Political rap duo Dead Prez brought political rhyme stylings to help promote the benefits of solar power during this year’s CitySol festival.
The fully solar powerd-event, which kicked off Friday (July 10), is a collaborative effort between Digiwaxx Media and Manhattan-based green energy, arts, and education center Solar One.
According to Digiwaxx founder and CEO Corey “CL” Llewellyn the City Sol festival and concert provides a way for artists who “care about positive causes such as saving the environment” to take an active role in spreading the message behind the effort.
Dead Prez, along with rapper Saigon and Universal Records artist O’Neal McKnight, took the stage Saturday (July 11) as part of the CitySol concert.
With power coming from photovoltaic panels on Solar One’s nearby roof, the show provided a step up from other music performances, which according to concert organizers; waste roughly 600 light bulbs, 200,000 napkins and nearly 500,000 plastic cups every year.
Launched in 2005 by Solar One, CitySol is a four-day solar-powered festival that combines notable entertainers and artists from New York City’s Independent music and arts scenes with objectives of local renewable energy advocates.
The event, which drew 8,000 attendees in 2007, is known for mixing entertaining, interactive and educative audience experiences to generate interest in new efforts to create stronger incentives and supportive policies for solar power in New York City and throughout the state of New York.
Saturday’s concert was one of a series of events at the CitySol festival. Activities include the Kids of All Ages day which takes place today (July 11) as well as opportunities to as take part in open eco-pet fashion show and access the Biobus Mobile Science Lab.
To coincide with the CitySol festival, Digiwaxx created a special mixtape produced by 106 & Park DJ battle champion, Get Live.
Artists appearing on the mixtape include Mike Posner, J. Cole, Ryan Leslie and Melanie Fiona.
The CitySol festival concludes today (July 12) at Stuyvesant Cove Park and the FDR Service Road East in New York City.
To download the Solar Heat Mixtape Vol. 2 for free, visit www.digiwaxx.com/solarheat/hiphopisgreenv2.zip.