Street Sounds is the free party that AB organises every year on Car-Free Sunday. This year, Street Sounds: FLAMMES is dedicated to female and non-binary artists in hip-hop. It also kicks off HIP-HOP 50: a programme through which AB celebrates the history, present, and future of the genre.

Get ready for the block party of the year. We set the Anspachlaan aflame with a line-up full of female and non-binary hip-hop artists carefully curated by Emee. Pass the mic, the new recruits are here!

Female and non-binary MCs and DJs are vital in hip-hop culture and they claim an increasingly greater piece of the rap pie. That’s why Street Sounds: FLAMMES gives the stage to artists who are helping to shape the new hip-hop landscape. With their sharp flows and word plays in French, English, and Dutch, Joycie Ruba, Beka, SPACEBABYMADCHA, Stripes, and Melissa Farah kick off the new concert season at AB. Expect old-school boom bap, trap, drill, and even lyrical rap.

There is much more to experience at Street Sounds: FLAMMES than just live performances. Brussels skateboarding crew BX’elles will be there too, with all sorts of activities for young and old.

With their dreamy and transcendental flow, hip-hop sensation SPACEBABYMADCHA is one of the most unique artists on the Belgian scene. As a multi-disciplinary musician, composer, and rapper, SPACEBABYMADCHA experiments with club R&B, ambient, alternative soul R&B, and electronic hip-hop. They’re best known for their energetic live shows, making them one of the most exciting acts in Europe at the moment.

Stripes is a versatile artist who mixes her British roots with trap, boom bap, and neo-soul, constantly in search of an authentic sound. Her time in the UK, Mechelen, and Antwerp taught her to stand her ground in various contexts and you can hear that in her music. BEDROOM FREESTYLES was her first release on Soundcloud, followed by a number of releases on Spotify. With tracks like The Bag, Black Sheep and Pull Up Gang, she put her first bold statements out into the world of Belgian hip-hop. Her bold and fierce character is reflected even more in her performances when she forms a dynamic duo with DJ Hot Girl Mell. When they get on stage, the whole floor is theirs.

Melissa Farah is of Moroccan, Italian, and Belgian origins and began rapping at the age of 15. The Brussels-born artist belongs to a select group of French-speaking, female rappers slash lyricists pur sang. Farah knows how to captivate an audience with both her lyrics and the emotions she conveys on stage.

Beka is a young Belgian artist who is inspired by her daily life for her intriguing lyrics in French and Lingala. Her first single Benda was an instant hit on TikTok and already has a million views on YouTube. A promising debut and an artist to keep an eye on.

Joycie Ruba is a DJ and producer from Brussels. As a DJ, she is – as the culture would describe it – the glue of the day. Ruba was raised under the wing of Supafly Collective and presents an eclectic mix of hip-hop classics from yesterday and today, mixing that with a repertoire full of hidden gems. She is one of Brussels’ best-kept secrets. Prepare to headbang, loosen those hips, and shout ‘That’s my jam!’. 

Singer and programmer Emee. is the curator and host of Street Sounds: FLAMMES. Some may know her as a trilingual songstress, others know her as an event organiser, youth worker, and festival programmer in and around Leuven. Especially for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Emee. curates an unforgettable afternoon in our capital – in the name of hip-hop and all beings from Venus. Girl power assured.

"With the support of the City of Brussels."