From the raw and experimental sound of FLACO to the soul-tinged thoughtful music of Clint Breeze and the Groove, Naptown is home to a variety of distinct hip-hop artists. For the third consecutive year, the Chreece music festival will bring dozens of local hip-hop artists to Fountain Square and expose residents of Indianapolis to the diverse entertainers within the genre.
“You have the trap rappers, the avant-garde backpackers, the art rappers, the old school, the true school, the lyrical. There are so many different flavors, and you can come listen to it all and hear your city,” said Oreo Jones, the visionary behind the festival.
Jones is a man of many talents — he raps, he coordinates events and he even hosts a cooking show. In fact, Chreece got its name from a slipup he made on his show.
“I meant to say cheers, and I put that word and the word peace together. It caught on,” said Jones.
According to a report by Nielsen Music, hip-hop is the most popular genre in the U.S. Despite America’s love of hip-hop, Jones says artists still face a variety of stereotypes.
“There has always been a stigma with hip-hop. When I first started playing shows, it was (like) pulling teeth to get a venue to take you seriously and book hip-hop,” he said. “There is always a stereotype of gang banging around it, they look it at it like World War III is going to happen, but in reality there is actually a community of positivity and organization behind it.”
He hopes the success of Chreece will show venues around Indy that hip-hop fans can come together peacefully and that the local music industry should take hip-hop seriously. Jones says that the success of the festival is due to the fact that the performers have a voice that people in the community want to hear.
All money raised from Chreece will benefit Musical Family Tree, a nonprofit organization that aims to support local performers and preserve, document, and promote Indiana’s musical heritage.
The festival takes place on Aug. 26, and while some venues are open to all ages, others are strictly 21 and older. Tickets are $15 presale and $20 the day of.
For more information and to see a list of the 50 artists scheduled to perform, visit chreece.do317.com.
