Made in Durham: An Ode to Hip-Hop
Little Brother/Photo credit: Christian Carter-Ross
On Saturday, Little Brother, North Carolina’s flagship hip-hop duo, celebrated twenty years of impact with a block party in Durham. The event titled Made in Durham, was created in collaboration with Little Brother and Dr. Cicely Mitchell, cofounder of Missy Lane’s Assembly Room and The Art of Cool Festival. The block party was opened to all ages and attracted fans from all over the country. Games were available in the back for families to enjoy in between performances. Local vendors could be found throughout the crowd selling goods from clothing to delicious food. Percy’s Paw Paw Miracle, a collaborative brew with Fullsteam brewery, was a popular item among attendees, and quickly became a collector’s item for those traveling back to their home states. Performers included Zo! And The Tall Black Guy, The Cool Kids, Hourglass, DJ Wally Sparks, Big K.R.I.T. and Little Brother, who closed out out the night serving an extensive list of classics such as “Whatever You Say” and “Lovin’ It”. Fans were graced with surprise guest appearances from Joe Scudda and Darien Brockington, bringing the Little Brother experience full circle.
It’s also necessary to acknowledge the protest and cultural impact of Made in Durham. There’s power in hip-hop consuming space in a district experiencing cultural change, and Little Brother leading that charge reinforces their position within the structure of Durham’s politics. Big Pooh and Phonte were honored by the City of Durham this summer for their contributions to hip-hop, at the same event Mayor Elaine O’Neal declared June Hip-hop Appreciation Month. A respect responsibly leveraged for a larger, communal, purpose.
When we talk about hip-hop influences, there’s not a credible list that exists without these two. In fact, hip-hop’s current big three have all proclaimed to being directly inspired by the foundation created by Phonte and Big Pooh just shy of the blog era. Drake’s initial mixtapes not only contain elements of the group, but Comeback Season features Little Brother twice. North Carolina’s position as a bridge to both southern rap and east coast flows gave the duo a unique space to work within and influence rappers with witty lyricism over 808’s.
The future for this festival is bright and I fully expect the city of Durham to green light more installments without issue. There’s also an opportunity for the organizers to continue the magic of the mid-sized festival. The physical size of the space, the time the festival occurred, the lineup, the price point (for tickets, merch and food) all culminated into the phenomenal experience we shared on Saturday. Though, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the initial success initiated calls for a multi-day celebration with smaller events occurring on Friday and Sunday. While the economic impact is still being assessed, I believe this event is well on its way to becoming an annual Triangle staple alongside Hopscotch Music Festival, Art of Cool and Dreamville Festival.