Sunday, July 28, 2013, 3:00PM
SummerStage
Central Park, New York, NY
FREE!
The Rock Steady Crew celebrates its 36th anniversary of being a true Hip-Hop brand ambassador by bringing its annual free concert to SummerStage in Central Park for the first time. In typical fashion, RSC will present the who’s who of Hip-Hop past and present by showcasing legendary MCs and DJs alongside some of the best rising talent. The beloved annual gathering always attracts fans from around the world, to be part of one of New York’s longest running annual celebrations of Hip-Hop culture.
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, the critically acclaimed Hip-Hop duo emerged onto the music scene in 1991 with their debut EP, All Souled Out which was followed by the release of the classic LP, Mecca and the Soul Brother. Their signature hit, “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” has been recognized as one of the most memorable Hip-Hop recordings of all time.
The Five Percent Nation of Islam was a popular inspiration for numerous thinking-man’s rap groups during the early 1990’s, and Brand Nubian was arguably the finest of the more militant crop. The hoopla surrounding their aggressive Afrocentrism sometimes overshadowed the playful and positive sides of their work, as well as the undeniable virtuosity of lead MC Grand Puba’s rhymes — all showcased to best effect on their highly acclaimed debut, One for All.
Special Ed “got it made” as a rising star in hip-hop when he was just 16. His debut album, Youngest in Charge was on the Billboard charts for 38 weeks and featured, “I’m the Magnificent” and “I Got it Made,” which achieved “classic” status in the Hip-Hop community.
Craig G began with Marley Marl and the Juice Crew in 1985. After signing with Atlantic Records, he released two albums in 1989 and 1991. Allmusic has called The Symphony, “a landmark moment in the evolution of hardcore rap.”
Q-Unique is a Puerto Rican rapper best known for his work done with The Arsonists. Their first album, As the World Burns was released in 1999 reached #78 on Billboard’s Top R&B and Hip-Hop Albums. In 2013 there is much suspense for their release of Lost in the Fire, which will be their first album in over 10 years.
Homeboy Sandman jumped in the game in 2006, and dropped his first EP Nourishment soon after in 2007. Later that year he released a full-length album which led him into the limelight being acclaimed by underground radio stations, Source Magazine, Okayplayer.com and MSN.com.
Torae was first featured by Hip Hop DX in 2007 in their DXNext Hip-Hop underground series. Since then, Torae has worked with a number of artists and producers, such as Wale and Talib Kweli.
Part of SummerStage’s “This is __ Hip-Hop” series.