It was all Spoken words, freestyle, emcee battle, graffiti and B-Boying at the just concluded February edition of the Now Muzik En.Core produced ‘Str8 Up, Hip-hop’ event. Hip-hop enthusiasts and pros were treated to a well organized event which was hosted by Veteran femcee, Blaise.

The ‘Love Jones’ edition was the second edition of Str8 Up, Hip-hop to hold this year, the first been the ‘State of the Union Forum edition’. The event witnessed a massive turnout of not only hip-hop heads but also inquisitive individuals who desired to know more about the monthly niche urban networking event.

The show opened with a remarkable live graffiti artwork by Zhyno Spikes who took the crowd into his mesmerizing world of graffiti art for about ten minutes. Then came Spoken word artises, Efe Paul Azino who was accompanied by his wife, their breath-taking duet performance was one of the high points of the show which held at Koga Studios, Oregun, Ikeja.

It was a surprise to many in attendance to hear Blaise introduce Toni Payne as a spoken word artiste. Silence suddenly filled the hall and the only sound heard was the very clear voice coming from the stage as Toni easily dropped line after line of her love themed poem to the admiration of all.

Highly skilled freestylers were not left out as they were well represented by upcoming female rapper Butafly, Eternal and few others who dished out sizzling punch lines and metaphors. Battle emcees were also present; confident enough, they went head-to-head to battle for the best emcee of the Love Jones edition which was finally won by Emcee Blaze.

Next stop was B-Boying also known as break dancing which has become a prominent feature in Nigeria’s Hip-hop scene. There was no end to the amazing stunts by the contestants, everyone felt the energy and adrenaline rush, leaving the cool audience somewhat confused as to whom to give the crown. After many tightly contested rounds, B-Boy Eric came top.

Finally the part many were waiting for;  performances by the veteran, Ill Bliss and the reigning rap sensation, Phyno. Everyone rapped along as the hip-hop gurus  performed their recent hit collabo ‘Anam Achi Kwanu’, after which Phyno rendered a ground-shaking performance of his breakthrough hit single; ‘Ghost Mode’. Rapper Romeo of Crystals band also thrilled the crowd with an excellent performance.

Although the date of the next edition of Str8 Up, Hip-hop is yet to be announced, plans are already been made by the organizers; Now Muzik En.Core to ensure that hip-hop aficionados experience an even better show.