The most celebrated urban street festival in Dubai is back. Launched in 2010, the multidimensional Sole DXB has become popular for its ability to offer something for everyone. From sports and stimulating talks, to freestyle dancing, there are plenty of outlets at the festival to showcase the pulsating urban beat of the emirate. This year’s event will host a number of regional designers—including Amongst Few, Kings Ambition, Army of 1, and Wekafore—along with some of the world’s biggest street names, such as Adidas, Puma, Reebok, Lacoste, Le Coq Sportif, and Diesel.
We bring you our guide on how to make the most of this year’s Sole DXB, taking place this weekend at the Dubai Design District (d3).
SPORT
Sole DXB wouldn’t be complete without a few rounds of ball. The Sole Ball Above All Classic, an open winner-takes-all basketball tournament comprising 11 teams from across the region, will take place over the next two days. The tournament aims to model the scrappy, intense games of street ball, but in this version, the winner takes home AED/SAR 10,000, and more importantly, the bragging rights to being named the best street ball team in the city.
MUSIC
The chance to witness the combined lyrical powers of Prodigy and Havoc, otherwise known as the famous hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, should not be missed. For the uninitiated, Mobb Deep has rubbed shoulders with the giants of hip-hop, from Nas to the Notorious B.I.G.
Also on the bill is a slew of some of the region’s top DJs, entertainers, and lyricists, including the UAE’s The Recipe with DJ Shero, DJ Tom Crane, Dave Lubin, Megadon, Shef Codes, Iamnobodi, James Locksmith, Kev Fresh, Essarai, Frezidante, Mocity, Aeli, Aku Aries, and JC Pinto. Syrian-Palestinian rapper Moh Flow, Arab hip-hop singer Malikah, and Saudi rapper Majeed round up a fully stacked musical program.
Talks
This year’s roster of speakers will include the godfather of the essential hip-hop sneaker: Grand Slam tennis legend Stan Smith. While he was crushing tennis balls on the court in his kicks, Run DMC pulled out the laces of the Stan Smith white kicks and started a love affair between hip-hop and running shoes—quite apt then that Sole DXB will host a conversation with DMC AKA Darryl McDaniels.
Other keynote speakers will include photographer Lisa Leone who captured some of the most significant moments during the birth of hip-hop, including images of Nas recording his legendary album Illmatic and a young Snoop Dogg on the set of his first video shoot. Meanwhile, the founder of denim label Endrime, Mohsin Sajid, will share his knowledge of the history of denim.
For the sneakerheads, Bobbito, the “sneaker world’s first official documentarian,” will discuss sneakers and his contributions to building and celebrating hip-hop and the New York City street ball scene.
Yassine Saidi, the Global Head of PUMA Select and Sportstyle Footwear, will be speaking on how sport and urban culture influence the fashion market. Musician and multimedia artist Yassin ‘Narcy’ Alsalman will discuss his introduction to hip-hop, as well as how the culture reshapes one’s identity and understanding of cultural belonging and creativity.
Longtime collaborators and friends, artist Hassan Hajjaj and designer and Fashion Prize finalist Amine Bendriouich, will discuss their overlapping worlds of art, photography, fashion, and music. The creative collaborators will explore their shared and distinct inspirations; Hajjaj’s vibrant pop art-influenced work and Bendriouich’s playful, urban fashion design, as well as their Moroccan roots.
FILM
Among the cinematic offerings to watch out for are Fresh Dressed, which chronicles the history of hip-hop, urban fashion, and its rise from southern cotton plantations to the gangs of 1970s in the South Bronx, to corporate America, and everywhere in-between; and Baqala, a nocturnal sojourn that celebrates the corner store culture of Dubai.
Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives documents a hip-hop historic radio show, known as The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show, which ran during the 1990s and had a dedicated following in prisons as well as in the art and fashion world. The show’s famous status was due to the appearance of the then unknown and unsigned musicians, such as Nas, Wu-Tang, Notorious B.I.G., Big Pun, Jay-Z, Eminem, and The Fugees.
Sneaker Swap
Twenty of the region’s most sneaker-obsessed individuals, otherwise dubbed the Sole Collectors, will be on hand to show off their prized kicks over the two days. If you are looking for that special pair that you’ve always wanted to get your hands on, you might be able to set up a trade—just don’t be surprised if your scruffy Air Force Ones don’t make the cut.
Entry to Sole DXB before 3pm is free. After 3pm, tickets will be priced at AED/SAR 100. For more info, click here.
Photos courtesy of Sole DXB
