Celebration planned for 5th Anniversary of the BHF past performers invited back, ‘making of’ dvd and more Brooklyn Bodega, producers of the annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, announced today preliminary plans for the BHF ‘09.
2009 will mark the 5th year of the Festival and organizers are excited about this milestone anniversary.
The following is a letter sent to Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival donors and Brooklyn Bodega members from Festival Executive Director and Brooklyn Bodega President, Wes Jackson.
“We were at a media day with LL last month and he started talking about ‘Hip-Hop Years’ vs. ‘real years.’ He joked that in Hip-Hop years he was ‘like 1,000′, but in real years he was still pretty young. That’s how I feel about the Festival. In Hip-Hop years five is quite an accomplishment. Many labels, record stores, and artist careers don’t last five years. We have taken this dream of producing a world class event in Brooklyn and made it a reality. We have gone from 2,000 folks in a parking lot to over 10,000 in one of the most beautiful locales in Brooklyn.
We have given a voice to progressive and powerful artists that may have gone unheard otherwise. Leaders of Hip-Hop’s new generation like Lupe Fiasco and Little Brother made their first NY appearance with us. Legends such as Big Daddy Kane, KRS ONE, and Brand Nubian have graced our stage, energizing young and old Hip-Hop fans alike. Breakthrough artists like Homeboy Sandman, Maya Azucena, Blu and Exile, and Fresh Daily have used our Festival to announce to the world that they are here to keep Hip-Hop alive.
To those who say Hip-Hop is dead we have proved them wrong year after year. This past year with the addition of Brooklyn Hip-Hop Family Day we used our platform to save lives and empower our youth with asthma screenings, free diabetes tests and more.
With the launch of Brooklyn Bodega Brand Management we created a vehicle that can help push this mission forward long after we have finished partying in the Park.
We have nurtured and created a top notch web property in brooklynbodega.com where our worldwide family can meet and exchange thoughts and information.
And we’ve done all of this despite economic slowdowns, bankrupt sponsors, torrential rain, and a perpetually undermanned staff.
As we enter our fifth year we felt it was time for a little celebration. Just a little something so we don’t forget how far we’ve come. Our 5th year is going to be a family reunion. We are gong to bring back some of our favorite artists. Ask them to rock with us ‘one more again.’ We are inviting old volunteers from as far away as Japan, Colorado, and California to return and party with us. And most importantly we are asking all of our Bodega members to return.
This momentous event will be documented by our in house film crew. From conception to execution the world will be able to see the passion and love that makes the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival possible.
We will be revealing more details as they come, but I hope you all share our pride in what we have been able to accomplish. According to LL five Hip-Hop years must be like 100 real years.”
The 5th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival is scheduled to take place June 20th, 2009.
Companies and brands interested in sponsorship opportunities should contact John Davis at john@brooklynbodega.com
