MacGregor Park was the site of a mini-festival kicking off at 1p.m., with family-friendly kids creative stations and activities organized by Michelle Barnes of the Community Artist Collective.

The Festival stage featured live music, dance and spoken word performances, along with demonstrations on the park grounds by street artists and car customizers and displays of hip hop fashion. Booths featuring information on local arts organizations and social agencies were also a part of the festival event. On stage were performing artists Bloc Boyz Click, spoken word artist Outspoken Bean and B-Boy dance ensemble Havikoro as well as others from Dance Houston.

Participating Artists:

Musicians

YUNGSTAR is a renowned figure within the Houston rap scene. He began rapping during his childhood in Southwest Houston. As a teenager, he became a member of the Screwed Up Click, achieving local fame through his verse on the iconic freestyle track "June 27" in 1996. In 1999, his appearance on the hugely popular single "Wanna Be A Baller" earned him nationwide acclaim. That same year, his debut album Throwed Yung Playa was released on Straight Profit Records and featured the hit single "Knockin' Pictures Off the Wall." Since then, Yungstar has continued to be active within the Houston rap scene releasing several albums, making frequent guest appearances, and consistently performing.

E.S.G. is a southern hip hop recording artist from Houston, Texas, and is a member of the Screwed Up Click. He helped to popularize the "Screwed and Chopped" style of rap music. His first album Ocean of Funk was released in 1994 and it contained the popular single "Swangin' & Bangin'," which would later be remixed in his follow-up release Sailin' Da South. He has released 11 other albums since then. He was joined on stage by his son Bryson, who performs under the name Killa B.

The Bloc Boyz Click is a Houston-based hip hop group consisting of rappers AL, Adrian, Big Be, Lil Kano, Feva and Gospa Man. While recording for the Cloverland-based Cloverland/Blackhouse Records, the group members represent all sides of Houston. Since the release of their popular single "Officially Ridin' Swangas," the group has become ambassadors for SLAB, appearing in the Houston Chronicle and KTRK news discussing the culture. In 2012, the Bloc Boyz Click took their talents to film, appearing in the Marcus Henry film Nicki: A Hip Hop Love Story. The Bloc Boyz Click are much more than artists, they are social activists who use their power as artists to uplift children and families across Houston.

Dancers

HaviKORO is a local B-boy crew founded by Jeremy HaviKORO that performs year-round and internationally. Together for over a decade, the group does community events and major media programs. Jeremy got started breaking under his brother, and from there formed a crew that competes with similar dance ensembles from around the world. The style of dance is hip hop inspired and relies on the syncopated sounds and the freestyle sensibility of the music.

Dance Houston works to increase dance appreciation in the city by respecting and appreciating the diverse cultures and movement traditions that thrive in Houston, and their work reflects this through innovative, multi-cultural programming. Dance Houston creates access for dancers of all styles and learners of all ages. Dance Houston presented signature hip hop styles, such as step, krump, and pop.

Spoken Word

Outspoken Bean is a recipient of grants from the Foundation for the Visual Arts and The Idea Fund. A performance poet, writer, mentor, entertainer, and educator, Emanuelee Outspoken Bean uses poetry to collaborate with other mediums and institutions, such as the stage production of Houston Ballet's PLAY.

Meta-Four Houston is a program of Writers in the Schools (WITS), which encourages self-expression and literacy among Houston's youth through creative writing and performance. WITS works across the city, helping youth explore and express their truths through writing, performance workshops and poetry slams.

Street Artists

Street artists THE ONE LEE, GONZO247, SODE, HOSTAL, ZINK520 and car customizers BG and Texan Wire Wheels demonstrated and discussed their work. The park grounds were the site of an informal car show that allowed spectators to examine the cars up close and interact directly with SLAB owners and artists.

Inspired by HIP HOP

THEONELEE has been painting murals with aerosols since the early 80's and grew up listening to hip hop as an inspiration for his art.

HOSTAL was born in the city's Second Ward, where started writing with paint in the streets as a protégé of SODE. He continues to hone his skills by giving the hip hop aesthetic a place in Houston's visual culture.

SODE grew up listening to old school hip hop, witnessing the beginnings of Houston's "chopped and screwed" style and falling immediately in love with its unique sound. He has continued promoting the legacy and the aesthetics of DJ Screw by adding to Houston's street flavor.

GONZO247, a central figure in the Houston art scene, started making art on the streets at just 13 years of age and has been actively creating spray paint-based artwork since the mid '80s and continues to love the sound of Houston's hip hop scene.

ZINK520 is a native of New Jersey and started painting WildStyle graffiti in 1982 on the East Coast. He brought his art to Houston in 1997. As a proponent of "X-Men Worldwide," his efforts continue to be inspired by the rawness and immediacy of the hip hop sound.