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Monday, Sept. 21, 2015 (Halifax, NS) – We’re just days away from kicking off a weekend of events for the 6th annual Halifax Hopscotch Urban Arts Festival, headlined by hip hop legends Rakim and Freddie Gibbs.
The fun begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, with the Live Art Jam at Dartmouth Cove, 18 Canal St. This free event will feature more than 10,000 square feet of brand new live art being created by artists from all over the world. Watch as vehicles, furniture and much more receive a fresh coat of art, right before your eyes. Attendees are encouraged to submit their old clothes, shoes and hats for a new look (artists will select their favourite submissions). Don’t miss this great interactive event, also featuring B-Boys, B-Girls and emcee cyphers, and the festival’s first ever All Styles Crew Battle.
Later in the night the festival moves to the Marquee Ballroom in Halifax for one of the highest energy DJ sets in Canada. Montreal-born Lunice is in town alongside HRMXNY, with a special performance by The Woods. Tickets are $5, available online now at www.tickethalifax.com.
On Saturday, Sept. 26, visit the Spatz Theatre at Citadel High School for the Compliment Battle, pitting Pat Stay and Rone from Canada and the United States, against Marlo and Shuffle T out of England. With this event, the artists must pay compliments to their opponents’ skills, rather than the traditional approach of using insults to earn the victory. Tickets are $20 at the door.
The main event gets going at 8:30 p.m. with an opening performance by emerging and established female hip hop artists, followed by headliners Freddie Gibbs and Rakim. Rakim is credited as the artist who inspired hip hop talents Eminem, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac and many more. His album, Paid in Full, was named The Best Hip Hop Album of all time by MTV. Freddie Gibbs, coming all the way from Indiana, is among the best emcees in the industry today. Get there early, as this show is expected to sell out. Tickets are available online at www.tickethalifax.com and at the door.
The weekend wraps up Sunday, Sept. 27, with an afternoon of community workshops and a free BBQ at Alter Egos on Gottingen Street at 4 p.m.
The vision of Hopscotch is to unite, energize and support the region’s vibrant and diverse music and youth communities. These events provide a platform and the resources needed to advance the growth of local arts as a tool for positive youth engagement and dialogue at the individual, community and regional level.
For more details and a full schedule of Hopscotch events and shows, please visit http://www.halifax.ca/hopscotch/index.php.
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