Open-mike nights

Date: Sept 16, 2009 10:28:13 PM EDT
To: inyc@timeoutny.com
Subject: Open mike…

Where can an up-and-coming hip-hop artist find open-mike nights here in NYC?

A longtime subscriber, Maria G.

For aspiring Erykah Badus
Poets, hip-hop artists and R&B singers take the stage the second Saturday of each month at Bless Da Mic. Most events start off with film presentations about African culture and the origins of hip-hop. There’s no competition here—just show off your talent as DJ Omar spins music ranging from rock to soca. Sign up before the show. Afrikan Poetry Theatre, 176-03 Jamaica Ave at 176th St, Jamaica, Queens (347-256-4844, myspace.com/blessdamic). Sat 8:30pm (next show Nov 14), $10.

For poets at heart
Hip-hop meets poetry at Words at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, on the third Saturday of every month. Forget competition: Supportive crowds make noise if they dig what they hear. “The audience feels like an accurate reflection of the diversity of the city,” says the café’s executive director, Daniel Gallant. On November 4, the open jam session All That! will feature band accompaniment. Nuyorican Poets Cafe, 236 E 3rd St between Aves B and C (212-505-8183, nuyorican.org). Sat 10pm (next show Sat 17), $12.

For serious MCs
Every Sunday for the past nine years, hip-hop artists—from wanna-bes to veteran MCs—rock the mike at End of the Weak. Check out the huddled masses exchanging verses outside before the doors open, and keep an eye out for hip-hop celebs like Ice-T and Melle Mel, both past attendees. Arrive early to sign up. The Pyramid Club, 101 Ave A between 6th and 7th Sts (212-228-4888, eodub.com). Sun 8:30pm, $10.

For battle-driven rappers
Detroit isn’t the only city with 8 Mile–style battles; Braggin Rites, an event with MC and break-dance competitions, takes place the second Saturday of each month. Organizers select eight MCs before the main event, with eight more drawn out of a hat on the spot. Don’t sweat the crowd of up to 500 people (imagine them in their underwear!), because the grand prize (featured spot in the next month’s battle and $500) is determined by two judges—though the audience does break any ties. Public Assembly, 70 North 6th St between Kent and Wythe Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-4586, bragginrites.com). Sat 2pm (next show Nov 14), $15.

For lyricist loungers
At Sin Sin’s Freestyle Mondays Open Mic, a four-piece band decides what beat to play—from original rhythms to the familiar sounds of A Tribe Called Quest and Jay-Z—while wordsmiths take turns on the mike. “Creatively, it’s a lot more advantageous for the MC, and the people love it,” says host Ill Spokkin. “It forms a great sense of community.” At the Off the Head Game Show Battle on November 2, a spinning wheel will determine which topics the 16 competitors must rhyme about, for a prize of $100 and a bottle of top-shelf vodka. Sin Sin & Leopard Lounge, 248 E 5th St at Second Ave (leopardloungenyc.com). Mon 11:30pm, sign-up 10:30pm. Freestyle Mondays: free; Off the Head Game Show Battle: $5 entry, $5 participation fee.

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