Two of the original elements of hip-hop were found alive and well this past week, as the U.K.-based live-art battle Secret Wars threw down at Public Assembly in Brooklyn on Wednesday night. An elite team of U.K. bombers, competing in one of the events in a ten-day New York tour, took on the local talent in front of an enthusiastic crowd. This particular bout was complemented with performances by some of biggest rising stars in New York hip-hop, including Poe Picasso, AOK Collective members P.Casso, Homeboy Sandman, Print, 8thw1, Fresh Daily and U.K. import Reeps 1.
As the music resonated from the stage, the artists took to the walls for a 90-minute battle. The rules were kept simple: black paint on white walls only, no sketches, no pencils and teams working side by side. In the end, the judges and the crowd’s roar declared the U.K. team victorious. But the real winners were those who attended and were lucky enough to witness an intimate performance from both stages.
Check out our video, highlighting both the battle and the MCs. You can catch Secret Wars today during the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival in Empire–Fulton Ferry State Park; look out for another exclusive AOK Collective freestyle next week.
Really like that first song that was featured by Poe Picasso, what is it called and where can I hear it/download it?
Yo Scott, you can cop that song off of Poe’s mixtape: “Exhibit A: The Real Hip Hop Project.” Just search for it online-the whole tape is wicked.