Photos by Dan Dealy

Last night kicked off the whirlwind action of the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon. This year boasts a strong hip-hop lineup, and things started right with performances from The Clipse, Donnis, Wiz Khalifa, Grand Puba and U-God. Hit the jump for a full recap of the night’s showcases, including a video from Wiz Khalifa and a very special guest at Southpaw.

The night began with an unofficial CMJ event at Hiro Ballroom for Virginia duo the Clipse. The free event was put together by MySpace Music, and before the headliners took the stage, in true CMJ fashion, fans were introduced to some of rap’s rising talent. First to grace the stage was Jasmine Solano, a radio personality turned MC who has made a name for herself on the downtown party circuit. Next was Adam Tensta, followed by must-see newcomer Donnis. The ATL MC recently signed a single deal with Fool’s Gold, similar to the partnership the label formed with Kid Cudi to help launch his megasingle “Day ‘n’ Nite.” Donnis put together a strong set, bringing out fellow Atlanta artists (and Play Count favorite) Pill. The two are performing again tonight as part of the Nahright X Onsmash CMJ showcase featuring Raekwon, Kidz in the Hall, Styles P and more at B.B. King’s.

While waiting for the headlining Clipse and catching up with Donnis and his manager, we mentioned wanting to leave shortly into their set to make it to Brooklyn for the Wiz Khalifa and Frank 151 showcase. Donnis linked us up with his DJ, DJ Jayceeoh, who coincidentally backed Wiz for the evening, and less than one song into the Clipse set, we were off to Brooklyn. Minutes after we walked through the door, Wu-Tang member U-God took the stage. The Shaolin soldiers announced that he was ready to step out of the shadow of his crew, and he performed a number of Wu classics before spitting material off of his latest, Dopium. After a short break, it was time for Khalifa, and although Grand Puba would follow, Wiz owned the crowd like a true headliner. Most in attendance sang and rapped along to almost every song in his set, including the more obscure mixtape tracks. Energy was high for the young MC, who closed his set by bringing out his collaborator on this year’s How Fly, Curren$y. Below, check out our video of the two performing the lead single from the project, “Rollin’ Up,” and don’t be surprised if Wiz returns the surprise-guest favor tonight when Curren$y performs at B.B. King’s.