Art and music were once the voice of the people. It was an underground movement driven by the need for expression. Somewhere along the way, art became available only to the elite, and music profited only the few. At that point the artists lost control of their creation.
Art, Beats and Lyrics is a multi-media art exhibition that explores the work of a diverse group of visual artists who have emerged from the hip hop culture throughout the U.S. More commonly known as AB+L, the exhibition explores seven themes in hip hop and highlights urban art forms expressed through photography, graffiti, paintings fused with DJing, break dancing and live music.
The core of the project involves artwork, music and design by more than 20 individuals who range from well-known artists to up and coming local talent. AB+L started with an audience of over 400 people and grew to over 4,000 people for a one-evening event at the High Museum. Hoping to capture the urban audience by maintaining its roots in the streets and promoting the underground experience, AB+L understands the subcultures within the underground network. This platform also gives local urban artists a channel in which to expose their art to a wider audience. The exhibitions include an art gallery with an "urban renaissance" theme, a turntable skills showcase performed by national DJ battle champions, a large-scale art installation, a rare sneaker installation, a break-dance display and a video projection integration.
The co-founders of AB+L, Jabari Graham and Dubelyoo, created a multi-media wide-sweeping sensation after their second AB+L event held at the High Museum in 2005. On that night, artists, founders and viewers alike experienced the strange thrill of bringing their slice of the street art subculture to the terra firma of the High Museum. The event was a huge success, merging a confounding amount of 3,000 people in the museum. Many people viewed the AB+L in Atlanta as one of the events that helped fan the flames in the city's urban underground art and music movements. Needless to say, membership sales for the High Museum in Atlanta went up after the one-night art explosion.
Now Baltimore's very own Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center located on 12 N. Eutaw St. will hold the hip hop and urban art exhibition on Friday from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Admission is free. Visit http://www.jackdaniels.com/abl/events.aspx to reserve free passes. Visit http://www.artbeatsandlyrics.com/index.cfm for more general information.
