This past weekend was my first time checking out the Pintura Project held at The Nash Orlando which is tucked just behind HITT'N SKINS on Nashville Avenue in the Parramore neighborhood. The event was a full-on celebration of old-school hip-hop, street art, and the kind of community energy you hope for when experiencing life around the city.

I was there for only a few hours on Saturday and became completely immersed in the music and art that was everywhere. As I made my way around, the sound of old-school hip-hop filled the air with basslines so deep and rhythmic they shook my chest and pulled me closer to the stage. The stage setup was absolutely perfect. Designed with shipping containers, the ground level was a bar, managed by Alyssa Marie and Zen Nazario and The Commission Beer Chamber, while above that container, Madd Illz and MC Serch, a pioneering figure in hip-hop, were freestyling and engaging the crowd into a rhythm that felt almost instinctual.

The crowd was a mix of all walks of life and all seemed to share an unspoken bond; a shared love for the culture that brought everyone together like family.

The event was a great way to showcase the creative heartbeat of life in Orlando, a culture worth paying attention to.