralph McDaniels, who was responsible for creating Video Music Box, the first music video show focused exclusively to an urban market—broadcast on public television.
Below is a listing of past BHF performers:
"Q-Tip & Friends" special presentation:
Additional artists:
"Busta Rhymes & Friends" special presentation:
Additional artists:
Additional Artists / Special Guests:
Additional Artists / Special Guests
Additional Artists / Special Guests
Additional Artists / Special Guests
Additional Artists / Special Guests
Da Beatminerz are an American hip-hop production crew from Bushwick, Brooklyn, known for their dark, gritty sound that is very popular with the underground hip-hop scene.
Black Moon is an American underground hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 1992 by East Coast rappers Buckshot and 5ft and record producer DJ Evil Dee, they debuted in 1992 with the release of the single "Who Got da Props". The group was most notable for their debut album Enta da Stage, and their affiliation with the Boot Camp Clik. As of 2024, the group has released four studio albums.
Smif-N-Wessun, also known as Cocoa Brovaz and Tek-N-Steele, is an American hip hop duo from Brooklyn, New York City. It is composed of rappers Tekomin "Tek" Williams from Bedford–Stuyvesant and Darrell "Steele" Yates from Brownsville. The duo comprise one quarter of supergroup Boot Camp Clik, together with Buckshot, Heltah Skeltah and Originoo Gunn Clappaz. Both members are known for their Jamaican Patois during their raps, which was more evident during the earlier stages of their career.
Boot Camp Clik is an American hip hop supergroup from Brooklyn, New York City, which is composed of Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C.. Most of the members are from Brownsville, but Buckshot is from Crown Heights and Tek is from Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Enta da Stage is the debut album by American East Coast hip hop group Black Moon, released on October 19, 1993, through Nervous Records. The album was produced by Black Moon member DJ Evil Dee along with Mr. Walt of Da Beatminerz. Enta da Stage features the debut of underground hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun, as well as appearances from Havoc of Mobb Deep and Dru Ha, the co-founder of Duck Down Records.
Dah Shinin' is the debut studio album by American East Coast hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun. It was released on January 10, 1995, via Wreck/Nervous Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York City. Production was handled by Da Beatminerz. It features a guest appearance from the Boot Camp Clik. The album peaked at number 59 on the Billboard 200. The production is the signature Beatminerz sound which is elevated from their work on Black Moon’s 1993 effort ‘Enta da Stage’. The album spawned 4 singles: Bucktown/Let’s Git It On, Wrekonize/Sound Bwoy Burriel, Wrekonize (Remix)/Sound Bwoy Burriel (edit) and Wontime. A track known as ‘Nothin’ Move but The Money’ was left of the release of the album due to sample clearance issues and was released on white label as a result.
Kenyatta Blake, known professionally as Buckshot, is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, best known as a frontman of hip hop groups Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik. He rose to prominence with Black Moon's debut 1993 album Enta da Stage, which is critically acclaimed and influential in hip-hop.
War Zone is the second album by American hip hop trio Black Moon. It was released on February 23, 1999, through Duck Down/Priority Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York City. Production was entirely handled by Da Beatminerz, who also served as executive producers together with Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman and member Buckshot. It features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Heather B., Louieville Sluggah, M.O.P., Q-Tip, Rock, Smif-N-Wessun and Teflon. The album peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200 and number 9 on the Top R&B Albums. It was supported by two singles: "Two Turntables & a Mic" and "Worldwind (Remix)".
Basic Training is a greatest hits album by American hip hop collective Boot Camp Clik, composed of singles released by Black Moon, Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah and Originoo Gunn Clappaz between 1992 and 1999. It was released on March 14, 2000 via Priority Records. Production was handled by Da Beatminerz, BJ Swan, Black Market, Cuzin Bawb, E-Swift, Mark "Boogie" Brown, Self and Starang Wondah, with Buckshot and Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman serving as executive producers.
Smif 'n' Wessun: Reloaded is the third studio album by American hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun, and the only one released under the name Tek & Steele. It was released on September 13, 2005 via Duck Down Music as a part of the label's "Triple Threat Campaign", preceded by Sean Price's Monkey Barz and Buckshot's Chemistry. Production was handled by Da Beatminerz, Coptic, Ken Ring, Khrysis, Rune Rotter, MoSS, Roc Raida and Dru Kevorkian. It features guest appearances from the Boot Camp Clik, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli and Tony Touch. The album peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the US.
Body of the Life Force is the debut studio album by American rapper Afu-Ra. Originally due to be released on Gee Street Records, it was released on October 10, 2000, via Koch Records. The recording sessions took place at D&D Studios, in New York. The production was handled by from DJ Premier, DJ Roach, 5 Boro Deep, Da Beatminerz, DJ Muggs, Joe Quinde, Mike Rone, P. King, and True Master. It features guest appearances from GZA, Hannibal Stax, Jahdan Blakkamoore, Krumbsnatcha, Ky-Mani Marley, Masta Killa, M.O.P., and Smif-N-Wessun.
Duck Down Music Inc is a New York City based record label, talent management, music-marketing, and consulting company founded by Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman and Kenyatta "Buckshot" Blake in 1995. In Duck Down's 20-year existence, the company has released over 40 albums and sold more than 3 million collective copies worldwide. Home of established hip hop artists such as Boot Camp Clik, Pharoahe Monch, Black Rob, 9th Wonder, KRS-One, B-Real of Cypress Hill, The Away Team, Statik Selektah, Random Axe, Promise, David Dallas, Marco Polo, Ruste Juxx, Torae, Blue Scholars, Special Teamz and Kidz in the Hall.
Promise Jason Jamal Shepherd, professionally known as Promise, is a Canadian rapper from Toronto. He is also 1/2 of Hip-Hop supergroup Perfeck Strangers, based in Scarborough, Ontario. Promise has collaborated with Jhené Aiko, Montell Jordan, LeCrae, No Malice, MC Jin, J. Ivy, Marco Polo, eLZhi of Slum Village, Royce Da 5'9" of Slaughterhouse, Rhymefest, and Ton3x. He has also collaborated heavily with fellow Toronto native Drake, whom he met on the set of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Torae Liston Carr, known mononymously as Torae, is an American rapper from the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. He has released a number of solo albums and collaborative works, and operates the independent record label Internal Affairs Entertainment.
Jason Connoy, professionally known as MoSS, is a Canadian hip hop record producer from Toronto, Ontario.
"Ante Up (Robbing-Hoodz Theory)" (rendered on digital platforms as "Ante Up (Robbin Hoodz Theory)", and also simply known as "Ante Up") is a song by American hip hop duo M.O.P. from their fourth studio album Warriorz (2000). Seen as their breakthrough single, it was released in 2000 and reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. A remix of the song features Busta Rhymes, Remy Martin and Teflon. The remix CD includes an additional version which features Funkmaster Flex.
Drew "Dru Ha" Friedman is an American music and marketing executive based in New York City. Friedman is Co-Founder and CEO of Duck Down Music Inc., 3D Consulting & Distribution, General Manager for Cinematic Music Group, and former Director of Urban Music at Cornerstone Promotion. Born and raised in White Plains, New York, he is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications where he studied advertising.
Born and Raised is the first extended play by American hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun. It was released on December 3, 2013, through Duck Down Music. Entirely produced by Beatnick & K-Salaam, the six-song EP is a blend between reggae and hip hop music, and includes guest appearances from Jahdan Blakkamoore, Junior Kelly and Junior Reid. The EP was preceded by one single — "Solid Ground" featuring dancehall icon Junior Reid.
Rise of da Moon is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Black Moon. It was released on October 18, 2019 via Duck Down Music. Produced entirely by Da Beatminerz, it features guest appearances from Smif-N-Wessun, Method Man and Rock.