Art of Rap Festival

I recently purchased a VIP Meet & Greet ticket for the Art of Rap tour through Sound Rink. I have to say that it was one of the best, if not THE BEST, concert experience that I've ever had!!! For starters, the boss, Cody DeLong, took the time to answer all of my questions about the specifics of the event. Then, once I arrived at the venue, his two colleagues, Bruce and Scott, took over. They were both very knowledgeable and professional. They went over all the details, and personally approached me when there were changes in the plans, which tend to happen when dealing with so many acts. They showed genuine interest in me having a pleasant experience and a good time. They were both friendly and took charge in helping me meet some of the rappers. I can't say enough about these hard-working individuals. It truly was a one-of-a-kind experience, and I want to thank the staff at Sound Rink for everything!!!!

I traveled from NC to ATL to see the Art of Rap on a Sunday night and had to work on Monday..and it rained right before the show started. Kurtis Blow - Awesome job.. Keep up the Good work!! Mellie Mel and the Sugar Hill Gang-- Good job, Mellie Mel has to much energy for his age... loved it. Mobb Deep- Horrible stage presentation, one was on one side of the stage and the other on the other side... both mind as well been rapping from behind the curtain. I don't know what they contribute to HIP HOP... nothing special about their set. EPMD- I thought I would never see the day that they would perform together again... HISTORY!! Naughty by Nature - I will continue to go see them and they never have let me down despite of all the BEEF Treach and Vinnie may have... the show is always GREAT!! Ice-T- loved him and his energy, and his new protege' was good. The biggest disappointment- The MC Bizzy B... was boring and not a crowd motivator and the house DJ kept playing and doing the same songs and mixs. BORING!!! MC Lyte did not show up and I am a HUGE fan. P.E. had a live band that was so loud I thought I was at Rock concert and no Terminator X, they refer to some DJ named DJ Lord when they would say Terminator X.

The Art of Rap Festival was Epic! All of the rap groups were very good and exciting! It was wonderful seeing all the old school rappers do their thing! They proved that Hip Hop is still alive, beautiful and well! For all you new school kids, Hip Hop is about love, unity and peace! It does not provoke, encourage or entertain gun violence, disrespect of women or, black on black crime!

Public Enemy and Naughty by Nature was the bomb. I really enjoyed myself. I had a great time.

Everyone was great. Really enjoyed the concert. All my friend enjoyed it as well

I am a fan of many genres and I attend a lot of concerts. This was my first chance to see any of these acts and I was not disappointed. There was some disorganization on the part of the venue and the organizers at points, but it was a fun evening overall. Our lawn tickets were upgraded to seats, so no complaints there. I loved The Sugar Hill Gang, Ice-T, and Public Enemy, but all the acts were good. The best part was meeting Ice-T!

I got tickets so I could finally see Mobb Deep in concert but being the fan of hip hop that I am, I enjoyed every act that performed. I was even surprised by Ice Ts performance and had forgotten about several of his songs that I liked when I was younger.

They had trouble with the microphones from the very beginning with usually only one rapper actually being heard. All of the other microphones produced no sound. It was absolutely terrible and horrible for the artists for the show. When Public Enemy came on we left because it was a travesty.

Great concert ! We actually got suprise performances/appearances from hip hop legends .This concert was a trip down memory lane . I would certainly return to the amphitheater. P.S Even Co-Co and baby was in attendance! !

Show was entertaining if not a bit unorganized. Like the venue but the sound was not good up close, maybe it is better in the back.

Well I was really psyched for this event, but it was ruined by the amateurish sound engineers at the event. The 2nd & 3rd mics were cut off for all performers during the entire event. Meaning entire verses were missing from sets by Sugarhill Gang, EPMD, Kurtis Blow, Jam Master Jay, Naughty by Nature, Mobb Deep and Public Enemy. Even Ice T's mic was cut off for entire songs. The opening act, EPMD, rapped over nothing for two songs before they figured out the audience couldn't hear the music. After that it was all downhill. By the end, the mids were screaming at ear-shattering volumes and drowning out the bass and vocals. Such a disappointment. The venue is really stunning, but they need to fire the sound team.

This show was off the hook. It took me back to the very beginning, and to see all of my old skool idols on one stage was the greastest!!!!!! I cannot wait until next year because I will be there again front and center. This made my husband and I Vegas vacation complete!!!!!! God Bless!!!!!!!!

The performers in the Art of Rap were phenomenal and certainly legendary. They gave the concert of a lifetime. We were very fortunate to see so many pioneers perform in one place. It is worth every penny of the ticket price. I am really grateful to the person who put this together. What I was sooo turned off by was the creator of the show's foul language, Busy Bee's foul language and the DeeJay's foul language. The show would have been sooo much better without that excessive language and their very long dialogues. We came to hear the music not to hear the three of them cuss all night.

Such a fantastic show! I hope this event returns annually. The lineup was great and so was the venue. We were in the 2nd row but there really isn't a bad seat in the house. I initially was bummed out that Ice-T wasn't there but the other artists quickly removed that feeling. Mobb Deep, Naughty by Nature and Public Enemy were the highlights of the show in my opinion. Everyone was great but those were my favorite. No drama from the crowds either. Everyone seemed like they had a really awesome time. Please come back next year!

Liked there were so many artists..some better than others. The host was kinda lame. It was hot as heck

I can't stand listening to the new "rap" music these days, so when I found out there was a show with some of the main hip hop artist that I grew up with coming to town, I was more than ecstatic to buy my tickets! From the time I entered the venue to the time I left, I was having a great time. The artist brought up current issues in society also, mainly having to do with race and how people need to be better than what everyone expects. Hip hop is about life and love, there's always been a story behind every song lyric, and it was an amazing experience to relive it all again as an adult.

The artists brought it, but the sets were super short (15 minutes to 45 minutes). The event was outside and hot as hell. I would have liked to see more of all of the artists, especially Chuck D and Public Enemy.

Awesome to see everyone in one place ! All sounded great. Would not miss

LOVED the performers! Yet, 4 out of the acts were a no show, disappointed that it was that many and IN ADDITION I bought tickets for almost $70 dollars and then they went Groupon for $9.50. Loved loved performers but quite disappointing.

This show brought back so many memories! I look forward to attending if they have this event in the future!

I'm what I consider a concert vet, so, have seen many shows. I was really looking forward to this show but unfortunately it wasn't that good. The idea was good but way in over their heads. I always regret not seeing Ice T so really I wanted to see him as the headliner. I like the acts and I like the fact the time in between acts was pretty short BUT, and this is the main thing, 20 - 25 minute sets? REALLY? In fact, to top it all off when Ice starts to do "Colors" he does ONE, I said ONE verse, stops the song, show is OVER! They should have had less acts while allowing them to play longer. Who goes to see someone perform for 20 - 25 minutes? Awful! I only hope Ice T can come back and do a REAL show

Wonderful experience ... Enjoyed 80 percent of the line up! DJ Quik and EPMD were my favorite!! Biz Markie was cool too ... I'm just not sure why he sang more than he rapped ... Oh Bone Thugz performed hit after hit, but their mics were too low and the music overwhelmed them. Too Short was supposed to open the show, but he didn't perform. I was upset about that because I was looking forward to his performance.

This was by far one of the best concerts I've ever attended. It's good to know great music is still around. Not the constant auto tuned music we are punished to listen to now. Flava actually stayed after the show to meet and sign autographs. Got my t-shirt signed. Classy move Flava!

I had a great time at the festival. I think it would have been better if there was a host. Instead most groups would walk on stage unannounced. Some of the acts should have got shorter sets, while others should have been extended. Over all, I really enjoyed my seats and the show.

My husband and I grew up on this music real hip-hop.

Bought tix for hubbys Bday and one of his boys and he said it was dope!

Every artist on the bill was legendary. A surprise performance by Ice T pushed the show over the top. I had front row seats in the most ornate, beautiful building. I wish I could do it all over again!

Seen Rakim and Ice T , two people I always wanted to see and it was phenomenal, as always I wish they would turn down the bass a little bit so I could hear the music a little better ... Bone thugs were great as usual but Bizzy sat out this show and it s too bad , ghostfsce raekwon , and EPMD also great performances .

The show was so bad. I kept thinking when are they going to start - it was like they were doing sound checks for concert the entire time. There was no show - the sound was horrible and the presentation? let s just say there was none. I can t believe the Boch center allowed a show of such poor quality. We had 50 yearolds, 40 year olds and 20 somethings in our group. We ALL felt the same. I will no longer TRUST the venue to provide quality.

Amazing show. Sound could of been better. Bad mic

We came all the way up from Holland. With a lack of proper timemanagement we missed everything but DMX, DMX is wack. But back in Holland we visited Slick Rick the Ruler and after that DITC! Lord have mercy

The NJPAC was a great venue... good sound quality, friendly and helpful staff. The lineup was great and they were all great to see; loved improvisation/tribute they came up with after Prodigy's unexpected passing. My only complaint is that Ghostface and Raekwon didn't do more of their solo work. I was there for them specifically, and Mobb Deep and was looking forward to Ghost and Rae stuff, but they primarily did general Wu Tang stuff, and the more well-known pieces at that... CREAM, Incarcerated Scarface, even Shimmy Shimmy Ya... which is a popular song but not at all a Ghost or Rae song. It was good to hear all the Wu tunes... I just wished they'd gone deeper, or had done more of their own stuff.

Art of Rap had people performing that nobody was familiar with. Most of the show the audience sang along. I was having a good time until half of the audience members, including the men right next to me began to smoke marijuana. I kindly asked one to move down, I didn't want to smell it. That's when I was threatened by his friend. "Someone is about to get jumped ", he stated. As I looked around, I noticed that half of the audience members were also smoking. No staff members cared. I will not be back for any rap shows.

I was completely blown away by the POWER of this show! Everyone was on FIRE and the show was AMAZING!

Great concert but maybe a different venue next time. Beef up security or their will be incidents in the future.

DMX, Mobb Deep (Prodigy Tribute), Raekwon and Ghostface Killah

Everyone from 050 Boyz, to Rae & Ghost, To DMX was dope! I loved every second of this event.

Great concert!!! Hip-hop will never be the same!!!

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE FROM ALL PERFORMERS!!!! THEY NEED TO KEEP THIS GOING EVERY YEAR

For people who were born in the 60s & 70s can really appreciate this concert because we grew up listening to WuTang, DMX, ICE T, Mobb Deep, Treach & Rass Cass.

I would recommend the event in other cities however am dissatisfied with the sound for the date and venue that I went to. First half of the show was great - then the sound board was absolutely terrible for Ice T and Public Enemy. You could barely hear the vocals. Something was clearly amiss as the other acts were completely fine. Both Ice T and Public Enemy performed a great show however the sound board was the absolute worst I've ever heard and I've been to countless shows. Many people were getting the sound techs attention that something was wrong and they just ignored their job. I want a partial refund. Its too bad, all the artists were great, but you've got to get the boards right to at least hear the vocals - be professionals

The shown was a lot of fun . It was the hip hop I grew up on so it was great seeing those artists. The amphitheater in Coney Island was a great place to be. Nice open air and lots of room in the seats . No lines for Drinks or bathroom .. Only downside was 530 pm concert started at 630 and went about 5 hrs!!

This event brought me back to the days. Just talking about the groups that made a difference even if they weren't there was nice way to honor them. Also just positive vibes and words like, "rap is something we do, hip hop is something we live" are things that I was able to take a way from the show. Damn cool to see Ice-T hold a break dance competition with the crowd..Sugar Hill Gang representing with their crew. List goes on. Just a lot of fun and surprises!

I thought that the Art of Rap festival was fantastic. It was a virtual chronology of the early history of rap music from Sugar Hill Gang and Kurtis Blow through to Public Enemy. Both coasts were represented and all groups were high energy trying to get the most of the (shockingly) sparse crowd. I really felt privileged to live in a time where I was able to see many of the creators of this art form (all in one concert!). Future generations won't have this opportunity.

We love it! I was a little long because some of the acts were late getting there but we loved every bit of it.

Awesome sets, no wait between acts, everyone was on point! The vocals were not audible for some parts, but still a great show

Such a great show!!!! so many awesome groups that founded hip hop!!!!! they don't leave you disappointed at all!!!

Never again will a group of hip hop legends perform on the same night. It was amazing.

The whole vibe was good. Very eclectic crowd and everyone was having a great time. The MC did a great job promoting the good side of hip Hop and he and the early performers created a cool, fun and peaceful atmosphere of unity and love. It was really fantastic. Then Ice T came on and went entirely in the opposite direction he basically destroyed the unity vibe and brought down the whole crowd. We decided not to let him ruin our evening and we focused on the rest of the night and left before he was done. His message just didn't go with the whole theme of the night. We have a great time and loved the rest of it

1st of all, I bought front row seats the same day of the event. When I looked at the maps of available seats, I knew this would be a thinly attended event. Not that I was necessarily mad about it, but these events cost money to put on and quite a few artists were on the bill hoping to get paid in front of a packed house I assume. Unfortunately for them, it appeared there may have been only 2,000 people that came. Unfortunately for the fans, we were told by one of the shows producers Mickey Bentson multiple times that we needed to contact our friends via social media to "get their asses to the show". Now I wouldn't have a problem if this were mentioned casually because clearly it was poorly attended, but he started to more than lose me when he did it a 2nd and 3rd time, not letting up on us as if it were our fault. It was getting uncomfortable and if you're reading this Mickey, know that you were marginalizing the audience that DID pay their hard earned dollars to see the show. Maybe next time it will be promoted better eh?! A definite BOO-able moment, though he did get a pass. Not our fault homey. We were there to support the cause. In addition, this was clearly disorganized from the start (another thing they may want to take more seriously). The host was early Hip Hop Pioneer Busy Bee, who due to a lack of event organization, easily seemed to have the hardest job in the building. He did his best to entertain between sets where he didn't always necessarily know who was coming out next, but after awhile, he was running out of things to say and repeat. He also no-showed during hosting duties a couple of times, which was when Mickey would come out on his mini-tirades. It would have been better if they had the House DJ play music between the majority of the sets and to limit Busy Bee's hosting duties (at seemingly no fault of his own). Busy Bee did drop a few gems of interest though regarding the history of Hip Hop. Though I was really excited to see all of the acts involved, I was particular looking forward to EPMD, Ice-T, and Public Enemy. They did not disappoint. Nor did the hidden gem Mobb Deep. It was great seeing some of the pioneers like Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, Scorpio, and the Sugarhill Gang as well. Naughty by Nature was solid, though Treach was a bit distracting by going on a few long, off kilter rants. The sets were short and songs were also cut short, but you did get to see a wide range of styles and artists. Overall impressions: Performances were solid, organization was not. It was clear that some of the artists aren't performing live anymore based on some of their level of organization and that yes, they are getting older. Rocking the mic still in your 30s, 40s ,and 50s still demands respect. The majority of them can still move a crowd. Pros for sure.

Had a great time concert didn't sell out but was great. MC could have been a little faster getting groups on stage

The groups were awesome! The only thing I think the show could have used more of was advertisement. I found out about the show on Wednesday and the show was Friday. I only heard it on the radio once and I have my radio on all day at work in many stations. I tried to spread the word but everyone I told already had plans. Maybe more radio time in various stations or advertising in other places would have attracted a larger crowd. The groups were awesome they took me way back......Most of them even sounded as good as they did in the 80s and early 90s!