Hip Hop Candyfest saw a great turn out and was a huge success!
Thanks to the high energy of our performers, the spontenaety of the events that unfolded, and the receptivity of the audience made for a fantastic day of fun, excitement and high quality entertainment.
The day started early for the fun-gineers at the Fuhouse as they prepared Central Park for what would be the most anticipated event Candy Funhouse has ever been a a part of. The PA system flooded the park with deep, groovin, ambiental hip hop instrumentals, the weather conspired in our favour as the sun shined bright while the gentle breeze kept us cool - there was a hint of magic in the air and we knew that we would be in for a day to remember.
One by one our judges and contestants began to show up for sound check, and not long after that music lovers, supporters and curious observers passing by began to trickle in. It wasn't long before we had a full on audience and the show was on the road.
The show opened up with an introduction of our judges and was followed by an explosive performance by Emily (a.k.a EAH). In her unique rendition of the provided music she composed a lovely, melodic song remeniscent of a young Beyonce and incorporated rapping into her piece as well. With her diva-like attitude she seemed very comfortable on stage and the crowd loved it.
MC Lonzo then took the stage with an ecstatic performance of his original piece that tugged at the heart strings with his profound lyricism and fiery passion. From beginning to end, the complexity of his rhymes were made to seem effortless and his flow was uninterrupted, making for a stellar performance.
With the crowd having been warmed up, one of our main headliners and judges then took his place on stage and just laid it on them with a killer set. Hip Hop and R&B artist Boots Included Hip Hop inspired tunes, as well as acoustic tracks and even had a little help from some friends - including a singer by the name of Zook with a beautiful voice and your very own iCandy on the drum. His stage presence was energizing to watch, his songs were catchy, and the way he incorporated dance moves into his performance really raised the bar and took the performance to another level. He concluded his set by making a song on the spot using a looper pedal, recording every element of the song 1 by 1 using his voice to replicate sounds like parts of a drum.
While still feeling like dancing, the next 2 acts caught everyone off guard. A young duo by the name of Hollywood took the stage and just floored everyone with their tight hip hop performance. At just 12 years old, this boy/girl duo hip hop routine was enough to get you out of your seats and dropping it like it was hot. Another hip hop dance trio then proceeded the act and delivered another eye-catching and moving performance, both groups had great selections of music, their choreography was visually appealing and their energy was electric.
The half-time show included a performance by yours truly, where I made a beat from scratch to show the kind of work that goes into making a hip hop beat. We also heard from our friend Eva, spokesperson for Argus Residence, who delivered a touching speech about why we were all there and the mission we were supporting to help kids get off the streets.
But when Willy Wonka took the stage with Eminem (a.k.a Shana), things just took on a whole new level of awesome. The two characters did their own rendition of a cover of the famous hit "Lose Yourself". Fans cheered as they recognized the intro of the beat, and when it dropped, Willy Wonka and Eminem showed us what's up.
Just when things seemed like they couldn't get any better, our second feature performance and judge, Exponent 3, got on the mic and brought the audience into his world during his set. Heavy beats, lyrics sharp as swords, and a badass attitude really gave people a feel for the real world of rap and how it's done now. His charismatic crowd work got the people involved and singing along, people's hands were in the air and everyone was bouncin'.
Our next contestants, Aiden + Dax, were a duo of friends who were also the youngest of the competition. When they first autidioned they were one of the only ones who had prepared original pieces and showed a lot of courage getting up on stage. When it came down to showtime, these two talented kids were the perfect combination of cute meets hardcore, because although they looked sweet and innocent on the outside, their performance definteley packed a punch.
Griffin and Karleigh were next on deck, and this anticipated duo did not dissappoint. Their original piece included Griffin (a.k.a Capital G) rapping the verses while Karleigh sang the chorus, and both of them held it down, exhibiting enthusiasm, raw talent and confidence. The unique blend and thoughtful composition of the piece made them really stand out and the crowd loved them.
Our final headliner and judge then took the stage and gave everyone something they were not expecting. YBS Frack began with a spoken word poem that just opened the heart. You could hear the sincerity of his words through his passionate voice, his lyrics were real and from the heart, to the point where it even brought audience members to tears. When the music started and the beat dropped, an explosion of passionate energy that was enough to make the hairs on your neck stand up filled the park. There was wisdom in his lyrics, positive attitude in the way he spoke, and the poems he would recite in between songs allowed for a dynamic range of feelings do be felt. To his surprise, for the very first time in the history of his hip hop career, Frack's parents made an appearance in the audience and were supporting his music. This touching moment added to the beauty of everything occuring, and on that note, Hip Hop Candyfest had come to a conclusion.
After coming to a consensus on a difficult decision, the judges had selected a winner and handed an envelope to the Candy Queen with the winner's name on it.
As the crowd waited in edge-of-your-seat anticipation, Her royal sweetness made the announcement.
3rd place was announced and went to Kayla for her great performance.
Coming up close in 2nd place was MC Lonzo.
And taking home the cake, the first ever winner of Hip Hop Candyfest 2014 was ... *drumroll * ...
Capital G and Karleigh!
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to all who participated in HHCF and helped make it happen. We hop to see you again next year!
-iCandy
Thanks to the high energy of our performers, the spontenaety of the events that unfolded, and the receptivity of the audience made for a fantastic day of fun, excitement and high quality entertainment.
The day started early for the fun-gineers at the Fuhouse as they prepared Central Park for what would be the most anticipated event Candy Funhouse has ever been a a part of. The PA system flooded the park with deep, groovin, ambiental hip hop instrumentals, the weather conspired in our favour as the sun shined bright while the gentle breeze kept us cool - there was a hint of magic in the air and we knew that we would be in for a day to remember.
One by one our judges and contestants began to show up for sound check, and not long after that music lovers, supporters and curious observers passing by began to trickle in. It wasn't long before we had a full on audience and the show was on the road.
The show opened up with an introduction of our judges and was followed by an explosive performance by Emily (a.k.a EAH). In her unique rendition of the provided music she composed a lovely, melodic song remeniscent of a young Beyonce and incorporated rapping into her piece as well. With her diva-like attitude she seemed very comfortable on stage and the crowd loved it.
MC Lonzo then took the stage with an ecstatic performance of his original piece that tugged at the heart strings with his profound lyricism and fiery passion. From beginning to end, the complexity of his rhymes were made to seem effortless and his flow was uninterrupted, making for a stellar performance.
With the crowd having been warmed up, one of our main headliners and judges then took his place on stage and just laid it on them with a killer set. Hip Hop and R&B artist Boots Included Hip Hop inspired tunes, as well as acoustic tracks and even had a little help from some friends - including a singer by the name of Zook with a beautiful voice and your very own iCandy on the drum. His stage presence was energizing to watch, his songs were catchy, and the way he incorporated dance moves into his performance really raised the bar and took the performance to another level. He concluded his set by making a song on the spot using a looper pedal, recording every element of the song 1 by 1 using his voice to replicate sounds like parts of a drum.
While still feeling like dancing, the next 2 acts caught everyone off guard. A young duo by the name of Hollywood took the stage and just floored everyone with their tight hip hop performance. At just 12 years old, this boy/girl duo hip hop routine was enough to get you out of your seats and dropping it like it was hot. Another hip hop dance trio then proceeded the act and delivered another eye-catching and moving performance, both groups had great selections of music, their choreography was visually appealing and their energy was electric.
The half-time show included a performance by yours truly, where I made a beat from scratch to show the kind of work that goes into making a hip hop beat. We also heard from our friend Eva, spokesperson for Argus Residence, who delivered a touching speech about why we were all there and the mission we were supporting to help kids get off the streets.
But when Willy Wonka took the stage with Eminem (a.k.a Shana), things just took on a whole new level of awesome. The two characters did their own rendition of a cover of the famous hit "Lose Yourself". Fans cheered as they recognized the intro of the beat, and when it dropped, Willy Wonka and Eminem showed us what's up.
Just when things seemed like they couldn't get any better, our second feature performance and judge, Exponent 3, got on the mic and brought the audience into his world during his set. Heavy beats, lyrics sharp as swords, and a badass attitude really gave people a feel for the real world of rap and how it's done now. His charismatic crowd work got the people involved and singing along, people's hands were in the air and everyone was bouncin'.
Our next contestants, Aiden + Dax, were a duo of friends who were also the youngest of the competition. When they first autidioned they were one of the only ones who had prepared original pieces and showed a lot of courage getting up on stage. When it came down to showtime, these two talented kids were the perfect combination of cute meets hardcore, because although they looked sweet and innocent on the outside, their performance definteley packed a punch.
Griffin and Karleigh were next on deck, and this anticipated duo did not dissappoint. Their original piece included Griffin (a.k.a Capital G) rapping the verses while Karleigh sang the chorus, and both of them held it down, exhibiting enthusiasm, raw talent and confidence. The unique blend and thoughtful composition of the piece made them really stand out and the crowd loved them.
Our final headliner and judge then took the stage and gave everyone something they were not expecting. YBS Frack began with a spoken word poem that just opened the heart. You could hear the sincerity of his words through his passionate voice, his lyrics were real and from the heart, to the point where it even brought audience members to tears. When the music started and the beat dropped, an explosion of passionate energy that was enough to make the hairs on your neck stand up filled the park. There was wisdom in his lyrics, positive attitude in the way he spoke, and the poems he would recite in between songs allowed for a dynamic range of feelings do be felt. To his surprise, for the very first time in the history of his hip hop career, Frack's parents made an appearance in the audience and were supporting his music. This touching moment added to the beauty of everything occuring, and on that note, Hip Hop Candyfest had come to a conclusion.
After coming to a consensus on a difficult decision, the judges had selected a winner and handed an envelope to the Candy Queen with the winner's name on it.
As the crowd waited in edge-of-your-seat anticipation, Her royal sweetness made the announcement.
3rd place was announced and went to Kayla for her great performance.
Coming up close in 2nd place was MC Lonzo.
And taking home the cake, the first ever winner of Hip Hop Candyfest 2014 was ... *drumroll * ...
Capital G and Karleigh!
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to all who participated in HHCF and helped make it happen. We hop to see you again next year!
-iCandy
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