When D.J. Kool Herc and his sister Cindy decided to throw a party for the young people from their neighborhood in the Community Room at 1520 Sedgewick Ave., little did they know that it would be the spark for a global movement in music. They only wanted a safe place where kids could go party and not have to worry about getting chased out of the parks by cops or random gunfire.
When I think of summertime, the first thing that comes to my mind is concerts and what tickets I can score before they’re all sold out. Thankfully, AfroPunk Fest is the best end of summer music festival to see all of your favorite artists, one last time before the sun sets early and the weather turns chilly. This years line up is a collection of fierce, unapologetically black artists featuring Brooklyn native Joey Badass, Harlems princess Teyana Taylor, Rapper/Producer Flying Lotus, Vince Staples, Baby Tate, the absolutely Iconic Durand Bernarr and more.
Sixteen freestyle rappers battled it out in Miami this past weekend for the Red Bull Batalla Regional Qualifier, testing their quick wits and killer lines for a chance to make it to the world stage and take home the title of best freestyler in the Spanish rap world.
Sixteen freestyle rappers battled it out in Miami this past weekend for the Red Bull Batalla Regional Qualifier, testing their quick wits and killer lines for a chance to make it to the world stage and take home the title of best freestyler in the Spanish rap world.
In the world of electronic dance music known as EDM, few acts have managed to capture the hearts and minds of fans quite like The Chainsmokers. From their chart-topping hits to their energetic live performances, the duo has solidified their place as global EDM superstars. However, they’ve recently taken their live shows to a whole new level with the debut of their live show experience series, “The Party Never Ends.”
August 10, 2023, The Knockdown Center, Queens New York.— Sirius XM, the broadcasting company that provides satellite and online radio services; along with Pandora, their subscription-based music streaming service; Presents, “For The Love: 50 Years of Hip-Hop” Featuring Wu-Tang with Martell Cognac at The Knockdown Center in Queens, New York.
On August 10th, 2023 the Knockdown Center along with Sirius XM,
QUEENS, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: A view of the audience as Wu-Tang Clan headlines SiriusXM and Pandora’s Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Celebration at Knockdown Center on August 10, 2023 in Queens, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Pandora, Martell Cognac and additional brand sponsors: Clorox, Volkswagen and Cricket Wireless shut down Queens, New York in killah-bee fashion. The loyal fans of the famed Hip Hop group, WuTang, wrapped the sidewalks of the popular venue in hopes to make entry through the waitlist. The group has influenced more than 30 years of the genre and continues to solidify the permanence of their impact and their brand through merchandising, music and much more.
Prior to the evening portion of the event, Sirius XM and Pandora hosted the “For The Love: A Community Giveback” event for the kids and teens that included a concert, a “back to school” backpack giveaway and an opportunity to celebrate and support the performance culture of the emerging local talents in the area; in the same vein early Hip Hop artists emerged in the community. Sirius XM and Pandora also gifted a $20,000 check to The Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens.
Later that evening, the doors re-opened at 8:00 pm with the general admission of an audience of 21+ only guests. Martell Cognac, the leading international prestige cognac, with 300 years of history in its existence, tipped its glass to the tenacity that is the genre of Hip-Hop. Martell Cognac, known for using a high percentage of eaux-de-vie (a traditional double distillation process), aromatic blends, distinct taste and richness in flavor, served their beverages at an open bar in the Premiere seating section for their VIP clients and that of Sirius XM and Pandora; which included brand influencers, designers, media press and Sirius XM’s popular radio show host, Marisol “El Bombon”, of Sirius XM channel, Caliente; a red-hot sonic blend of salsa, bachata, reggaeton and tropical Latin music.
QUEENS, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: Lola Brooke performs onstage ahead of Wu-Tang Clan headlining SiriusXM and Pandora’s Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Celebration at Knockdown Center on August 10, 2023 in Queens, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Upon entry into the venue, a Volkswagen car sweepstakes is posted in royale fashion and immediately ahead of it, a hip-hop themed ‘step-and-repeat’ booth, reminiscent of an urban city building, brought to the venue by Clorox®. The step-and-repeat consisted of 2, 10-second-long video segments, shot by a live cameraman; props that included 4-Subwoofer and 2-Tweeter Speakers and costume jewelry, mimicking the late 80’s to early 90’s fashion. The “Faux 20 mm Cuban Link” Chains paid homage to an essential iconic accessory of the Hip Hop, Rapper fashion movement. Synonymous with the culture, Venetian (shutter) shades, huge diamond encrusted square signet rings and at last, a microphone. Guests had the opportunity to record a clip, in front of a backdrop that mimicked a brick wall with graffiti and the Clorox® emblem on the backdrop. The recorded clips were uploaded to a digital processing bank and participants were able to have the clips sent directly to their phones with a live link for download and share. Clorox®, the long-standing trusted brand has solidified itself with the “ultra fresh” culture, who prides themselves in a “crisp white tee” and “clean kicks”. Its trusted brands, which also include Brita®, Burt’s Bees®, Glad®, Kingsford® (for the summer barbecues), and Pine-Sol® have been trusted household names for every hip hop generation.
QUEENS, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: Wu-Tang Clan headlines SiriusXM and Pandora’s Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Celebration at Knockdown Center on August 10, 2023 in Queens, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
The Wu-Tang show opened with a giveaway of high-end fashion brand name sneakers and was followed up with a set, by emerging Brooklyn Artist, Lola Brooke, who performed her hit single, “Don’t Play With It”. Brooke gained notoriety after the release of her breakout single “Don’t Play with It” in 2021 that gained momentum on (formerly) Twitter and TikTok, opening doors for the artist to sign to Arista Records in 2023. Additional guest appearances included American journalist, radio personality, executive producer and former rapper, Sway Calloway. Sway now hosts “Sway in the Morning” on SiriusXM, “Shade45”. Also in the building, American Rapper and the original Hypeman, Flavor Flav of Public Enemy. The Wu-Tang clan took to the stage with a venue packed wall to wall of screaming fans throwing up the “WU” as they performed their classic hits, “C.R.E.A.M”, “Protect Ya Neck” and a crowd favorite, “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing to F’ With”. The performances, which included a solo performance from Method Man, rocked on into the late hours of the night until the close of the venue at dawn.
QUEENS, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan headlines SiriusXM and Pandora’s Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Celebration at Knockdown Center on August 10, 2023 in Queens, New York. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
To ensure the safety and encourage responsible consumption of their Cognac, Martell offered complimentary designated travel via Uber to its VIP Premiere guests who also enjoyed the luxury of exclusive views of the band’s live performances on stage.
Stay tuned to The Knockturnal as we continue to bring you more exclusive stories on the 50 Year Celebration of Hip Hop!
Having grown up in the Greater Jamaica Queens, NY area only half a mile or so from LL Cool J on the
infamous Farmers Blvd., this writer has been keenly aware of LL’s career from early on.
Hip-Hop’s 50th celebration continues with a “50 & Forever” rap concert from Amazon Music x Rotation to commemorate the genre’s legacy and influence, with performances from Wale, Joey Bada$$, and Curren$y.
Taylor Swift debuted ‘No Body No Crime’ from her album ‘Evermore’ with Haim at the first night of the ‘Eras’ Tour last night in Seattle while wearing a glittery bronze dress that is rarely seen on stage in this tour. The song replaced ‘Tis the Damn Season’ on the set list in order to accommodate the surprise song.
Swift is known to bring surprise guests to her shows to perform tracks that they have collaborated with in the past, but there was no surprise guest last night to which the crowd cheered enthusiastically as it meant more solo stage time with Swift. She then performed ‘Everything Has Changed’, a song she collaborated on with Ed Sheeran from 2012’s ‘Red’ which she has not performed for a decade. She also played ‘This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ for the first time on the Era’s tour, as the two surprise acoustic songs for the show.
Taylor Swift united all her Pacific Northwest Swiftie fans last night at Lumen Field where she played night one of her Eras Tour. As one of only two shows in the entire northwest region, this highly anticipated, sold out show brought crowds surrounding the exterior of the stadium as seen in other shows in this 40+ show tour.
Swift did not disappoint the crowd with three hours of nonstop performances complete with scene, outfit and instrument changes. She sang the vast majority of each track live – a near impossible feat as her longest break the entire night was during a two minute guitar solo for her to complete an outfit quick change. Swift squeezed every minute and every moment of her show to deliver a spectacular performance to her fans in order to maximize performance time given her extensive discography.
Gracie Abrams opened the show with ‘Good Riddance’ followed by ‘I Miss You I’m Sorry’ as well as ‘Where Do We Go Now’. Followed by Haim with ‘Now I’m in It’, ‘ My Song 5’, ‘Want You Back’ and ‘Gasoline’. Abrams and Haim will be joining for the last leg of the tour in the United States moving down the West Coast.
Swift has one more night to play before she finishes up the domestic leg of The Eras Tour in California. Shows are scheduled in Santa Clara for July 28 and 29, with Los Angeles being the final destination August 3rd through the 5th, and new shows added for August 7th to the 9th.
July 1st annually marks International Reggae Day, and what better way for New Yorkers to celebrate the culture than with a live music extravaganza?
Reggae Love Fest took place last month at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, featuring legendary artists such as Shabba Ranks, Capleton, Barrington Levy, Elephant Man, Mad Cobra, Yellow Man, Mad Lion, and Little Vicious. These iconic figures have left an indelible mark on Jamaican music, particularly during the 90s when they epitomized the popular fusion of hip-hop and reggae, paying homage to this genre during the concert. Among the dancehall royalty present was Lady Patra, who captivated us with her timeless album “Queen of the Pack” released 30 years ago.
Patra, the revered reggae female deejay, opened her set with a powerful rendition of fellow Jamaican singer Grace Jones’ classic “Pull Up to the Bumper.” This song, which served as the first single from Patra’s second album “Scent of Attraction” in 1995, became an instant hit in the U.S. Just like Grace Jones, Patra has become an icon, boasting a music career that spans over three decades. Her significance was evident as she stood as the sole female artist in the lineup.
For those who recall, Patra’s music videos for “Think,” filmed in Brooklyn alongside the late Lyn Collins, or “Romantic Call,” featuring rapper Yo-Yo and a guest appearance by Tupac Shakur, are unforgettable. Vanity Fair once acclaimed her as the first international queen of Jamaican dancehall, and even after three decades, she still holds the prestigious title, reigning supreme. Now, she has returned with her latest two singles: “Love Your Body” and “Gimmi Way.”
Last week, Patra, alongside Vicious and Mad Lion, shared the stage at the 2023 BET Awards in Los Angeles. They delivered a sensational medley of their greatest hits, commemorating 50 years of hip-hop and honoring the pioneers who shaped the genre through reggae influences.
Patra at Barclays Center (by Richard Holmes)
Patra at Barclays Center (by Richard Holmes)
Patra at Barclays Center (by Richard Holmes)