The recent Battle Champs competition in Times Square in New York City, a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary arranged by Beats, Rhymes and Relief and sponsored by Snipes, was supported by a sound reinforcement system incorporating DAS Audio loudspeakers, subwoofers and additional components.
The Battle Champs event is one of several created to benefit the Culture Fund, an organization that focuses on giving back to the same communities that have played a role in fostering the evolution of hip-hop since its inception. The three-day festival celebrated what has been labeled the Five Elements of hip-hop culture: MCs, DJs, graffiti artists, breakdancers, and beatboxers, and culminated with the crowning of Kings and Queens in each category.
DJ GrandMixer DXT played a significant role in putting the event together, including specifying the system. DXT is a hip-hop pioneer whose unique scratching style first appeared on Herbie Hancock’s 1983 Grammy-winning cut “Rockit,” from the album “Future Shock.”
The main stage at the event sported a dozen Event-208A powered t-way systems, with six Event-121A 21-inch subwoofers supporting the low end and a pair of Vantec-20A active curved source boxes providing center fills. On stage, performers were served by a pair of Event-M210A wedges in front along with sidefills including Vantec-15A tops and Vantec-18A subs. A pair of Action-M512A boxes added punch to the DJ station.
A single DSP-2060A DSP unit and DAS Audio’s ALMA system software provided system drive and processing for the entire rig. “The world has been celebrating hip-hop’s milestone all year, but the Battle Champs event in Times Square really brings it home to where the music was born,” DXT states. “What an honor to be here in this iconic place. The sound was amazing, and the crowds absolutely loved it.”
