Albany officials bring ‘old-school’ hip-hop show to Civic Center

ALBANY — City of Albany officials are definitely “keeping it old-school and keeping it real” with the Oct. 29 “Old-School Hip-Hop Jam” planned at the Albany Civic Center.

Tickets are on sale for the show that will feature Kool Moe D, Kurtis Blow, Rob Base, the Sugarhill Gang and Grand Master’s Furious Five.

The show is the first sponsored strictly using funds allocated by the Albany City Commission in an attempt to drum up support for events at the Civic Center. A consultant had recommended that the city raze the venerable structure and use its 100 W. Oglethorpe Blvd. location as part of a sports complex.

City Recreation and Parks Director Joel Holmes is one who opposes that idea, and he petitioned the City Commission to make funds available to bring events to the Civic Center. The commission approved $200,000 in funding, and part of that will be used for the legends of hip-hop show.

“We’ve been looking for shows that will have a broad reach, and we feel the ‘Old-School Hip-Hop Jam’ gives us that opportunity,” Holmes said. “What I think appeals about this particular show is that it involves five different and well-known acts. Some people say one of the artists is their favorite, while some will say another. (Support) is not dependent on just one artist.

“We didn’t want to go out and try to get a top-of-the-charts act for our first show; it was more like finding a show with a reasonable price and bringing it here to see what the people of the community will support. We’re dipping our toe in the water, so to speak. We intend to keep trying until we find the right acts that the community will support.”

In the five legendary hip-hop artists, city officials have acts whose best-known works are timeless, appealing to older music fans with an eye for nostalgia and younger fans who understand how the artists influenced their current favorites. Among their best-known hits are Kool Moe D’s “They Want Money” and “Wild Wild West” (with Will Smith); Kurtis Blow’s “If I Ruled the World” and “The Breaks,” which was the first certified-gold rap song; Rob Base’s unforgettable smashes “It Takes Two” and “Joy and Pain;” the Furious Five’s masterpiece “The Message,” and the Sugarhill Gang’s legendary “Rapper’s Delight,” the first rap song to make the Top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100.

Advance tickets are $40 for reserve seating on the Civic Center floor and $30 for general admission up to the day of the show. Prices increase by $5 on the 29th.

“All communities are different, but Albany has always been a place where people buy their tickets late,” Holmes said. “I don’t know if it’s because a number of shows scheduled here have been cancelled in the past or if people are waiting around hoping for discount prices. We’re just looking for a show that the community can enjoy and get the conversation going about events at the Civic Center again. I happen to believe we can be a viable venue again.

“But at some point, if the people in our community want us to keep bringing shows here, they’re going to have to support the artists who perform.”

The Old-School Hip-Hop Jam is set to start at 7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 5:30. For additional information, call the Civic Center at (229) 430-5200 or (229) 317-7201.