Over 2,000 people attended WBEZ’s Winter Block Party last year, and this year’s all day FREE Party will again feature a street art and graffiti gallery, a film screening, a literary event, breakdancing exhibitions, the Emcee Olympics, the Hip-Hop Barbershop, live painting by Ruben Aguirre, music all afternoon by some of Chicago’s best DJs, and more from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at Metro (3730 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL).

First held in January 2009, this all-ages, all-city celebration of Chicago’s new and emerging artists of the hip-hop generation is truly a chance for everybody from anywhere to experience the breadth and style, multiple elements and forms of the hip-hop arts.

The 2012 culminating event: “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” beginning at 8pm (doors at 7:30pm). This retrospective on the history of breakdancing in Chicago will include feature interviews and archive footage, live guests, and the semi-final and final rounds of a live head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle hosted by Legendary Brickheadz.

View the 2012 street art and graffiti gallery exhibition, curated by Believe Inn & Kevin Coval and featuring: Chris Silva, Lauren Feece, Krista Franklin, Ruben Aguirre, Kane One, Angela Davis Fegan, Justus Roe a.k.a djwhitelightning, Brett Whitacre, Stephen Flemister, Anthony Lewellen, Cove, Dustin Harris, Greg Penrice, Jourdan Gullet, Mario “Zore” Gonzalez Jr., Melon, Nerd, Peter Kepha, Robert Stevenson, Sam Kirk, Solo, Statik, Stef G, Roper Fuentes, B-Boy B, Qutress Trevino, and Trixter.

Shop the marketplace featuring Haymarkert Books and The Silver Room, along with works by participating visual artists. A complete Catalog of works-for-sale will be available at the door.

Listen to the sounds of the Vocalo DJ Collective – bringing  music & the art of mixing & scratching back to the radio – showcasing Chicago DJs Pumpin Pete, Big Once, Trancid, Charlie, and Jesse De La Pena.  Hosted by Vocalo’s Luis Perez and Dirty (formally of Liquid Soul).

1pm: FILM SCREENING (free – limited seating available): “The People Speak” is a film inspired by Howard Zinn’s books A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Narrated by acclaimed historian Howard Zinn, and using dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, this documentary feature film gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history, forging a nation from the bottom up with their insistence on equality and justice. Click here to view the trailer.

3pm: “WORD: ACROSS GENERATIONS” (free – limited seating available): Listen in as some of the most prolific and profound poets in Chicago come together to perform their work and participate in a collective conversation about the power of words.  Featuring Roger Bonair-Agard, a native of Trinidad and Tobago who is a veteran of the spoken-word scene and a two-time National Poetry Slam Champion. His most recent book of poems is Gully. Bonair-Agard will be joined by Chance, one of Chicago’s emerging hip hop talents, and Fatima Warner, a hip hop artist from Chicago’s South Side and a member of DatSkat. This event is a production of The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, which aims to foster debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Click here for more information about The Public Square.

4pm: “All-City 3-on-3” Prelims (free) – it was the most popular event of the Party last year, so we’ve moved it to the main stage and tripled the action: see some of Chicago’s best breakdancing crews in this head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle, hosted by Legendary Brickheadz. The top 8 squads will advance to the Semi-Finals/Finals, which will be held at 8pm (see below). Winning Squad gets a $1,000 cash prize! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP YOUR CREW FOR THE COMPETITION or sign up on-site beginning at 1pm. *PLEASE NOTE: All participating dancers who do not advance to the Semi-Finals will receive a complimentary ticket to “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” at 8PM.

4:30pm: EMCEE OLYMPICS (free – limited seating available): Hosted by Urbanized Music‘s Amina and Coolout, Founders of Chicago’s Hip-Hop Heritage Month, the Emcee Olympics is a NOT a traditional battle – rather it is a competition testing ALL the skills an emcee should have: freestyle, bar writing, crowd participation, and more. Emcees need to prepare a 16 bar verse AND a whole song (bring a beat for your song or we will provide one for you), AND be prepared to engage in several skill challenges. No homophobic, sexist or racist language. Winning Emcee gets two hours professional recording time at the WBEZ Performance Studio. Elevate! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP or sign up on-site beginning at 1pm. *PLEASE NOTE: All participating emcees will receive a complimentary ticket to “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” at 8PM.

This year’s main event “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” will begin at 8pm (doors at 7:30pm). This retrospective on the history of breakdancing in Chicago will include feature interviews and archive footage, live guests, and the semi-final and final rounds of a live head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle hosted by Brickheadz.

Admission is free from noon to 6:00 p.m.; 8 p.m. admission is $15/$12 for WBEZ members and $10 for students. For more information, visit www.wbez.org