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Saturday of NBA All-Star Weekend traditionally is known as the top entertainment day of the event, and Indianapolis-based party organizers and residents did their part to reinforce that reputation.
Indianapolis rapper Nay Casa performed as part of a day party on East Washington Street before she visited a special edition of the Butter fine art fair at the Indianapolis Artsgarden—where she learned a Butter-affiliated dance party, Melt, was planned at the former location of the YMCA at the City Market.
“NBA All-Star is a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Casa said during an interview at the Melt event. “I went to the art gallery today, and I was really amazed by the atmosphere of the people and the vibe going on.”
Earlier on Saturday, the line to enter the special edition of Butter, which launched in 2021 as a Labor Day weekend event at the Stutz, snaked from the Artsgarden entrance well into Circle Centre Mall.
Indianapolis cultural firm GangGang founded Butter, which has garnered national recognition as a showcase for Black artists.
That word made its way to Indianapolis resident Krystian Miller, who made Melt the first GangGang event she’s attended.
“I’ve been seeing a lot about Butter, and I knew this was the company over Butter,” Miller said.
During its one-night takeover of the former YMCA at the City Market, GangGang decorated the space with graffiti-themed artwork on the walls, placed basketball-themed beach balls on the dance floor and provided multiple selfie stations for attendees.
Rapper Poindexter, who splits his time between his hometown of Indianapolis and the West Coast, attended Melt and offered high praise for GangGang.
“I feel like GangGang is the first group of people to try to push local art to a new plateau, framing it in a more polished way,” said Poindexter, whose current single, “No Parties Fr,” is receiving airplay at New York City radio station Hot 97 and SiriusXM satellite radio station Shade 45. “I really appreciate GangGang for that.”
Zionsville native and rising R&B star Maeta performed her single, “Through the Night,” during November’s telecast of the BET Soul Train Awards, and she replicated the performance Saturday night at the Songs for You dance party at Black Future Haus—a tech and entertainment hub created for All-Star Weekend by Be Nimble Foundation.
Black Future Haus occupies Cinderwood event venue, 601 S. Meridian St., through Sunday. For the Songs for You party, an ongoing concept founded by Indianapolis-based SlickVic the DJ and Ferris Booler, the fourth-floor Cinderwood space was accented by pink and aquamarine fluorescent lights suggestive of an upscale nightclub atmosphere.
Meanwhile, subterranean sounds were heard Saturday at the Suite, a mix of dining, beverages, music and comedy in the former Rock Bottom Brewery location, 10 W. Washington St.
A special edition of Chreece, the annual Fountain Square hip-hop festival founded by rapper Oreo Jones, is billed as “Nap City: The Basement.” Scheduled in the lower level of the Suite through Sunday, Nap City presented 4200Kory and Double A as part of its Saturday lineup.
Double A, otherwise known as Naptown Thrift owner Aaron Marshall, punctuated his rhymes with references to NBA stars Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Pete Maravich and more. The opening lines of the first song Double A performed: “Came through in some baggy denim … I feel like Tim Duncan.”
4200Kory connected with his audience through gregarious boasts, pop-culture audio samples and an abundance of affection for Indianapolis.
On 2023 album “4 Naptown 2 da World,” 4200Kory shared local lingo that’s popular around his home base of 42nd Street and Post Road.
A greeting between friends: “How you what?” An appropriate response: “Out the gate.”
The charismatic performer underscored his hometown pride in the lyrics of “So Indiana”: “Do you think that Nap isn’t my favorite subject? You think I rap about it but don’t love it?”
Admission to the special editions of Butter and Chreece, which continue Sunday, is free.
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