Founded in 1986, SummerStage was created “in the spirit of Central Park’s original purpose- to serve as a free public resource to help enrich the lives of New Yorkers.” Over the years, it has been a public platform for great art, presenting a dynamic range of music, film, and performance, including dance, poetry, and comedy. This year, SummerStage’s “This is Hip-Hop” series boasts an impressive roster of hip-hop’s founding fathers and greats like Rakim and Big Daddy Kane who performed in June, The Jungle Brothers who will appear on August, 6, as well as some of the godfathers of production, such as Marley Marl, Pete Rock, and DJ Premier, who are performing toward the end of summer. There is certainly something here for everyone; dance performances, film screenings, DJ sets, and concerts abound.

Below is a curated list of the remaining “This is Hip-Hop” series’ events from the SummerStage calendar.

7.21.2013 | 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm | Queensbridge Park DJ D-Nice/25th Anniversary of “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”

7.28.2013 | 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Central Park Pete Rock & CL Smooth/Brand Nubian

7.31.2013 | 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Central Park World Premier of “RSC Ghetto Made” Rock Steady Dance Crew Celebration

8.6.2013 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem The Jungle Brothers/Zhigge 

8.8.2013 | 10:30 am – 11:30 am | Queensbridge Park Illstyle & Peace Productions 

8.9.2013 | 10:30 am – 11:30 am | Bloomingdale Park Illstyle & Peace Productions

8.11.2013 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm |Marcus Garvey Park Illstyle & Peace Productions/ Robbi K/ DJ Set by Stormin’ Norman/ Sweet Billy & The Zooloos

8.10.2013 | 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Central Park “Hip-Hop Turns 40” DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell

8.10.2013 | 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Central Park DJ Kool Herc and Special Guests

8.11.2013 | 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm | 5Pointz  Back To The Roots-DJ Kool Herc at 5Pointz Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Hip-Hop

8.26.2013 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm |East River Park “Wild Style 30th Anniversary Celebration”

8.27.2013 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm |East River Park Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier

All the listed performaces are free of charge and accessible to all ages. For additional events in a range of genres and media, take a look at the full SummerStage calendar here.

Incidentally, many members of the RESPECT. staff will be attending the Quadron and Lianne La Havas show on July 27. See you there?

The post Concerts: NYC SummerStage’s “This is Hip-Hop” Series appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Hip-hop was far away from its humble beginnings Monday night when a packed crowd of mostly white college-aged kids gathered at Central Park’s SummerStage for rapper/comedian Childish Gambino. Gambino, who was joined by fellow rappers Danny Brown and Schoolboy Q, proved once again that he’s out to break boundaries and advance the culture.

The show opened with an animated Danny Brown and Top Dawg Entertainment member Schoolboy Q. Brown, with his signature asymmetrical haircut and Schoolboy Q, with his penchant for  bucket hats, both wowed the audience with their short, but entertaining sets. Brown warmed up the crowd with fan favorites like “Blunt After Blunt,” but his childish antics, like sticking out his tongue out while referring to a woman’s private parts, made the concert that much more thrilling. Schoolboy Q, rocked the crowd with a couple of bangers like his A$AP Rocky collabo “Brand New Guy” while hipsters shared joints and nodded their heads.

After Q’s set, the audience anxiously waited for Childish chanting, “Gambino! Gambino! Gambino!” His live set, equipped with a band including electric guitars, drums, and violinists, was detailed by a huge projector, colorful lights, artificial spruce trees and lots of smoke to set the mood. It’s the kind of set you get when NBC pays $100,000 a year. Gambino confidently appeared within the smoke rapping “Outside” from his 2011 album, Camp. Almost everyone knew the words, including the N word, but somehow it wasn’t uncomfortable or offending. Maybe, it’s because these kids feel his music so much. “This aint a rap show. This is a Black Rock show,” he remarked. The crowd digs Gambino, because they relate to his awkward sense of fashion and upbringing. His passion, whether it’s comedy or hip-hop, should be, and generally is, respected across the board. He’s being himself and that’s why his fans can’t get enough.

Photo by Ryan Lyons/RESPECT.

The metaphors could use work but the audience falls for his literal punchlines. After a full set, Gambino duped the crowd into thinking the show was over, only to come out two minutes later and perform his remix to Tyga’s “Rack City.”  The crowd went nuts. Afterwards he said, “Remember when I told y’all this wasn’t a rap show….Fuck that. It’s a rap show.” However you might define rap, Gambino must now be included.

Concluding the exciting set, he called out Danny Brown and Schoolboy Q for a cypher, further showing his passion for hip-hop. The drummer did an uptempo selection, while  Danny Brown spit a fun, sexually perverted verse, followed by a strong fast flow from Gambino and a relaxed flow from Q. It was great to see three different acts celebrating their differences on the stage, comfortable in their own skin.

Previously, a concert with Danny Brown, Schoolboy Q, and Childish Gambino didn’t make sense. They all have different lanes in hip-hop, but throughout the show it became clear that hip-hop is becoming a gumbo again and the new alternative rap isn’t like Little Brother, or Tribe. It’s suburban hip-hop, that speaks on awkward social issues. While Joey Bada$$ is busy digging in the crates, Childish Gambino is taking the culture forward another step, by talking about awkward social issues most  black rappers are afraid to speak on, or simply don’t have experience with.  If his live set proved anything, it’s that Childish Gambino too, is hip-hop in its truest form.

The post Concert Review: Childish Gambino, Danny Brown and Schoolboy Q Bring Hip-Hop to The Upper East Side appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

It’s nearly impossible to find the words free and New York City in the same sentence, but Central Parks Foundation’s SummerStage transforms the mythical into reality. Hip-hop heads, we pray you pay attention. Last night Questlove rocked the stage with some some groovy Michael Jackson hits and intertwined the throwback vibe with dubstep-like beats. A pure “groove is in the heart” type of crowd with dance shoes ready to sway the night away, as Black Though and Q tore up Central Park. Lucky for us, there’s more to come. Because you don’t have the time to, we went through the SummerStage lineup and here’s al the hip-hop and R&B you should know about:

6.20- Brand Nubian, Game Rebellion
6.25- Childish Gambino, Danny Brown, Schoolboy Q
7.10- Chubb Rock, Kurtis Blow, DJ Bent Roc
7.11- Nice and Smooth, Ed O.G., The Awesome 2
7.18- Big Daddy Kane

The post What You Can’t Miss from Central Parks Foundation’s Free SummerStage Series appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.