BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) —Since the 1970s, audiences across the globe have become increasingly drawn to the rhythmic bass of melodies that feature chanted poetry over musical accompaniment. 

Hip Hop, once the treasured musical genre of select communities in the U.S., has gained traction and become a worldwide sensation.  

And next month, East Baton Rouge Parish’s (EBRP) Main Library at Goodwood is celebrating the beloved musical genre with its inaugural Hip Hop and Arts Festival. 

The Sunday, June 5 event begins at 4p.m. and will include a Hip Hop Showcase, Art Show, and Freestyle Cypher with food, drinks, vendors and art. 

The festival is hosted by Mark Dub and DJ Sole Lab BR and will feature the following artists:

Michael Armstead

Joe Scott

Mvha Cvla

Roxi Victorian

The C-Bazz

Flo Dareze

Seynabou

DW “I am DW”

Some believe hip hop’s origins go back to New York City in the 1970’s, when block parties were frequently held in the Bronx and DJs played percussive breaks of popular songs using two turntables and a DJ mixer. 

As hip hop evolved, turntablist techniques like scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks and Jamaican toasting, a chanting vocal style, was used over the beats.

Eventually, rapping became a frequent part of hip hop music, and involved the artist speaking or chanting along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat.

Click here to learn more about the Goodwood’s Library upcoming event.