Takin’ It Back to the Old School

Every year since 2000, on the eve of Memorial Day, a silent yet audible warning cry ascends from the high-rise condos and garden apartments of South Beach. The hip-hoppers are coming! The hip-hoppers are coming! And like clockwork, locals roll out and clear the way for one of the largest urban events in the country, a time when the streets come alive with the sounds of some really hard basslines. Though the requisite luxury cars and beautiful models still haunt the streets, this weekend the cars are rolling on 26-inch rims and the women … well, some would say that someone threw some D’s on them, too. Over the years the weekend, much like hip-hop itself, has started to lean towards everything gratuitous and commercial, but still there is a diamond in the rough for the true hip-hop heads who are more about “Rock The Bells” than “Shake It Fast.”

The urban-chic Marlin Hotel (1200 Collins Ave., Miami Beach) will be hosting a special edition of its Old School Sundays, a day-long party that stretches from the hotel’s front porch all the way back to its sexy red lounge. The legendary Slick Rick will be performing, along with appearances by Whodini and Big Daddy Kane. The party goes from noon to 5:00 a.m.
Sun., May 27