Lyricist Lounge 20 Year Anniversary

SummerStage celebrates the 20th anniversary of the acclaimed hip-hop brand, Lyricist Lounge. A respected part of hip-hop music and culture, Lyricist Lounge has hosted hundreds of live showcases featuring the best up and coming talent while acting as a career platform for many of today’s superstars.

The Five Percent Nation of Islam was a popular inspiration for numerous thinking-man’s rap groups during the early 1990’s, and Brand Nubian was arguably the finest of the more militant crop. Although they were strongly related to the Native Tongues posse in style and sound, they weren’t technically members, and were less reserved about spotlighting their politics and religion. Their outspokenness led to controversy, in part because Brand Nubian’s sheer musicality made them so listen able regardless of what their messages were. The hoopla surrounding their aggressive Afrocentrism sometimes overshadowed the playful and positive sides of their work, as well as the undeniable virtuosity of lead MC Grand Puba’s rhymes — all showcased to best effect on their highly acclaimed debut, One for All.

Rock and roll has been awaiting the coming of Game Rebellion for a long time: A Brooklyn band whose metal, punk and rudeboy licks sound as credible as their hip-hop lyrics and head-nodding bounce. Game Rebellion makes the difficult sound effortless and the miraculous seem second nature: a hard rock band with a B-boy MC who can actually spit a street worthy mixtape of hip-hop anthems created by a band that actually rocks and flows.