A3C Festival: Breaking the Surface

Loud, crowded, stuffy, and warm are common attributes of events that I try to avoid. But this year, I decided to dip my foot into a new pool. In a room full of people, the majority of which are men but from all different backgrounds, I found it easy to push my way through to the artists on stage. Slum Village, a Detroit hip-hop group was performing and they held the crowd’s undivided attention with ease. Everyone is mesmerized, waving their hands, bobbing their heads and rocking to the beat. The power of music is truly something supernatural—bringing people together, who otherwise may have never interacted with one another.

Welcome to the A3C festival, one of the greatest gatherings of all things hip-hop. If you have not heard of A3C you are definitely missing out, just be thankful that it’s an annual event. The A3C Festival is a collaboration of underground artists, up and coming artists, and even a few legends. These artists come together and take over the city of Atlanta for one, highly anticipated weekend.

With more than 8 stages and over 300 artists spread through out the city, there were multiple events happening each night from October 11-October 13. Some of the artists you might know, such as Raekwon, Slum Village, Yelawolf, and CyHi the Prynce; other artists are not as well-known but are certainly noteworthy such as Trinidad Jame$, Ab Soul, and Young Guru. Aside from the concerts there were different panels throughout the weekend, including festiquette, marketing/branding, empowerment through voting, entrepreneurship, and more.

This is the 8^th year of the A3C festival, each year the festival grows larger and larger. Last year, more than 15,000 people showed up to the event and this year certainly topped that. The festival began in 2005 to showcase independent artists from around the country. Some famous A3C alums include Big Daddy Kane, Wale, J. Cole, and Little Brother. Not only were there live performances to enjoy but A3C included DJ competitions, rap cyphers, b-boy battles, and producer showcases. These events allow artists to showcase their skills to a wider range audience whom they may have never encountered otherwise. For many performers, especially local Atlanta artists, this is a “make or break” event.

Just walking around the main venue at The Masquerade was an event in itself. Although it was rounding 10pm on Saturday night (the last night of the festival), the crowd was more live than ever. Everyone was proudly repping their A3C attire, and talking about performances that already took place and those that were about to take place.

“It’s a privilege just to be in the atmosphere; never knowing who you could meet or pass by. I just met one of my favorite artists not too long ago,” said Christian Miles, a 24 year old festival goer.

It seems that everyone has the same vibe and opinion about the festival: “I’ve been here every day, and it just keeps getting better!” said Shelly Winter.

Although A3C is a hip-hop festival, music is not the only art that takes place at the event. At the Masquerade, there were plenty of tents that housed fashion entrepreneurs. Among the masses you could find New Era, Honor Roll Clothing Group, KRT (Kings Ruling Together), and Affaire Clothing. There was a common theme found among the designers, everyone wanted to promote positive and encouraging messages. One of my favorite talks was with fashion designer and creator of the KRT line, Curran J. KRT is not just a brand but it’s a message, that we should have high standards for ourselves, respect for others, and an understanding that we are all Kings and Queens. It’s apparent that fashion isn’t only about making money and becoming famous, but it’s about the success of future generations.

A3C certainly tops my lists as one of the best events of the year. It was a brand new experience, that I’m sure I won’t forget and that I will definitely revisit next year. The world of hip-hop is so much more diverse than what the surface reveals. It’s not just one race, one gender, one anything. It’s a mixture, a collaboration, a meeting of what makes hip-hop more than just music —the fans, rappers, djs, designers, dancers, media, I could go on forever. There were no disappointments at A3C; my only complaint to the A3C staff is that it’s only three days long. It’s hard to pack that much amazing into one weekend.

-Stormm Van Rooi