By Alexander Allen
August 5 – Hip hop royalty Rah Digga, the first lady of the Flipmode Squad, headed by the legendary Busta Rhymes, performed at the City Winery, during her NYC tour stop with fellow female emcee Sa-Roc. Rah Digga and I have known each other for 21 +/- years. The earliest memory that I have is when she and I attended Tommy Hilfiger’s New York Fashion Week fashion show together, on February 8, 2002,. Of course, I secured some of his designs for her to wear to the show. Afterwards, we went backstage and Rah Digga, Tommy Hilfiger, and I, took a picture to capture the memory. – Over two decades later, on June 4, 2023, we reconnected for my limited-edition Brella Bag Festival Collection, where Rah Digga modeled my transparent “Excelsior Poncho” and “Everything Pant,” in pink. A colorway exclusive to her, during my promo run. Available at www.AlexanderAllenSTYLE.me.
We shot the fun, social media campaign at Casa La Femme, in the Greenwich Village, which has a gorgeous, festive, festival vibe. The idea was not only promotion for my collection, but a celebration to Rah Digga for her contribution to the hip hop culture, during its 50th year. The voice and art-form of the marginalized that has now become the number one music genre in the world. Also, it was momentum that led up to the BET Awards, which was the culture’s biggest night. As luck would have it, Rah Digga reached out to me on June 17th to let me know that Busta Rhymes was getting a Lifetime Achievement Award and that she was performing with him. A huge moment for all-involved parties. We went to work together and pulled off an incredible performance look built around an awesome silver necklace bib by Dylanlex, located in the Greenwich Village. Upon the conclusion of the BET Awards, Rah Digga shifted her concentration to her upcoming tour.
Duing her NYC tour stop, I made sure that I was in attendance for all of the support that Rah Digga has shown me this year Sa-Roc, Rah Digga’s tour supporting act, is a high vibrational female emcee. Lyrics that make you think and feel. Substance. This was my first introduction to her and her talent. Two tracks that stood out the most to me during her set were “Talk To Me Nice” and “Forever.” I love tours for many reasons. One is being introduced to new artists and expanding my musical palate. With seating on the left side of the house, I could see Rah Digga behind the curtains, before she took the stage. Digga looked uniquely stylish in her hot pink Adidas x Ivy Park sequins fringe jacket. Beyonce’s clothing collection. The jacket was paired with matching hot pink cargo pants and Reebok classic 54.11 sneakers. The number referred to the price of the sneakers with tax, from back in the day. A hip hop staple for women in the culture.
Digga ran through her classics, in addition to, her most recent material. This was my first time seeing Rah Digga perform live. In between songs, Digga’s charismatic and comical personality was front and center. She told stories on why lyrics matter and always will, and she even paid tribute to some of her fellow female emcees, including MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, and Ms. Lauryn Hill. What an inspiring and nostalgic night? I love today’s hip hop, but there’s nothing like the hip hop classics that were played on cassette tape, albums, and CDs. Curtains.
