d smoke

The most famous museum in America took a monumental step in legitimizing Hip Hop in mainstream academia. The Smithsonian institution plans to host a block party celebrating Hip Hop and Rap. The party celebrates the one-year anniversary of the institution’s Hip Hop anthology. The party is free to attend, but tickets are required. It will undoubtedly be a worthwhile event for hip-hop fans in the Washington D.C. metro area.

The Details

The event headliner is rapper D. Smoke. Other rappers and DJs are set to entertain throughout the day. Radio host Vic Jagger emcees the party. The block party will feature many other local and national artists performing tracks in celebration. The party certainly promises to entertain those in attendance.

The event honors the one-year anniversary of the Smithsonian’s release of an anthology album. The nine-disc set recounts hip hop’s history and cultural impact through its tracklist. Numerous artists feature on the album, including Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Nas, Tupac, Kanye West, and Drake. However, this is nowhere near the complete list of featured artists.

The Significance of the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institute began life as a dream of one eccentric English chemist named John Smithson. Smithson had no immediate family to bequeath his wealth to. So, upon his death, his will stated that his fortune would be given to the creation of a museum in Washington DC. Over the years, this museum grew into the most recognizable museum on the planet. The Smithsonian’s recent treatment of hip hop legitimizes the once neglected art form. It will be hard for people to dismiss it after such a prestigious museum celebrates it openly as a cultural force casually. The Smithsonian stems from the recent wave of established and credible museums recognizing hip hop’s influence. This trend seems to be on the rise and promises good things for advocates of hip hop everywhere.

Ryan Fields

Every year, the BET Awards offers artists an opportunity to spit their hottest freestyle bars in the annual lyricism cypher. This year, Tierra Whack, Smino, D Smoke, and Grip took the mic, delivering one of the most consistent and flowing cyphers in years.

Each rapper received roughly 45 seconds on the mic. They spat over a heavy, drill-influenced beat from LA producer DJ Hed.

Tierra Whack

Tierra Whack, the weird and wonderful Philly MC, took the stage first. Ms. Whack, known for her breakneck pacing and unique flow, brought out all the stops. In polka-dot leggings and bright pink rain boots, she left no crumbs calling out haters, repping her city, and honoring the BET’s. “Don’t you question me/don’t you step on me/ a fool is never something I could B-E-T/ See me out in Philly nobody with me/I’m by myself/ Just me and God,” Whack spat, so fast catching her rhymes required multiple rewinds. In true Whack fashion, she closed her verse with unmatched confidence and grace: “I never wanted to be the best/ Cause I always knew I was/ Peace, light and love/ Whack.”

Grip

Next up was Atlanta rapper Grip, who rapidly unleashed from his opening line: “I’m here to slap your favorite rapper.” The rising star signed to Eminem’s Shady Records in June, and his punctuated, motormouth flow fits perfectly with Em’s. “Shoutout to the ones who rejected me/ kiss my ass respectfully/there’s yet to be/a threat… it’s a murder scene, y’all.” In his own way, Grip is making music to be murdered by himself.

Smino

Smino headed up the third verse. The St. Louis rapper’s laid-back confidence on the mic shone through in his trademark Missouri drawl. Smi, who specializes in vocal experimentation, could have added a bit more vocal variety. However, his humor and unique swagger came through. Bars like “Sick need a warning from the CDC/ 6 in the morning with the freek-a-leek,” stood out. Smino even brought his cypher cohort into things, getting a reaction from Tierra Whack when he spat someone was “whack like T.”

D Smoke

Finally, D Smoke, who introduced the cypher, closed with an earth-shattering, standout verse. In his opener, he introduced himself: “Here go/ this no intro for simple minds who don’t know who I am/ Simply instrumental/ young in my prime/ I let both my hands/ Tickle ivories/ Still pick a fight.” Smoke put on a performance rarely seen in a BET cypher, even pulling a piece of chalk from his pocket and drawing on the floor to illustrate his lyrics. He closed out the verse switching into Spanish, visibly exciting his cypher-mates.

Ending on an impossibly high note, this year’s cypher left fans breathless for more. In short, we can’t wait to see what all these artists have coming up next. Watch the full clip here.

What did you think of this year’s BET cypher? Let us know by interacting with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We love to hear your takes!

Written by Hattie Lindert | Twitter