BAM Hip-Hop, Spoken Word Show Held On Brooklyn Brownstone Stoop

FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN — In true Brooklyn fashion, a showcase of hip-hop and spoken word poetry performances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music this weekend will be held on a recreated brownstone stoop.

The showcase, called "Word. Sound. Power. 2019," is the 15th annual celebration of spoken work poetry and hip-hop in honor of National Poetry Month. It will be held on Friday and Saturday along with workshops and kids program's surrounding the same themes next weekend.

This year, the show will also feature high school poets from BAM's Brooklyn Reads program, who will perform alongside the professional line up of performers.

"The artists will invoke the power of Sankofa, (looking to the past to inform the future) as they touch on topics that impact and affect Brooklyn communities—gentrification, mental health, and self-care," organizers said.

The performances will take place on top of a stoop created by BAM's production team inside of its space at 321 Ashland Place. The brownstone stoop represents a place of mediation, inspiration, and creativity for Brooklyn, organizers said.

Featured performers this year include Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and emcee Maimouna Youssef, Brooklyn resident DJ Reborn and Nas, BRAT, the dancehall choreographer for Rihanna and hip-hop emcee Baba Israel.

The high school students who will perform alongside them hail from Expeditionary Learning, Teachers Preparatory High School, Performing Arts and Technology High School, Cultural Academy for the Arts and Sciences, Brooklyn School for Music and Theater, and Brooklyn Preparatory High School.

The National Poetry Month will continue the next weekend with additional music and poetry programs through BAMKids. These include a family-friendly concert on Saturday, April 13 and a two workshops earlier that day.

The 10:30 a.m. workshop will introduce kids ages 8 to 11 to music and dance styles across the African diaspora and the 1 p.m. workshop will explore the sounds of world-roots music through the basics of jazz, Afro-beat, reggae, rock, Latin, hip-hop, and funk.

Find out more information about the National Poetry Month activities on BAM's website.