On August 25th, NothingMagTV had the honor of covering the Roses That Grew From Concrete music festival at the Esports Arena in Santa Ana, CA hosted by Santa Ana Unidos. It was a celebration that brought Hip-Hop, art, education, and advocacy together in an effort to combat the ongoing incarceration problem in California where the school-to-prison pipeline is a major issue. Community leaders, teachers, and highly-respected Hip-Hop artists were at the forefront to start the dialogue and kept it going throughout the day with performances, speeches, and various activities intended to inspire, educate, and entertain.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Reverie (by Dom Douangpanya)
The night featured one of most respected female MCs in the underground Hip-Hop community, Miss Reverie. A Southern California native from Highland Park, Reverie has been making waves since her debut project in 2009. Nine years in, the LA lyricist proved to be a fan favorite as many fans were singing along to most of the songs she performed from her expanding catalog. Her raw emotion was shown throughout, as she would take the time to let the crowd know about her appreciation for their energy and being a part of a festival with multiple women performers in the lineup. The representation of women at the event was strong with artists such as Maya Jupiter, Ruby Ibarra and Blimes BrixtonXGifted Gab also blessing the stage throughout the day.
Ruby Ibarra - Photo by Patrick Evans
Ruby Ibarra - Photo by Patrick Evans
Blimes Brixton Photo by Ronald Vasquez
Gifted Gab Photo by Ronald Vasquez
Reverie Photo by Ronald Vasquez
Reverie Photo by Ronald Vasquez
Reverie Photo by Ronald Vasquez
Reverie and Blimes Brixton Photo by Ronald Vasquez
Reverie and Blimes Brixton Photo by Ronald Vasquez
KRS-One (by Dom Douangpanya)
Hip-hop purists and students of the culture alike can all agree that KRS-One is a living legend and the ultimate educator/ambassador of what the genre and culture should stand for. The Teacher showcased his talent throughout his performance by blessing the crowd with songs that spanned his entire 30+ year career as an MC. There was ongoing technical difficulties with the audio equipment during his set, but instead of complaining like many artists would, KRS took this as an opportunity to bring it back to the basics. He decided to waste no time and started freestyling as a mic check. Since he wasn’t able to perform his own songs yet, KRS was rapping actual substance during his freestyles and not just rhyming for the sake of it. The sound was so out of sync that he probably was freestyling for at least half the duration of his set, and you couldn’t be upset about it. He was giving hip-hop purists what they wanted to hear — uplifting rap lines that educated people about Hip-Hop culture and what purists stand for. It was the perfect performance to witness, as his values as an artist and a teacher of the culture were perfectly aligned with what the music festival stood for.
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
KRS-One - Photo by Patrick Evans
Aloe Blacc (by Patrick Evans)
The night ended with a performance by Grammy-nominated Aloe Blacc. The artist most notable for his hit songs “I Need a Dollar“, “The Man” and “Wake Me Up“. If you’ve only every heard his music in TV commercials it would be easy to dismiss him as just another Pop music artist because of his success but Aloe Blacc is far more than that. In fact, it is hard to find enough labels to accurately describe him as an artist. Aloe Blacc is an activist, philanthropist and was an accomplished underground rapper for years before striking it big as the soulful singer that he is known as today. Some singers can rap, some rappers can sing but very few have mastered both crafts as well as Aloe Blacc has (just listen to his song “In Bruge” as part the group Emanon if you doubt his rhyming mastery). Even though he did not perform any of his rap songs in his set, it was obvious how much of a positive effect Hip-Hop has had on his life and his career. He used his time between songs to inspire the crowd by sharing experiences of how music and Hip-Hop culture have influenced and shaped who he is today.
Aloe Blacc - Photo by Patrick Evans
Aloe Blacc - Photo by Patrick Evans
Aloe Blacc - Photo by Patrick Evans
Aloe Blacc - Photo by Patrick Evans
Aloe Blacc - Photo by Patrick Evans
Aloe Blacc - Photo by Patrick Evans
Aloe Blacc - Photo by Patrick Evans
Aloe Blacc - Photo by Patrick Evans
Final Thoughts (by Patrick and Dom)
Community is often the most overlooked aspect of Hip-Hop but KRS-One, Aloe Blacc and everyone involved with the event made sure to emphasize how important it is to be a part of something larger than yourself. It was inspiring to see artists that have reached the various levels of success that Reverie, KRS-One and Aloe Blacc have still be able to find the time to give back to communities and it was equally as great to see the community give back to them as well. At the end of their sets, the performers were presented with awards from the City of Santa Ana thanking them for their contributions to the event and the city.
Aloe Blacc and KRS-One get awards - Photo By Patrick Evans
Overall, the Roses That Grew From Concrete should be viewed as a success. It was an inspiring environment to be around since the whole day was about positivity and uplifting the community. Not many Hip-Hop events of this magnitude usually happen in the Santa Ana area, let alone Orange County as a whole. From NothingMagTV’s experience there, it seemed to have a significant impact on those who attended and we hope there are more events like this in the future.
