the BBOY BBQ… A NU REALITY

The BBOY BBQ is an annual Hip Hop Art festival that centers on Aerosol Art while celebrating and partaking in all the elements of Hip Hop. This event was not created but developed naturally in the backyard of Aerosol Artist Pose 2 and Designer, Ella Isaac’s home in 1997. At the time they just wanted to create an atmosphere for all their creative friends where they could eat some good food, listen to good music and share their dreams… “ But in the midst of us just having a good time something magical happened and it was all so unexpected.“ Someone went into the basement pulled out some cardboard and began doing windmills; the D-jay had everyone bouncing while others began to kick lyrics it was awesome. People arrived and fell in sync to the rhythm of the beats and the smell of corn, fish and barbeque chicken on the grill. There was art painted on the walls while black books and photo albums were being viewed. It was an exchange of creative ideas, good people and the promise of a creative future… It was so powerful I knew it had to continue.
By word of mouth, the following year 200 people were stuffed into our back yard celebrating what we now call the “BBOY BBQ”. Amongst the crowd were some of the best D-Jays, Emcees, Breakers and Writers within Philadelphia. It was like a Hip Hop Family reunion so it had to continue, but not in my back yard!
Three years later the BBOY BBQ remerged directly across the street from my house at the Hawthorne Recreation Center and Park, equipped with swings and slides for kids and a big basketball court for B-boys to dance and plenty of outdoor space for live painting.
With the assistance of Stef Tah Taz, of Beat Society, D-Jay Botany 500, Meca Isa and Ella, we transformed a backyard barbeque into an Hip Hop festival that hosts nearly 1000 attendee’s annually attracting people from New York, Washington DC and Boston.
Since its inception the BBOY BBQ has operated as a self- sustaining event. However over the year’s corporations and non- profit organizations such as Wholefoods, Sunkist, Red bull, Critical Massive and the Philadelphia Mural Arts department have contributed greatly to our growth and development. These organizations covered nearly all of our costs helping us to maintain a free community event that caters to all.
The beauty of the BBOY BBQ is that it is free for friends and families to celebrate the traditions of Hip Hop while local businesses are encouraged to sell and promote their products that relate to the culture.
Throughout the years our event has expanded to three cities and this year to four, as we are proud to announce that we are expanding the event overseas to Copenhagen Denmark. For 8 Years the FUA Crew has hosted the BBOY BBQ in Rochester NY, and this year plans to do it in the abandoned subway tunnels which will hold space for nearly 200 artists! For two years a collective of artists have hosted the event in San Diego CA, and this year it will be hosted at the “Space For Art” which has an awesome outdoor/indoor facility with a built in stage and gallery. In 2010 and 2011 the 84 Crew hosts the BBOYBBQ in west Philadelphia and this year we will be celebrating its 10th year which promises to be one of the best yet!
Our strong sense of community, collective cooperation and pure love for what we do is the reason why the BBOY BBQ stays alive. Always celebrating the essence of Hip Hop in its natural state… free!