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[Left: DJ Ohm, from New Mexico, cuts his way to a 1st place finish]
The rhymes were flowing and the windmills were spinning at the 2nd annual Expo of the Elements held at the Mul-Chu-Tha Fair on April 19, 2008. Sacaton’s very own hip-hop explosion picked up where last year’s successful event left off.
The event was organized by Jaime Jackson, Pat Rhodes, Jake Antone, Lorenzo Harrison, Tim Antone and the D3 Service Center Staff. Jackson estimated approximately 400 people attended throughout the course of the day.
“I believe anytime you hold an event at this magnitude with out any problems with all ages, it is a huge success,” said Jake Antone.
The Expo featured freestyle rapping, graffiti art, pop locking, B-boy and DJ battles, as well as an exhibit by Unique Image Car Club from Casa Grande. Red Bull was also on hand giving away complimentary energy drinks, but the real energy came from the talented artists and guests who invigorated the crowd with their exceptional style and flair.
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[Governor Rhodes and First Lady Ruby Rhodes supporting hiphop expo]
The event began shortly after 1 p.m. and lasted till around 8 p.m. Beneath a giant tent, the crowd gathered to witness all the elements of hip hop exhibited by Arizona’s finest. “The community must realize we have talent that bursts through the walls of stereotypes,” said Jaime Jackson who worked tirelessly make the event successful.
“I have learned that putting on an event like this one is a lot of work,” said Lorenzo Harrison aka B-boy SmileZ. Harrison also said they received unilateral praise from judges, participants and many of those in attendance.
Mister Re emerged victorious in the rapping battle. He edged out District Six’s own Sticky Tones by a slim margin. After his victory, Mister Re had a special message for local hip hop enthusiasts, saying that he wanted rapping to be used for more constructive purposes.
Popping Sam, a pop-locking veteran, came away with $500 in prize money for his dynamic performance in the pop-locking battle. Future Styles B-boy Crew triumphed over the competition as they excited the crowd with their unique style of B-boy dancing. The graffiti battle had the most competitors with about 40 people registered. York, a writer from Phoenix, took top honors in the graffiti battle. “I was over excited to have graffiti artists from New Mexico, New York, Chicago, Phoenix & Tucson come to our native soil to show what they had to offer,” Jackson said.
Clark, a graffiti artist from Bronx, New York, lived along the subway line and recalls watching the Number 6 train pass with art that would inspired him to create is own style. “At the age of eight I was writing on the ground,” Clark said of his early pieces. Last year’s champion in the DJ battle, DJ Ohm, successfully defended his crown retain back-to-back honors.
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[Left: Yorkʼs winning piece in the graffiti battle]
Unique Image Car Club brought their love for lowriding to the event by displaying their custom cars. “I’ve been lowriding since I was 14,” said car club president David Gayton. Along with Unique Image, there were four Native American models who were also promoting the event.
The ladies caught the attention of many attendees by displaying their promotional tees. The models, Vikki Clark, Tesheena Harney, Coco Nez-Armstrong and Shiana Billie were a perfect compliment to the smooth sleek style of many lowriders in the show. Nez-Armstrong, who’s been modeling over five years, would like to see more Native Americans thrive in the modeling business. She uses her experience to motivate the youth, “who don’t have a direction to follow.” The models added style and glamour to an already high-profile event.
The organizers worked in a concerted effort to meet the goals spurred by last year’s achievements. “A lot people see that it’s just not a show we throw together, it is a day full of knowledge,” Antone said. They are also getting offers to do something similar in other areas. “Salt River Community wants to meet with us to bring a similar event to their community,” Jackson said.
The coordinators of the Expo would also like to thank T.D.R crew, Unek from New Mexico, Lalo Cota, Erik, Sai, Pipa, Dj Deeko, Dj Element & Tina, Dj Shock B, Dj Astonish, House (FSC), Odin (FSC), and Bboy Luna. Lastly and most importantly Jaime and the organizers reserve, “Deepest thanks to the Community for letting us bring what we and others have to the forefront for your eyes and ears to gain knowledge.”
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[Left: Native models Teshina Harney and Coco Nez-Armstrong strike a pose]
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[Below: A Buick Regal in 3-wheel motion from Unique Image Car Club]
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