April 27's Cincinnati Funk Fest showcases some big names and up-and-comers in the world of Hip Hop and Hip Hop-flavored R&B. Headlining the event at the U.S. Bank Arena is singer Erykah Badu, queen of the Neo Soul movement since the late ’90s.
The rest of the lineup is intertwined in Cincinnati music history. Talented Cincy Soul artists Lauren Eylise (who performed a stunning set at Memorial Hall for the 2017 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards ceremony) and Kameron Corvet (who's currently based in Atlanta) round out the R&B portion of the CFF lineup.
But looking at the Hip Hop acts scheduled to perform at the fest (Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek and Speed Walton), they all have one thing in common — their roots can be traced back to Cincinnati Hip Hop legends MOOD. Though they’ve each had successes on their own and are billed separately, the Hip Hop performers' many shared connections suggest some exciting crossover performances at the event.
Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli and superstar Cincinnati-based producer Hi-Tek got their start working with MOOD's Main Flow, Donte and Jahson on their 1995 EP, Hustle on the Side and are also prominently featured on their 1997 debut full-length, Doom, which exposed the group to a nationwide audience thanks to its distribution through TVT Records (in its lifespan, the now-defunct label was also home to releases by Nine Inch Nails, Lil Jon, Pitbull, Guided by Voice, Ja Rule and Cincinnati altrockers Pay the Girl).
That same year, Kweli formed the hugely acclaimed duo Black Star with Cincinnati Funk Fest performer Yasiin Bey (then known as Mos Def), which featured production from Hi-Tek.
Kweli and Tek also were a duo dubbed Reflection Eternal, which released a pair of well-received full-lengths (both recorded at the famed Electric Lady recording studio in New York) in 2000 and 2010.
Also appearing at Cincinnati Funk Fest is Speed Walton, who cut his teeth in the Cincinnati Hip Hop scene as Buggs Tha Rocka. Walton (a perennial Cincinnati Entertainment Award winner) has toured with Kweli and released music through Kweli’s Javotti Media, as has Space Invadaz, Walton’s duo project with Donte from MOOD. To bring the circle fully back around, Hi-Tek has produced tracks for Space Invadaz, including their 2016's single "Wait."
Walton has been receiving good press for his latest single “Black Mozart," which doesn't have any connections to MOOD. But the MC has been working on an album, so perhaps the MOOD family tree will get another branch when it's released.
For tickets and more Cincinnati Funk Fest info, visit usbankarena.com.
