Yo! Youth OutLook

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It’s been a long time since I hung out in Berkeley.

Being there for Hip Hop in The Park took me back to high school daze when I would cut school and run off to Telegraph Avenue, eat some pizza and buy funky clothes at Mars thrift store.

It reminded me of walking down telegraph and running into someone I didn’t want to run into on every block and me and my girls late night donut runs or yogurt binges in the park. But today, this Saturday was a bit different. I felt like an outsider as I moved across the lawn of People’s Park.

Unable to find a familiar face in the first 15 seconds made me think that maybe I’ve spent too much time away in the tropics of the San Antonio district of Oakland where I spend my evenings basking in the town’s glow.

The “Bezerkly” that I grew up with was surrounding me all at once. The swirling colors and hairy arm pits and clouds of smoke got stuck in my throat and I couldn’t breathe, but I could listen and I heard familiar voices/sounds. Rhythms from the Attik. Not just any attic but Data D.A.T, Amani Anansi, and Sand Man’s personal Attik -- the Berkeley based hip hop trio who has made a name for themselves in the local underground scene over the past few years.

I let my ears listen and I started seeing shapes and colors and textures on everyone’s head. So my photo hand started convulsing and taking pics of every shape it could find in the crowd.

I was having so much fun running around Peoples Park, sneaking flicks of everyone’s style while groups were performing on stage.

Mistah F.A.B came on after the Attik and finished the day off. He did raps about how his love for his mother runs deep -- Deep enough to evoke tears in the eyes of listeners who reached their hands up to the sky in motions of sympathy, understanding and respect.

F.A.B, the show stopper, the fabulous and the brightest star in the park easily brought everyone to their feet and then down to their knees as he free-styled and redefined the meaning of free-styling in one smooth blow. F.A.B representing the music corner of the park did his thing.

In other corners, break dancers dared each other to break their necks, shirts and skins played a game of hoops and hippies kissed under trees. Me, I did my own dance. I spun in the middle of the park, reaching out to each corner snatching up memories and letting my ears listen.

Over stimulated by color, shapes, and textures glued together into forms atop peoples heads I was home again, and after Hip Hop in the Park was over I put my camera away, grabbed some grub, strolled up telegraph past all my familiar teenager hangouts, got in my car and dashed back to Oakland.

TaSin is an editor at YO!

Watch footage from last years Hip Hop in the Park Event

Berkeley CA. throws down with Hip Hop in the Park @ the historic Peoples Park. Featuring artist like The Frontline, tha Attik, Mistah FAB, Ise Lyfe, and a DJ battle between DJ Treatunice and DJ Phatrick.

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