Hip-hop culture on display at Albany Museum of Art

ALBANY — The Albany Museum of Art is continuing its foray into alternative programming this week when it showcases the area’s hip-hop culture with a special concert from local rap/rock favorites Unbreakable Bloodline.

Set for Thursday from 7-10 p.m., the concert, which in addition to featuring a performance from the two-time Georgia Music Award winners also features local spoken-word performances and a freestyle rap battle, ties in with two of the museum’s current exhibitions that are centered around the hip-hop culture.

For the past several weeks, the museum has showcased the “Motion Forward: Street Style” exhibit which features mural work from graffiti artists JM Rizzi and Tony “Rubin415” Sjoman, and the “Art and Sole of the Sneakerhead” exhibit, which features an array of sneakers collected by Marvin Laster and Herm Tsoi, as part of the museum’s focus on providing unique and alternative events for local patrons.

“We’re very excited about the concert,” said Albany Museum of Art Executive Director Paula Williams. “It ties in perfectly with our other programming. Music was such an important part of the hip-hop scene and culture that emerged in the late 1970s, so it made sense to include music.”

Williams said having UBL, which draw sizable crowds whenever they perform, is a wonderful way to draw even more people to the museum, especially an audience that might not traditionally visit the museum.

“It really rounds out our programming,” she said. “It attracts people that might not normally come to the museum, and we’re interested in seeing more young people and more of the community in general. I think this also shows that the museum has something for everyone. It shows that the museum is focusing on its community as well. (The members of UBL) have been great. They’ve really gotten behind this and have done a lot to support and promote it. They’re just great people.”

The band members say they are excited, not only to perform in front of their hometown fans, but also to support something that’s different than what usually happens in Albany, and something that’s educational as well.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to be a part of this first annual event,” said UBL guitarist Jon Smith. “The museum has gone all out preparing a special visual presentation of hip-hop culture to accompany our audio presentation. As an old-school rocker, I was never much into hip-hop before joining UBL. Being a part of organizing this event has really opened my eye to a whole new fascinating world. I recommend it for anyone, hip-hop fan or not. It’s going to be extremely educational as well as entertaining.”

UBL vocalist Jerome “King OZ” Osborne agreed, saying attendees are going to enjoy an authentic slice of urban culture they won’t soon forget.

“Playing at the museum will be a whole new experience,” said Osborne. “This will be a show that shows the beauty of hip-hop on a deeper level. We have spoken-word, a real life emcee cypher with Albany’s finest lyricists, and much more. Everyone should be prepared to be blown away.”

While the concert will certainly draw UBL and hip-hop fans that might not otherwise visit the Albany Museum of Art, Williams said she’s also getting great feedback from many of the museum’s regular patrons, who are also planning to attend.

“There are a lot of friends of mine that are excited about this,” the museum director said. “You hear so often, and I’ve said it myself before, that there isn’t a lot to do here sometimes. Well, I hope that I see some of the people that I hear saying that here for the concert. When you take advantage of opportunities, more opportunities will present themselves.”

Advance tickets to the concert are still on sale for $10 and can be purchased online at www.albanymuseum.com. Tickets at the door will be $15.

In addition to the performances and the exhibits, Albany Fish Company will also have a food truck on site and will sell a wide variety of foods and beverages, including adult drinks.

To learn more about UBL, visit the band’s Facebook page or its website, unbreakablebloodline.com. To learn more about the Albany Museum of Art and its many upcoming events, visit www.albanymuseum.com.