Legendary Wu-Tang emcee Raekwon rocked a multigenerational crowd at the Englert during the final night of Mission Creek Festival 2025, where he performed his classic 1995 solo debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… The Englert is no stranger to members of the Wu gracing its stage, having welcomed fellow clansmen GZA last year (and in 2009’s […]
Hip-Hop
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Meet Lady Em and Supa Josh, two renowned hip-hop dancers teaching their Olympic level moves in Iowa
Little Village spoke with Emily and Joshua Culbreath about their dance journey, what one can expect from a hip hop dance intensive and the complex stance Breakers can hold toward their dance form’s inclusion in the 2024 Olympic Games.
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Ballet and hip hop duet for Swan Prjct, a Des Moines troupe that centers marginalized dancers in cutting-edge performances
It is the end of a fruitful rehearsal for the Swan Prjct dance company. The high school contingent has just finished running through their performance to “My Queen is Harriet Tubman” by Sons of Kemet, its frenetic afrobeat stylings rattling the walls of SEEDS Studios in Des Moines’ East Village. The dancers raced into a […]
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Whatever happened to the Riverview Music Festival?
Something has been conspicuously missing from Central Iowa’s fall festival lineup for the past two years. The Riverview Music Festival was held in Des Moines for the first, and likely last, time Sept. 4-5, 2021. The fest was focused on providing musical entertainment to underserved demographics in the neighborhoods around Riverview Park. The lineup included […]
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Englert hosting 50 Years of Hip Hop celebration on Friday
From hip hop’s roots in DJ Kool Herc’s Sedgwick apartment in the Bronx, to its countless iterations across coasts, countries and decades, the Englert Theatre plans to celebrate “50 Years of Hip Hop” on Sept. 15. The event will feature fun visuals and displays that highlight and honor the core elements of MCing, DJing, beat […]
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The hip-hop horizon: Iowa rappers’ fall releases explore drug culture, punk and ‘ascension music’
This fall will see a wide range of releases from Iowan artists spanning the diverse rap and hip-hop spectrum. While this is far from a comprehensive list of what’s on tap for the next several months, here’s a cross-section looking at five releases from young, up-and-coming artists who have new projects on the way. Up […]
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Album Review: FlyLife — ‘A Different View’
FlyLife · A Different View “Cause who the fuck gon’ save your family if it isn’t you?” raps FlyLife on the title track from his recently released album. “I know it’s usually guns and drugs but this a different view.” The song serves as the culmination of a broader idea, each prior track helping to […]
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A beginner’s guide to breaking
Hi everyone! Local dancer and author Chuy a.k.a. Bboy Original BEATS here. In this article, All The Way Up Studio co-owner Joel Sorenson a.k.a. Bboy Keitsu and I are going to teach you some core foundational elements of breaking (commonly referred to as breakdancing.*) Our goal is to give you the tools to approach your […]
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Interview: Hip-hop collective Doomtree on Midwestern living and the upcoming Witching Hour festival
Doomtree The Englert Theatre — Saturday, Nov. 7 at 9:30 Indie hip-hop collective Doomtree could be dubbed an artistic smorgasbord. Comprised of five emcees and two producers, the band has been active since 2002, though most of its members met earlier as high school classmates in Minneapolis. Despite each artist’s robust solo career, the group […]
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Hip-Hop Poetics: Kevin Coval reads from “The BreakBeat Poets” tonight at Prairie Lights
First, two points of fact: 1. Very little poetry is Hip-Hop, but all Hip-Hop is poetry. 2. “Hip-Hop is the Hip-Hop is the largest youth culture in the history of…
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Chicago’s Sidewalk Chalk are hippin’ and hoppin’ over to the Mill this Thursday
Jazz and hip-hop fans alike will be wise to catch Chicago’s Sidewalk Chalk when they play The Mill this Thursday. The eight-piece group, which includes an emcee, jazz…
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Cedar Rapids rappers release Vodka Samm-inspired single
Cedar Rapids based rap group Big Bang released their new single, “Vodka Samm (Iowa Fuckin’ City)” today, professing their love for Iowa (fuckin’) City, hot girls and ridiculous amounts of binge drinking. You might remember Big Bang from their local hit “Cedar Rapids (Won’t Let You Down).” The song is a celebration of excess inspired […]
