Events

[HIP HOP] Dressed in a blue shirt and red tie with a lanyard that says Bryant & Stratton College, Chuckie Campbell—a hip hop artist, Ph.D of English Literature, college professor, and instructor—tells me about the hip hop series that he’s put together, titled the Elements of Hip Hop. The series begins this Sunday, June 19 at Buffalo Iron Works with a performance by the prominent hip hop artist, Black Milk. Part of the idea is to highlight local talent says Campbell, the frontman of the hip hop group Chuckie Campbell and the Phaction, who will be opening for Black Milk on Sunday. “This one especially is about the live element. Live bands,” he says. Black Milk comes equipped with his backing band Nat Turner, while Campbell boasts a full band including a horn section. ReBop, a live band headed by Eric Crittenden will also perform, paying tribute to 1990s hip hop, alongside Mad Relevant—a collaboration between Type Relevant and Mad Dukez. There will also be live breakdancing by Verve Dance Studio. Black Milk’s live aspect isn’t the only reason that Campbell decided to kick off his series with him. “He embodies the whole sense of this underground hip hop spirit, but he’s established enough to pull a good crowd out here. His work speaks for itself.” Since 2004, Black Milk has released six solo albums as well as a handful of collaborative albums, EPs, and instrumental albums. The Detroit-based artist has worked with a slew of popular hip hop names such as Danny Brown, Guilty Simpson, Slum Village, and Pete Rock.