Music
Grandmaster Flash + Tierra Whack --------- w/ Special Tribute to J Dilla (Sold Out)
Overview
CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIP HOP AT THE BROAD
TICKETS INCLUDE ENTRY TO THE MUSEUM DURING THE EVENT, INCLUDING THE KEITH HARING EXHIBITION AND THE THIRD FLOOR COLLECTION GALLERIES
This event is 21+ with valid I.D. The cash bar on the East West Bank Plaza opens at 7:30 pm.
NO PERSON UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE EVENT
In conjunction with the special exhibition, Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody, The Broad celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a concert with co-headliners Grandmaster Flash and Tierra Whack, plus a tribute to J Dilla by DJs Monalisa and Wyldeflower with a special appearance by Illa J.
Hip hop as a music genre and lifestyle has had a profound impact on art, culture, fashion, politics, and more—both across the United States and internationally. In the Broad’s Keith Haring exhibition, the influence of hip hop on the iconic visual artist is evident in his linework, radiant energy, and use of color. Images of Haring’s era, including breakdancing figures, boom boxes, and DJs, are symbolic of his connection to street culture, nightlife, and graffiti art, while social commentary parallel to ideas being expressed in hip hop and rap are found throughout his work.
The technical experimentation of Grandmaster Flash on hit songs such as “The Message” and “White Lines” set new standards for music production. The Broad brings this legendary figure together with subsequent generations of hip hop artists to illustrate the lasting importance of hip hop and its inextricable connection to the visual arts. Co-headlining is Grammy-nominated lyricist and fast-rising superstar Tierra Whack, who will bring her flavorful wordplay and boundless creativity to the stage. Tierra will perform tracks from the acclaimed Whack World, "Whack History Month," and her EP Rap? released in 2021 as well as new material.Whack helped kick off the 2022 WNBA season with "Stand Up" from Rap? In acknowledgment of a beloved artist no longer with us, DJs Monalisa and Wyldeflower will do a B2B set paying tribute to record producer, drummer, rapper, and songwriter J Dilla, with a special appearance by Dilla’s brother, musician Illa J.
All artist photos courtesy of the artists.
know before you go
Tickets include access during the event to The Broad’s special exhibition Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody and the museum’s third floor galleries which include works by collection artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, and Andy Warhol.
Access to Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away (2013) is not included and must be booked separately here.
Please note the following:
This event is 21+ with valid I.D. The cash bar on the East West Bank Plaza opens at 7:30 pm. NO PERSON UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE EVENT
Bag Inspection: All bags brought into the event will be physically inspected prior to entry.
No large bags: Please leave backpacks and other large items larger than 11 x 17 x 8 inches at home.
Security personnel will be scanning all event attendees with magnetic wands prior to entry to the event to help ensure the safety of our guests, performers, and staff.
For information on The Broad's current health and safety policies, visit Know Before You Go & FAQ. Visitor policies are subject to change.
Schedule
Biographies
Grandmaster Flash
Few names have become as well known to music lovers across the globe as that of Grandmaster Flash. Not only is he one of the originators of the musical genre called Hip-Hop and a worldwide musical cultural phenomenon, but his pioneering use of the turntables make him the first DJ to play the turntables as a musical instrument thus helping to elevate the status of the DJ to a masterful, artistic position. The career of DJ Grandmaster Flash began in the Bronx with neighborhood block parties that essentially were the start of what would become a global sensation — the dawn of a musical genre. He was the first DJ to physically lay his fingertips on the body of the vinyl and manipulate it in a backward, forward or counterclockwise motion, He invented “The Quick Mix Theory” and “Cutting”, which eventually became known as “Scratching.”
Flash started another trend that became a hallmark around the world: break dancers and emcees followed Flash to the various parties to rap/dance over his seamless beats. He started his own group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Their reputation grew around the way the group traded off and blended their lyrics with Flash’s unrivaled skills as a DJ Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five went multi-Platinum with their single, “The Message.” Meanwhile, the single “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” introduced DJing to a worldwide audience. Punk and new wave fans were introduced to Flash through Blondie, who immortalized him in her hit, “Rapture.” Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip hop group ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Flash is the first DJ to ever receive that honor.
“A clean uninterpreted bed of music is paramount to the breakdancer and especially the rapper. That’s my contribution to Hip Hop!” —Yours truly, GMF
Tierra Whack
GRAMMY-nominated lyricist and fast-rising superstar Tierra Whack is solidifying her position as a force to be reckoned with after her riveting release Whack World. Loaded with flavorful wordplay and boundless creativity, Whack netted her first GRAMMY nomination for her standout video, "Mumbo Jumbo." After being lauded for her lyrical bravery and masterful vision in 2018, the following year, Whack stormed back with five new tracks in five consecutive weeks as part of her acclaimed "Whack History Month." In June 2019, her stellar wordplay abilities earned her a coveted slot as an XXL Freshman. She also was featured on Apple's Up Next Program and, the following year, covered Teen Vogue's March 2020. Last year, Whack was in peak form lyrically, releasing three EPs. Aptly titled Pop?, Rap? and R&B?, Tierra skates effortlessly through different genres, flexing her overall sensibilities as a transformative artist.
DJ Monalisa
Monalisa Murray has been associated with quality music and events in Los Angeles and across the country for over 20 years. She supported various DJs, artists, and musicians as both a music promoter and a fan before taking her love of music to the turntables. Her music format is described as “anything with a groove”, ranging from soul, funk, and hip hop to rock, pop, jazz-funk, and world music – but also includes less familiar and undiscovered gems and jams of all genres. Monalisa has a monthly show on Dublab called Paths Of Rhythm, where she explores various styles of music. She is a member of KPL All-Stars, Umoja Hi-Fi Soundsystem, Ladies Of Sound and Prism DJs, and is currently a rotating resident DJ at LA’s Motown On Mondays.
DJ Wyldeflower
With over 15 years of experience in the international urban, jazz and world music scene, Rocio "Wyldeflower" Contreras is an event and concert producer and music creative based in the Los Angeles area. She is an on-air radio host and DJ on both KCRW and dublab, praised as a music selector, inspired by discovery, and always digging deeper to connect and explore. As a well-known event and concert producer, record collector, and music connoisseur, her collection will effortlessly peak any top playlist, challenge shazam, and take you down memory lane right into the future, uplifting even the most somber of spirits.
J Dilla
J Dilla, the beloved record producer, drummer, rapper, and songwriter, died in 2006 at the age of 32 of a rare blood disease and is considered one of the most influential producers in hip hop and popular music. Having emerged in the mid-1990s Detroit underground hip hop scene as a member of the group Slum Village, he was also a member of the Soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Illa J
Singer/producer/songwriter/rapper John “Illa J” Yancey was introduced to the rich, soulful Detroit music scene with his mother, a former opera singer - his father, a songwriter/pianist/bassist/vocalist, and his brother was a well-respected record producer and rapper, making it no surprise when Yancey wrote his first rhyme and began teaching himself piano, bass, and taking vocal lessons. In 2007, he toured Europe with the “J Dilla Changed My Life” tour and soon after released his first solo record, Yancey Boys on Delicious Vinyl. Yancey continued to perform and was featured on projects with Slum Village followed by collaboration with fellow Detroit rapper Frank Nitt on Sunset BLVD and then dropped his self-titled solo album on Bastard Jazz Records in 2015. In 2017, no longer overshadowed by his brother’s success, John released a deeply personal album on Jakarta Records validating the artist discovering his individual career path. In 2019 Illa J released a collaboration EP with Atamone called the Bakery and has since collaborated with UK soulstress Harleighblu on their LP ‘Hideout’ released in 2023 and his solo album coming out on BBE Music.
