CHICAGO -- Hyde Park Summer Fest is a two-day music festival that will bring iconic artists, local brands and diverse neighborhoods together for a weekend of music, community and celebration of Chicago culture.
"We are the kickoff to the summer," said Jonathan Swain, founder of Hyde Park Summer Fest.
Since its debut eight years ago, Hyde Park Summer Fest has made a name for itself in the Chicagoland festival scene by bringing together diverse groups of people all to one space to have a great time.
Originally named Hyde Park Brew Fest, the celebration started off at the iconic 53rd Street and Harper Court, but since have moved a few blocks away at Midway Plaisance.
"In 2014, we started doing a craft beer sampling in the neighborhood, in a parking lot, about 500 people, and we evolved to a larger street festival, and we kept growing" Swain said.
This year's Summer Fest will be one to remember with the much-anticipated reunion of Clipse. Hyde Park Summer Fest also will perform a special tribute, celebrating the 50th year anniversary of hip-hop with their Ode to Hip-Hop, which will feature Chicago's iconic artists, such as Crucial Conflict, Do or Die, Shawana, and Twista.
Chicago's rap pioneer, Twista, known for his quick flow, said that initially, he didn't intend to become the worlds fastest rapper, but that creativity was the goal.
"One day, I wanted to make styles and rhythms, and kind of become another instrument to the music," said Twista. "As I grew as a person, as a man, and started to realize that I was an influence and a role model, then I wanted to change the narrative a little bit. And that's when I started creating songs like, 'Hope.' That really showed me the power of music on a positive level, and from that point on, I always wanted to make a positive impact with it."
With hits such as "Overnight Celebrity" and "Slow Jamz," Twista said that it will be a walking time machine once he hits the stage in front of his hometown crowd.
Hyde Park Summer Fest is not only making an impact on the stage, but off the stage as well, with their community talent showcase for up-and-coming Chicago talent.
Local artists can submit demo tapes for a chance to perform during Hyde Park Summer Fest. Fifteen finalists will be judged by a committee of members within the music industry. The winners of the showcase will have an exciting opportunity to perform on stage during the two-day festival.
"We want to give opportunities to shine for those upcoming artists that we hope will soon be those who are selling and filling out stadiums," Swain said.
Rising artists such as Mother Nature, a Chicago female hip-hop duo, are set to perform in front of their hometown crowd. And, they're expecting to leave fans with a performance to remember.
"It's going to be healing. It's going to be powerful. It's going to be something that you can leave with, you know, better than you came" said Klevah, of Mother Nature.
The hip-hop duo are also impacting the community with their MisEducation of Hip-Hop youth program. The program focuses on self-esteem, healing traumas and building dreams for students.
"The MisEducation of Hip Hop is exactly how it sounds. We go into the classrooms, middle school, high school, college, and we break down to build up. So, we have conversations around hip-hop. We speak on dreams, the things were passionate about, the things we envision for ourselves" Klevah said.
Over the years, Hyde Park Summer Fest has continued to highlight Chicago's influence on the music industry and culture while changing the narrative about Chicago's South Side.
"People think that there are certain parts of the city that are less safe than others. Yes, we do have challenges in our city, but I think there is also pockets in our city, including parts of the South Side, that are wonderful neighborhoods, where people come to live, work, and shop and have a great time," Swain said. "We want to continue to produce a quality festival, quality event. This is something that they're proud of to have in their city and in their community."
Hyde Park Summer Fest takes place June 17-18 at Midway Plaisance. For more information on Hyde Park Summer Fests lineup and tickets, visit www.hydeparksummerfest.com.
