Mayor says arts and culture needed for growing downtown

Hip-hop artists perform in an Ethiopian restaurant called Rade’s on King Street East as part of the The Kitchen KW.

The Kitchen KW is a hip-hop collective, and it organizes live shows at Rade’s. Others organize daytime raves in parks where a DJ pulls up with a battery-powered rig.

“There is a lot happening, and so many people moving in different ways in arts and culture,” said Sam Nabi, who is active in the city’s hip-hop scene.

“Those are happening just by word of mouth,” said Nabi. “It is amazing to see the appetite for events, particularly ones tied to a specific culture.”

The city and business improvement association could help some of the emerging artists get paying gigs at events like the Far East Asian Night Market on King Street East, the Sunset Sessions, the Day of the Dead Ce