Talib Kweli to Headline Boston Urban Music Festival 2014
Talib Kweli (left) and Mos Def performing in 2012. / Photo by Tuomas Vitikainen via Wikimedia Commons
Following the Donna Summer Roller Disco Party in July, the Funk Summit Dance Party earlier this month, and the annual GospelFest after that, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture will present another soulful music event this weekend.
The 2014 Boston Urban Music Festival, or BUMF, will take place Sunday, August 24, and noted hip-hop artist Talib Kweli is scheduled to headline. Kweli first rose to fame in the 1990s, when he and fellow Brooklyn-bred rap artist Mos Def collaborated as the duo Black Star. Kweli is not only known for his artistry, but also for his political views and social activism.
Among the issues that concern Kweli the most is race and police brutality, currently a hot topic around the country after the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri.
Kweli will be joined on Sunday by several Boston-based acts including Clinton Sparks, Shea Rose, Dutch Rebelle, Berklee College of Music’s J Dilla Ensemble, and more. Floorlords, Boston’s longest running underground dance organization, will also perform on Sunday.
A few events throughout the week will precede the main event this weekend:
• On Tuesday, check out Mind Spray featuring Moroney at the Middle East Upstairs. The winner of this monthly hip-hop showcase and open mic will earn a spot in the Boston Urban Music Festival lineup.
• On Friday, there will be a Latin Dance and pre-BUMF Dance Party with DJ Knife at City Hall Plaza.
• And on Saturday, catch Fresh Produce featuring The Arcitype & Mr. Fritz at Good Life.
Boston Urban Music Festival: Free, Sunday, August 24, pre-show 2-4 p.m., concert 5-9 p.m., City Hall Plaza, Boston, 617-635-3911, bostonurbanmusicfestival.org.
