The Grammy Museum’s Hip-Hop Block Party returns this year with more attractions and a larger collaboration between musicians, artists and brands.
“It’s a celebration of 50 years of hip-hop that coincided with the ‘Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit’ at the museum, and we thought it would be a cool idea to continue that celebration with the block party, which turned into a whole thing,” said Schyler O’Neal, Grammy Museum manager of education and community engagement, who explained the party’s origins from last year.
The event is from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at the Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles. Tickets are $11.50.
“We were able to do this with support from the Department of Cultural Affairs and a grant to help fund this event,” O’Neal said. “The idea is to celebrate local talent, so local artists, businesses and brands come to the museum to showcase their crafts, artistry and other things they’re working on.
“This year, we’re keeping that same focus, but we’re adding an element, which is mixing hip-hop and R&B, to connect with one of our newest exhibits, ‘Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance.’ We had a great turnout last year and expect another great one this year.”
The event will feature a “jam session” hosted by the National Black Musicians Coalition, a tap dance performance by Chloé Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies, a fashion art installation curated by Andrew McFarland and Melissa McFarland Davis, a live DJ set by DJ R-Tistic and a poetry open mic hosted by Barbara Fant.
The open mic includes Alyesha Wise and Yazmin Monet Watkins, a Krump session with Larry “RUIN” Combs, Malice, Melo, Swift and Tight Eyex and a “show-stopping activation” by the Los Angeles Double Dutch Club.
“We’re doing a lot this year, and I am excited we are expanding it,” O’Neal said. “For me, the focus will always be on how we can do bigger and better. I think our lineup this year is already starting to expand on it, so I imagine whatever we do this year, the next one will feature even more collaborations. We like to get as many people involved as possible.”
O’Neal said each floor will correlate to hip-hop culture and celebrate and uplift local artists, creativity and community. Having worked with the museum since 2013, he explained that the connections he’s made, especially as a Platinum music producer, have paved the way for many of these artist collaborations at the party.
“I’m a music producer, and through the museum, I continue to work with upcoming talent through our educational workshops that cover music production, songwriting and similar topics,” O’Neal said. “I work hands-on to help students and then highlight different talent in our community via showcases that we do throughout the year.
“Working at the museum and just being a creative myself, I’ve had the chance to build relationships through programs we’ve done at the museum. Events like this block party are executed by putting the right people in place. It provides the opportunity to bring everybody together and show the different ways we’re connected in this industry.”
O’Neal hopes to see more people this year and said that, like last year, there will be a major highlight for those who stick around.
“It’s just a big celebration the whole night, and once all of the main activations are complete, everybody will gather on the Ray Charles Terrace, and we’ll all just have a party as a community,” O’Neal said. “I’m looking forward to that as well as the rest of the event.”
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