After Portland police clashed with Donât Shoot PDX protestors yesterdayâwhich resulted in 10 arrests and countless protestors being pepper-sprayedâStarChile, the organizer of the second annual Portland Hip-Hop Day, has decided to move the event to the Skype Live! Studio.
âI just donât feel like itâs the right place to be right now,â says Star. But the protests were just one factorâhe'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.
âWith everything thatâs going on, plus the weather, I was like, âyeah, letâs just move it,ââ 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.
âEven 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 theyâre not going to be able to block off a whole block of downtown Portland,â he says. "You never knowâlike, itâs City Hallâyou never know whatâs going to happen, and this is a clear case in point.â
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 itâs a convenient lead-in to the after partyâa 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.
âI donât want Hip-Hop Day to be about politics, 'cause itâs not," says Star. "It never was.â