Hip Hop For Peace: Newark Brings Back Popular Festival For 2024

NEWARK, NJ — An annual event that harnesses the power of hip hop for positive change will return to Newark for 2024: the city’s “24 Hours of Peace.”

The free festival is open to the public and will take place at South 10th Street and Central Avenue. It will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23 and end at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Organizers say the annual festival is a way to use music to engage the community and have meaningful dialogue about important issues such as nonviolence and conflict resolution.

Previous headliners have included Snoop Dogg and Queen Latifah. Last year’s performers included Ghostface Killah, Redman, Milk Dee, AZ, Lil Mo and a host of other rap stars and singers. The event also spotlighted a midnight tribute to the life and legacy of Alvin Ally Dancer O’Shea Sibley by Newark’s own DJ Antione Qua, and a House Music Dance Segment hosted by Ms. Theresa.

This year’s theme is centered on “uplifting and empowering women,” organizers said. All of the performers are female. Headliners will include:

• Mýa
• Rah Digga
• Lady Luck
• Lola Brooke
• Leah Jenea
• Yo-Yo
• Nikki D
• Roxanne Shanté
• Justina Valentine
• The Lady of Rage
• Lady London
• Sunshine Anderson
• Asian Doll
• Juciiy 2xs
• Monie Love

In addition, DJs MD, Uniqu3 and local star DJ Kels will be spinning throughout the weekend. Hip hop artist Hakim Green – co-founder and president of 24 hrs of Peace Inc. – is once again curating and acting as co-host.

Local artists who will hit the stage include:

• Chozin the Guardian
• Gail Campbell
• Angel Blu
• It's Okay
• T. Hawk
• Connyah 3xs
• Zahra Baby
• The Euphony
• Bri Blvck
• King Nilah
• Aaisha Truth
• She Beez

Amiri Baraka Jr., the event’s co-founder, said that displays of “peace and healing” like this year’s festival are yet another reason why the city has been able to bring homicides to a 60-year low. He credited Mayor Ras Baraka, who founded the event 12 years ago when he was a council member representing the South Ward, and made it a citywide event when he was elected mayor.

Baraka continues to advocate for the festival, calling it one of the city’s “signature events.”

“We fuse the power of hip-hop music and spoken word to lift, heal, and inspire peace in our city, empowering every resident in that process, and bringing healing, hope and happiness into everyday life,” the mayor said.

According to Baraka, the city has made significant headway by treating violence as a “public health” issue. He pointed to other community resources who are helping to lead the way, such as the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR), Community Street Teams, the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition, My Brother’s Keeper, and the Shani Baraka Women’s Center, which provides services for women and families in crisis.

“Art and music are powerful forces that can uplift communities,” OVPTR Director Kyleesha Wingfield-Hill said.

“These gatherings create safe spaces where creativity flourishes, offering alternatives to crime and providing hope,” Wingfield-Hill continued. “When individuals, especially the youth, engage in artistic expression, they find constructive outlets for their energy and emotions, transforming their communities from places of despair into hubs of resilience and positive change.”

• See Related: Obama Praises Newark’s Efforts To Stop Violence By Boosting Its Youth
• See Related: Newark Is Becoming A Safer Place To Live, 2023 Crime Stats Show

7 DAYS OF PEACE

Organizers noted that the 24 Hours of Peace event is actually the finale of Newark’s Peace Week, seven days filled with a wide range of activities that unite the city around a focus on “unity and caring for each other.”

Other Peace Week events include:

Monday, August 19: The “Healing and Helping Push Walk” will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Sunset and Lindsley Avenues. “Peacekeeping Ward of the Year Day 1” will be held at local recreation centers throughout all wards between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Tuesday, August 20: “Peacekeeping Ward of the Year Day 2” will be held at West Ward Park via United Community Corporation between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Wednesday, August 21: The “Artist Against Violence” concert will be staged at Newark Symphony Hall’s Terrace Ballroom, located at 1020 Broad Street. Transforming the space into a vibrant arena for change and unity, doors will open at 4 p.m., with the show going from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The night will feature the powerful words from dignitaries and astounding performances by some of Newark’s brightest local talents including Bonnie The Poet, Evie The Takeover, A Pressure, Bundles FVG, Young Zaak, Hez, J.1.DA, Bratz Killem, Tinkaa G, Kellz Merlin, and Samad Savage, and DJ KilsoSouth. Special guests 2RARE and D4M $loan will also grace the stage, making this an unforgettable night.

Thursday, August 22: “Health & Wellness Village: Senior Edition” to take place at Temple of Hip Hop, 55 Ludlow Avenue, from noon to 5 p.m., followed by the “Ride for Peace” at 6 p.m.

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