Glory Glory: Little Brother's block party celebration

Words by Mr. Al Pete

2023 is the year of the Hip Hop genre turning 50 and there have been numerous dedications that highlight the culture, the players that kept it going, and the music that made our lives better. In addition, the North Carolina duo Little Brother celebrates 20 years of being a force in Hip Hop. Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh have released five albums along with mixtapes and solo projects. They have their respected features on some notable artist songs and albums. Also, their debut album ‘The Listening’ was released in February of 2003. How do they celebrate these victories? By throwing a block party in the city where they started the journey: Durham, North Carolina.

The event took place on October 7th, 2023 and the vibes were ALL there. The weather was beautiful and consists of ample sun with a brisk of autumn floating around. The lineup matched the rays: Zo! and Tall Black Guy with special guests Carmen Rodgers, BeMyFiasco, and Darien Brockington, DJ sets by DJ Hourglass and DJ Wally Sparks, The Cool Kids, Big K.R.I.T., and of course, Little Brother. All of this excellence was mixed with food trucks, merch, and music lovers.

With Little Brother being the nucleus of the event, it gave respected exposure to the artists that were performing and that were in attendance to support (spotting Nicolay, Rory, Carlitta Durand, and Tamisha Waden at the party was great…and they were pleasant to meet). The show displayed a mixture of Soul, Funk, and Hip Hop…and even some ratchet tunes was added (Juvenile ‘Back That Thang Up’ does not hurt anyone). Starting off with a funky band, then adding DJ mixes and electric performances, and ending with Little Brother going through their momentous catalog was the joint! What made it better was them starting their performance with the two songs released weeks prior to the block party. Yes.

Let me add that the event felt like a family reunion. It definitely gave off family reunion vibes. I was here for ALL of it.

Little Brother are the heroes that makes the people love Hip Hop. They are relatable, remarkable, and important to the history of the genre. The efforts they made to give us this memory will forever be respected and admired. Cheers to their success and we are here for the ride.

Now the obvious question EVERYONE asks: when the album coming out?? laughs

Enjoy the DJ mix below. It consists of music from the mentions. This mix exhibits the vibe I was in.