Thursday, May 10, 2007

Hip-Hop in People's Park (Click to view larger picture)

Hip Hop in the Park (Pictures by Nina Parks, Words by Krishtine de Leon) Panama aka Dun Dun Every year in Berkeley at People's Park, there is a community hip hop festival that is free to the public. The weather is usually gorgeous and everybody comes out for the performances and to pass out fliers for their musical projects. Me, Nina, and Nani came out to eat Top Dog and hang with our good folks who performed this year... Stuntin' like The Attik Fred Hampton Jr. Kiwi, Doodat (background) Bambu (foreground) Nasty Nan, Krish, and Bam

Monday, May 07, 2007

Nas Show at the Mezzanine

The Mezzanine was packed by the time Miss Nina Parks arrived, fashionably late yet right on time. Being a new photographer on the scene she wasn't able to secure herself a space in the photographers pit located at the front of the stage but she managed to get the shots anyways. You could feel the agitation in the crowd, it was 11:30pm, doors opened at 9pm and Nas wasn't on stage yet. The DJ stopped spinning music, getting the crowd hot before the main event. The the hint of blunt smoke in the air seemed to calm the beast. For many people in my generation we grew up listening to Nas and his, calm raspy voice spitting mathematically constructed lyrics over "mellow slaps." The crowd grew even more restless. The Warriors, being "The Beasts" they have been this season just won the the game against the Dallas Mavericks, GS 111 DM 85, sending them the the next round of the play-offs against the Utah Jazz. The crowd starts a chant of , "Let's go Warriors," this was a great Frisco evening even with the rain outside. Finally, the beat drops, "Money over Bullshit," knocks over Mezzanine's crisp sound system. Nas comes in his white tee, stunnas and almost offensive "dookie chain" to a hyped up audience. Snoop Dogg and the Bay Area's own JT the Bigga Figga also make their appearance on stage blessing the crowd with Herbal Scooby Snacks thrown out by Daz, making the night that much better.