The Art of Xpression

These days, there aren't a lot of venues left in Broward County to catch live hip-hop. Most of the clubs where the genre used to thrive have either shut down or no longer cater to that type of music. So it forces hip-hop heads to get creative when it comes to finding a venue. As a result, two staple members of the indie scene, Amir da Misfit and LOX, have spent the past year building up a real positive vibe inside a gamer café in Hollywood that has slowly turned into ground zero for local hip-hop. On the second and fourth Thursday of the month, they bring out topnotch poets and MCs to perform accompanied by DJs, graffiti artists — the whole nine. This week, they've got an eclectic lineup: soulful R&B singer Lucian performs, as do Hialeah's version of Immortal Technique, LMS, and former HBO Def Jam poet Asia. All three are ridiculously talented, and for two bucks, you can't beat it. Here's a heads-up: The venue is right across the street from the Hard Rock Casino parking lot. It's easy to miss. But if you notice a gathering of young folks beat-boxing and freestyling in the parking lot, that's it.