By Shawn Nowlin shawn.nowlin@ourvalley.org
Hip hop is one of the most popular music genres in the world. Its elements came together in the Bronx borough of New York City in the early 1970s and over the last five decades, appreciation for the genre has gone on to transcend all ethnicities, languages and every other barrier imaginable.
Presented by the Roanoke Public Libraries Foundation and Mind of Mosma Design, a For the Love of Hip Hop Concert was produced on March 30 at the iconic Grandin Theatre in southwest Roanoke.
Michigan artists Tall Black Guy and Ozay Moore were the concert headliners. The rest of the lineup during the nearly three-hour production was packed with several other talented musicians like Stimulator Jones, DeRay, Macklyn, Taye the Truth, G.I. Wonder? Ann Artist and Najee Koncept. Because of time constraints, each act was limited to a select number of songs.
When attendee Kayla Smith, a Salem native, looked around the room, she saw people of all ages and races dancing and having a great time, something that warmed her heart. “I love music, but hip hop has a special place in my heart. Having grown up in the 1990s, the soundtrack of my childhood wouldn’t be complete without A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Da Brat, Common and so many others,” she said. “I came with my best friend and we both had an amazing time.”
There is no surer way for a musician to gain new fans than putting on an exceptional live performance. Anytime Roanoke native Laquisha Moore, known professionally as Ann Art, gets an opportunity to perform live, she leaves it all on the stage.
“Music has always been with me. Church choir solos were rough as I was always shy, but as years progressed, that turned into creative writing, playing musical instruments and recording in studios,” she said. “There is bliss when I’m on stage performing. Nerves are everywhere, and this is how I know I am in my element. My focus is on and it’s important for me to do well. I performed two tracks, ‘Stand Up’ and ‘1989,’ from an unreleased project.”
Around the age of seven was when performer DeRay Manning fell in love with hip hop. He says his music is very spiritual and his goal is “to display to the world that I’m a human serving God’s purpose.”
He added, “I enjoy and appreciate the lifestyle of hip hop the most. It’s not something that’s just rapping or dancing, it’s something that you live and breathe. The more an artist takes his or her craft seriously, the more it shows in the scope of how they live their life.”
Hokie graduate Jasmine Weiss, like Manning, is involved with Virginia Tech Digging in the Crates, a new series of programming created to foster a sense of community among hip hop artists and fans. Born in Vietnam but raised in Arlington, Weiss says she took a liking to music at an early age. “I really appreciate the point of view, sampling, general beats, lyricism, community, history and scholarship that surrounds hip hop,” she said.
After the concert, Macklyn, also one of the event organizers, wrote the following on his Facebook page: “Tonight was an entire mood! From beginning to end, everything was on point. We celebrated hip hop and were 100 deep. History was made as this was the first hip hop concert ever held at the Grandin Theatre in 90 years! God is so dope to have given us the platform and opportunity to do something to this level.”