One of the few good things I can say about the past year is that many more people have been waking up to the fantastic artists that make up Music City’s hip-hop and R&B communities. There’s such a breadth and diversity of talent that it might be a challenge to get your arms around. But the good news is that you’ve got a primo opportunity to build your own sample platter of excellent performers Thursday afternoon.
Cumberland Park is nestled between the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and Nissan Stadium on the East Side, just across the river from Lower Broadway. Tomorrow, it plays host to the Live on the Cumberland festival, which will offer you a chance to pop in and check out a slew of top local musicians — in addition to dancers, spoken-word poets and more — all for free.
Some standout MCs might be the first ones to catch the eye of a frequent Scene reader: Gee Slab, Lord Goldie, Chuck Indigo and Quez Cantrell have all released fantastic work in recent months. (Just last week, Slab and Namir Blade released “Hand Grenades,” a track about coping with the competition from every angle that features a lush and melancholy R&B beat. Check that out below.) But there’s plenty of R&B action, too, courtesy of folks like Ahmad and Jerrica Alyssa, and music that blurs the line from artists like Mic Carr — and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
The festival runs from noon to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 29. There is no cover; there will be food trucks and other vendors, but you can bring your own chairs, blankets and booze. Keep an eye on the Instagram profiles of The PSV Store and EBCM for updates.
Update, July 29: Ron Obasi will not be performing.
