And it’s the format that inspired a trio of hip-hop’s most revered DJs, promoters and entertainers to attempt unprecedented feats. On Saturday, his 50 of his MCs hit the stage one after the other in Atlantic City, with DJ Jazzy Jeff playing a live mixtape on the turntables and hosting Doug E. Fresh. A few days later, the genre’s legendary DJs recreated Park’s jams at Juneteenth in New York City, with headliners ranging from LL Cool J to Woo, and a series of arena tours, festivals, and concerts. There will also be hip-hop themed cruises. Follow along from Tang Klang to Snoop Dogg.
“The number of artists on the scene, the level of success, the cross-generational appeal, the new artists, the timeless artists,” LL, whose Rock the Bells brand underpins cruises, festivals and tours, told The Washington Post. told the paper. “It really doesn’t get any better than this moment.”
The Atlantic City show is an idea that Philadelphia-area promoter Charlie Mack has been “sleeping in my soul for 10 or 15 years” and something that Jazzy Jeff has always wanted to do. , that is, when you fuse traditional hip-hop mixtapes that blend seamlessly together. Blend songs non-stop and perform live.
The Jazzy Jeff DJ always imagines himself playing maybe 4 songs, then the artist behind the 5th song comes out and plays, plays a few more songs, and surprises the audience with another live performance. was doing.
“And Charlie got 50 MCs,” laughs promoter Jazzy Jeff, who started out in 1978. The promoter is named after Will Smith’s 1988 album track with Fresh Prince. “I said, ‘Wow, I didn’t think I’d get it all.'”
The setlist was based on a real-life mixtape made by the always meticulous Jazzy Jeff, and “it’s going to overload the senses,” said Mack. Run time is about two and a half hours.
“If you want to go to the restroom, go before the show,” Mac said. “If you go during the show, you might miss 10 artists.”
Planning for this event began in earnest over a year ago. Mac and Jazzy Jeff reached out to their best friend Doug E. Fresh to help host and compile the list. Mack said Fresh was already booked, but changed plans so it could be part of history. It’s not an exaggeration. Mac has applied for Guinness World Records for the most consecutive appearances. An attempt at a program set in the early ’80s hip hop royalty scope Playing in the same room with Golden Age heavyweights such as Melle Mel, Treacherous Three, Schoolly D, EPMD, Onyx, Black Sheep, Naughty By Nature, and more, has brought the greatest living blues guitarist to classic rock luminaries. It’s like going on stage together and jamming with everyone.
Mac points out that for people of a certain age, hip-hop is the soundtrack to their entire life. “How cool would it be if he could do it all on one stage?” he remembers thinking.
His longevity helped pull it together.
“When I got the call from Charlie Mac, I responded immediately,” said Curtis Blow, who is considered rap’s first superstar. A member of the Wild Five, Scorpio compared what was about to happen to a family reunion.
“I’m the ultimate fan, I have the ultimate access, and I can put it together for the culture,” Mack said. “I had to.”
Opportunity to “fan out”
For Blow, 63, the event is more than just a performance. She had a heart transplant in December 2020.
“I shouldn’t be here,” he said. “I’m so happy to be back on stage and to be a part of this amazing event,” he said. “I take pictures with everyone behind the scenes.”
Another hip-hop pioneer and one of the first female hip-hop stars, Roxanne Chante hosted a radio show on LL’s SiriusXM “Rock the Bells” station on weekdays and a regular weekend host. I’m performing. She said she’ll be rushing from her previous performance to arrive in Atlantic City and she’ll be heading out into the crowd after she hits the stage.
“I’m going to be a fan and fan out. Now I have the chance to meet Pebble Pooh. Seeing her on stage will take me back to being 12, even if I’m in my 50s.” .”
Jazzy Jeff has been playing, making music and collaborating with Smith and others for decades, but admits he hasn’t always stopped to smell the flowers. He expects the experience to be a little different on Saturday night.
“You could have a chance to be a Cold Crush DJ, you could have a chance to be a Crash Crew DJ, you could have a chance to be a Nine DJ,” said Jazzy Jeff.
Daddy-O’s group, Stetsasonic, is a hip-hop band that takes stage shows seriously. The 50-person MC format, he says, is as much an opportunity to celebrate as it is to showcase honed performance skills.
“Competition is the foundation of hip-hop,” he said. “We know ‘Sully’ is going to win the night. The only way it won’t be is if Ricky and Dougie are the last ones left to do ‘The Show’… but other than that… We understood.”
Hip-hop fans can be fickle and obsessed with lists, but 2023 offers them a variety of choices.
Run-DMC, who haven’t played many shows since Jam Master Jay’s death in 2002, will headline a gig at Yankee Stadium on August 11th. They are joined by a star-studded line-up of Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, Common and more. , the Queens of Hip-Hop set featuring Lil’ Kim and Eve, and most importantly the Pillars of Hip-Hop set featuring Kool Herc.
DJ Cassidy’s “Pass the Mic” has captivated many hip-hop fans through the downturn for fans suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. Now he’s taking it home for his 25 artist performance at Radio City Music Hall. in July. 50 Cent is embarking on what he calls “The Final Lap” with the support of his always enchanting Busta Rhymes. The Wu-Tang Clan and Nas are reprising last year’s State of Mind arena tour, with De La Soul joining them.
Elsewhere, everyone from KRS-One to Digable Planets to Atmosphere will be on stage. Many of them are normal, but some of them mark milestones. Souls of Mischief have embarked on a 93+ US tour, visiting places as diverse as Helsinki and Burlington, Vermont, to mark the 30th anniversary of the seminal classic album 93 ’til Infinity. there is
LL and ‘Rock the Bells’ return to LL’s hometown of Queens for its second annual festival with a line-up including Redman and Method Man, Queen Latifah, Slick Rick and Boot Camp Click. increase. Rick Ross, Lil Jon, Trina and Big Daddy Kane are among the performers scheduled for the cruise departing Miami in November.
LL emphasizes the preservation of hip-hop culture in his work curating SiriusXM’s classic hip-hop stations. His credibility as an artist has allowed him to put together a line-up for the Grammy Awards medley-based arena tour, The Force Live, backed by The Roots, Jazzy Jeff and DJ Z-Trip. A lineup of heavyweights such as Salt has also been added. N-Pepa, Jadakiss, Ice-T, Juvenile. LL hinted that there will be a surprise announcement in the future. Shante said she hopes to have a rotation of local artists to match the destination of each tour.
“I want people to be on the best stage,” LL said of the tour, which begins June 25 in Boston. “For me, the contribution of these artists is so great that it can be lifted.”
DJ Jazzy Jeff is excited about what’s in store for Saturday while on tour with LL and Cruise. He said his favorite thing about the Atlantic City show might be that it features more than just the headline act everyone knows.
“That’s the true essence of hip-hop, and that’s what we’re celebrating Saturday night. A group that put out three songs. A group that put out an album. …Your contribution to that 50 years. It may have been six months out of the year, but in those six months you put out the hottest songs out there.”
Whether it’s watching artists who have been stars for years, or artists they haven’t heard in years, fans will find that now is the perfect time to become a fan of hip-hop. watching the performance.
“I think the 50th anniversary celebration is just the beginning,” Jazzy Jeff said. “It’s a pat on the shoulder.
