Alabama Hip-Hop Week, the annual celebration and industry showcase founded in Mobile more than a decade ago, is marking its 12th year with its biggest expansion yet, taking its signature blend of music, mentorship and community outreach to every major city in the state.
The event, which runs July 8-14, was created by Kalenski Adams, known throughout the regional music industry as “DJ Dirty Dan” or “The Dirty Guy.” Adams started the tradition as a young artist looking to give other up-and-coming performers a platform to learn about copyright, publishing and the business side of the music industry. What began under the name “Dirty Guy Week” has since grown into a statewide institution recognized for nurturing homegrown talent and steering young people away from trouble during the summer months.
This year’s edition is tied into the broader MOB Music Fest and, for the first time in the event’s history, includes stops in Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile as part of a statewide tour connecting communities along the Interstate 65 corridor. Each stop features a version of the “Urban Summit,” a long-running component of Alabama Hip-Hop Week that pairs music programming with direct conversations between artists, mentors and young people about issues affecting their communities.
The tour kicked off in Birmingham at the A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club before moving to the Seminole Boys & Girls Club in Huntsville. It continued at the WestEnd Boys & Girls Club in Montgomery, and Mobile hosted its stop at the James Seals Community Center at Texas Street Park. Organizers said the summits are designed to reach kids while school is out, covering topics ranging from gun violence and bullying to the pressures of social media, while also preparing them for the return of the school year.
Adams said building the statewide tour required more than simply showing up in a new city and asking for buy-in. Over time, he worked to build relationships with local DJs, tastemakers, artists and community leaders in each market, using those partnerships to introduce the same outreach model that has operated in Mobile for 12 years. He described hip-hop as the common thread that brings disparate communities together, even as the genre continues to carry an undeserved negative stereotype in the eyes of some. For Adams, the culture extends well beyond the music itself to dance, visual art and spoken word, and this year’s expansion is aimed at building support and understanding of that broader creative ecosystem in cities that had not previously had a presence at Alabama Hip-Hop Week.
Adams pointed to the current wave of Alabama-bred hip-hop talent as evidence of how far the state’s scene has come since he started the event. Mobile alone has produced nationally recognized artists including Yung Bleu, Rylo Rodriguez, NoCap and OMB Peezy, while Birmingham has its own rising stars such as Venus. Adams also highlighted Bianca Clarke as a female artist on the rise, saying the current generation of young performers is helping establish Alabama as a legitimate hub within the national music industry.
Community and networking, Adams said, are what have allowed Alabama Hip-Hop Week to endure and grow over 12 years. He described the event as far more than a concert series, pointing instead to the sustained outreach work built into the week, including conversations with young people about the challenges they face and efforts to connect them with opportunity and education heading into the new school year.
Alabama Hip-Hop Week has also become tied to a personal milestone for its founder. Three years ago, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson presented Adams with a key to the city in recognition of his work promoting the local music scene and empowering young people. During the event’s 10th anniversary celebration, the city went a step further, declaring an official Kalenski Adams Day, also known as DJ Dirty Dan Day, which continues to be celebrated as part of the week’s festivities.
This year’s celebration wraps up on Sunday, July 14, with a car and bike show at Halftime Sports Bar & Grill in Mobile, closing out the week’s nightlife programming. Organizers say the event’s growth reflects a broader effort to create sustained cultural activity and opportunity in the communities Alabama Hip-Hop Week serves, both in Mobile and now across the state.