If you wanted a dose of real hip hop, The 13th Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival did just that. The concert took place at Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo, NY. Concert artists included DMX, The LOX, OSHUN, legendary DJ duo Stretch and Bobbito, and the god MC himself, Rakim.

There was speculation if DMX would perform due to his recent arrest. He was arrested for tax fraud and allegedly withheld $1.7 million from the IRS. During the beginning of his set he said “I almost didn’t make it to this motherf*cker, but when God is for you, no one can be against you.” He performed crowd favorites such as “Get At Me Dog” and “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.” Although he was teary eyed at one moment during the show, DMX is still in good spirits and even hopped off stage to embrace the fans.

After DMX performed, the god MC himself, Rakim graced the stage. For the younger generation this was definitely a moment to see authentic hip hop, and for day one supporters of Rakim this was a performance down memory lane. He performed classics like “Don’t Sweat the Techinique” and “My Melody.” Rakim caught the audience by surprise when we welcomed Black Moon and Lil Fame from M.O.P to perform. There was also special moment when Mobb Deep’s, Havoc hit the stage. It has only been a few weeks since the loss of his other half Prodigy. This was Havoc’s first performance since his death. At the end of his performance Havoc said “Thank You, Brooklyn. Rest in peace to my brother Prodigy.”

Sponsors included: Brooklyn Brewery, Monster Energy, Ember Charter Schools, Power 105.1, and Dazzler Hotels.

Author: @shantiab.tv

See a few photos and recap video below.