Inaugural San Francisco Hip Hop Festival draws artists, fans for 2-day event
Breakdancing, graffiti art, and the unmistakable beats of hip-hop took center stage at the inaugural San Francisco Hip Hop Festival this weekend, as artists and fans gathered at The Midway in Bayview for a two-day celebration of culture and connection.
Organized by the nonprofit SF Hip Hop, the festival featured panel discussions, music performances, and art competitions designed to honor the genre's roots while creating space for in-person connection.
Renowned graffiti artist Omen P2 said Bayview was a fitting location for the event.
"A lot of the early hip-hop stuff, or what they call hip hop-I like to call it funk stuff-that was happening in the '70s and '80s, started right here in Bayview," he said.
Omen P2 emphasized the value of in-person engagement in an increasingly digital era.
"If you're talking about hip hop, you've got to use your hands and your talent," he said. "Digital is okay, social media is okay. It serves its purpose. But the main difference between then and now is that it had more to do with eye-to-eye contact, hand-to-hand battle, which required more personality, more talent. There's a lot of skillful guys in hip hop today, but I just think the personal touch is missing."
That sense of personal connection is exactly what SF Hip Hop co-founder Kamel Jacot-Bell hopes to foster with the new festival.
"We really feel like hip hop needs to have these types of events to preserve and cherish our legacy and move on to the future," Jacot-Bell said. "We've been around 50 years now, but the culture is dying in different areas-gentrification and different things in our communities. So we wanted to have a strong statement of culture, positivity, and our cultural welfare. There's no better time than now to have the SF Hip Hop Festival."
Performers included the legendary DJ Mix Master Mike and the iconic DJ Qbert, both of whom reflected on the power of hip hop and its roots in Bay Area diversity.
"Back in the days, I used to hustle mix tapes and that was my way of living," said Mix Master Mike. "It was survival instincts, and I just applied that to my art, coming from the streets, and now we are here, 35 years later, still doing what we love, through the grace of God."
DJ Qbert highlighted the region's multicultural influence on the genre.
"You know what's beautiful about the Bay is, you could see a bazillion cultures here, all kinds of nationalities, and we are all connected with the language of God, which is music," he said. "It's just lovely to see that here."
For organizers and participants, the event is more than just a celebration-it's a way to pass down a living history.
"I think having a hip-hop festival is important to have for the younger folks to understand the roots," Omen P2 said.
The SF Hip Hop Festival honored the culture's roots, confronted social justice issues, and sparked conversations about the future of the genre and its community.
