MIC CRENSHAW
MIC CRENSHAW PHOTO VIA WWW.MICCRENSHAW.COM.=

After Portland police clashed with Don’t Shoot PDX protestors yesterday—which resulted in 10 arrests and countless protestors being pepper-sprayed—StarChile, the organizer of the second annual Portland Hip-Hop Day, has decided to move the event to the Skype Live! Studio.

“I just don’t feel like it’s the right place to be right now,” says Star. But the protests were just one factor—he'd already been gearing up to move the celebration indoors to City Hall's lower level due to weather, which would've been a tight squeeze.

“With everything that’s going on, plus the weather, I was like, ‘yeah, let’s just move it,’” Star says. Luckily, the Skype Live! Studio, located in the PacWest building, is similar in size and can host 160 people.

The move does raise a lot of questions: whether or not the booked food carts will be able to set up, and if the b-boys will have enough space to perform. The live mural painting has already been called off because of the unexpected storm. The spontaneous venue change has further motivated Star to turn Portland Hip-Hop Day into a block party next year.

“Even going into it, I knew this was probably going to be the last year at City Hall, just because I was hoping that it would grow, and I know they’re not going to be able to block off a whole block of downtown Portland,” he says. "You never know—like, it’s City Hall—you never know what’s going to happen, and this is a clear case in point.”

Although the switch is last-minute, the Skype Live! Studio space will provide a superior sound system for veteran Portland emcees Mic Crenshaw, Libretto, and Vursatyl, and it’s a convenient lead-in to the after party—a free screening of the 1984 film Beat Street. The lounge also provides a warm and welcoming environment for those who feel conflicted about celebrating hip-hop at City Hall.

“I don’t want Hip-Hop Day to be about politics, 'cause it’s not," says Star. "It never was.”