Tuki Carter of Hollyweerd/City of Ink photo by Adrian Z. Sosebee

Atlanta Indie Hip-Hop Festival 2009 at the Bench a review and brief wrap up of the event.

Indie Fest at the Bench an outdoor/indoor all day hip-hop festival showcasing many of Atlanta’s underground scene.  The bench is run by Lurch,  a nice guy doing positive things,  who has the best selection of Montana Graff paints sold exclusively at the Bench. I got to the party about 6pm just missing the old school homies SMKA,  it was hot as hell but the free redbull was flowing.

Smiles, Niko Villamor, Grip, Dell 080 all rocking the inside stage mid-day with their classic “Atlanta B#@$h”, note Dj Smiles rocking the freshiam T, gotta go get it.

Things started to lag a little at sunset with technical (power) issues,  but Ian Ford and Dres held it down true hip-hop pillars in Atlanta.  ALien was killing it on the drums and he kept the energy going reviving the crowd.  Don Cannon rolled in and pounded out a quick set before the headliner B.O.B. came threw.  I have respect for any hip-hop artist who brings out a live band.  B.O.B put on an energetic set to wake up the crowd and Mickey Factz came out to end the night right.

In all the heat one tends to forget that this show was for a good cause,  The Bench.  I agree that there were some issues that could have been improved (lights/generator needed),  but if you are from Atlanta you know that there are few true Hip-Hop stores that survive.  Fat Beats,  Earwax,  More Dusty Than Digital,  Dumpster Dive all great hip-hop stores that have had to close in the past.  Support your locals or we will not support back.  Many in the past five years have moved to Atlanta to try and get in and down with the scene,  but few want to really support most just complain and wish they still could afford to live in New York.  The city is changing I can feel it culturally falling apart.  What made Atlanta special and the Motown of the South are the true Atliens,  not the cultural carpet baggers who now live intown.

Shout outs to: Dj Dibiase (who spun for like 8 hours),  Chilly-O (go buy his new shirts they are ILL),  Whynatte,  Rock Most,  DJ Rasta Root,  DJ Solomon,  Spytek,  Proton,  Fadia Kader,  Oni,  Camel Menthol’s,  Sofa King, Wayniac,  and all those performers I missed.