Nothin’ but Peace, Love and Fun at the 7th annual 3rd Eye Open Article by Tony Pacitti, southcoast247.com correspondent Photos by Dennis Yermoshin, southcoast247.com photographer
These games of street ball, while still a team effort, required the individual player to step it up.
On Saturday July 15, Buttonwod Park came roaring to life for the seventh
annual 3rd Eye Open. The event was both a celebration of all things
hip-hop and a vehicle for artistic youths to express themselves freely and
positively. Everything from live graffiti paintings and music to
basketball tournaments and break dancing battles could be found at the
park, giving even the most casual fans of hip-hop something to enjoy.
Right off the bat you could tell that the hip-hop on display here was not
the same as what is found on the radio. There was a much more positive
vibe at the park, as opposed to the negative images of sex, drugs and
violence the plagues much of the mainstream rap scene. Cliff Blaise of 3rd
Eye Unlimited explained, “Creativity and self-expression is what it’s
supposed to be about…all in a positive way to build something out of
nothing is the overall goal of hip-hop.”
Positive self-expression was the name of the game at the Open. One of the
day’s highlights, graffiti art, is instantly associated with crime by
many people. “A lot of it honestly is still vandalism, a lot of it is
still illegal but the key to it is the fact that it’s expression and it
comes from a deep place. That’s what makes it an art form regardless,”
explained Ethan “Enzyme” Moore, a graffiti artist from Rochester, New
York. “I’ve progressed to a point where I like to have just simply the
fine arts aspects…and let people experience and appreciate it as legal,
on legal walls at events like this.”
The graf artists were off to an early start that morning, as were the
players in the 3-on-3-basketball tournament. These games of street ball,
while still a team effort, required the individual player to step it up.
Games were played on half of the court, room was tight, turn-overs were
more likely and fancy foot work was key, all of which made the games more
fun to watch.
Once the basketball games were over, the break-dancers took the court.
Onlookers were left in awe as these performers moved their bodies and
defied gravity in ways that a lot of people have only seen on TV. This
event was almost entirely a boy’s club, though one dancer from
Connecticut threw down some representation for the opposite sex. A dancer
for two and a half years, B-Girl Syntax started break dancing cause she
thought it looked cool and has since developed a passion for the art.
Poppin' and Lockin'.
“Now I let everything go. I’m a free spirit. It’s just something I love
and it’s a challenge to go out there,” said Syntax. “Being a B-Girl is
rough too because all the guys are really good. I get a lot of love from
the crowd.”
Hands down though, the most impressive group of dancers were the kids. On
top of having all the right moves, these kids had the attitude necessary
to keep up with and even surpass dancers twice their age.
Evan “Shorty” Hall is coming up on his thirteenth birthday and if you saw
him move you’d think he’s been dancing since birth. In actuality, he’s
been at it for just two years, but has a rich background in music and
dance.
“Ever since a young age I’ve loved rhythm,” explained Shorty. “My mom
took me to African dance classes and ballet classes and it gave me a
variety of knowledge.” This knowledge was obvious. The crowd loved this
kid and nothing gets him more pumped than a cheering crowd.
“When I’m doing something and the crowd responds and they can give me a
good cheer, I totally get more into it. I’m like ‘All right, I’m rockin’
it! Yo, this is it!’”
Later in the afternoon, live MC’s and DJ’s, like local group Busted Fro,
took the stage. These performers brought with them positive messages of
unity and social change, again, unlike the hip-hop found on the radio.
“The message of the rap music on the commercial radio stations and
commercial TV is about big cars, big rims, drug dealing and sex and
that’s not the overall hip-hop culture,” said Blaise.
The graf artists were off to an early start that morning.
And so another 3rd Eye Open has come and gone. 3rd Eye member Susan
Embree was very pleased with how this year’s Open went. “I think the
turnout [was] pretty good,” said Embree. “It’s just as good as it has
been in the past if not better.” One big change in the works for next
year’s open is the possibility of making it a two-day event. Petitions
were making their way around the crowds and Embree is optimistic about
it.
“We have all of the events and competitions overlapping each other so
they’re competing!” said Embree. “If people want to see one event, they
can’t see it and something else at the same time.”
At the end of the day Embree could narrow down what 3rd Eye Open was all
about in one simple sentence. “This is nothing but peace, love and fun!”
she said enthusiastically. “It’s people celebrating hip-hop and enjoying
each other’s company…it doesn’t have to be anything else other than having
a good day!”
Check out TONS of photos from this year's open here.
On Saturday July 15, Buttonwod Park came roaring to life for the seventh
annual 3rd Eye Open. The event was both a celebration of all things
hip-hop and a vehicle for artistic youths to express themselves freely and
positively. Everything from live graffiti paintings and music to
basketball tournaments and break dancing battles could be found at the
park, giving even the most casual fans of hip-hop something to enjoy.
