If anyone thinks that Hip Hop is dead, to quote a certain Queensbridge MC, then they are sadly mistaken.
On July 20, I was there to witness DJ Cassidy bring the house down with the final show in his Pass The Mic Live! residency in Las Vegas at the Bakkt Theater, delivering an unforgettable performance that can only be described as legendary.
The lineup featured the Hip Hop-themed “Rat Pack,” comprised of Cassidy, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Ja Rule and Fat Joe. With special guests Warren G, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Remy Ma, Kurupt and Lil Vicious (all the way from Jamaica), it was a celebration of true Hip Hop at its finest, a rare treat that all generations need to witness firsthand.
From the moment the show began, it was clear that this wasn’t just any old concert. DJ Cassidy brilliantly fused Hip Hop with a Rat Pack theme, introducing each artist in a manner that paid homage to their legacy and had the crowd on their feet. To see them all appear onstage during their respective sets looking debonair in their tuxedos only added to the electric energy in the room.
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If you were lucky enough to have been in the era of these artists’ iconic songs, then it would have definitely taken you back — in a good way. If not, they are still timeless tracks that resonate to this day.
After the show, I asked Cassidy how he came to choose his final four out of the 220 artists that participated in the original Pass The Mic series that he launched on Twitch during the COVID pandemic.
“I said the phrase, ‘All roads lead to Las Vegas.’ And after all roads lead to Vegas, all roads lead to Ja, Joe, Rick and Doug,” he said.
From what Cassidy told me, it wasn’t a vision that was hard to sell to the artists. They got it immediately and were all in.
Cole Curtis
“When the opportunity first arose to bring Pass The Mic Live! to Las Vegas, I immediately recognized my goal,” he added. “My goal was to create a show that would stand the test of time, that would go down in history and that would be talked about in years to come — in the same conversations as those Vegas shows that define talent, mainly the Rat Pack, Liberace, Elvis Presley, Wayne Newton, Siegfried & Roy, David Copperfield.
“These were the shows that I always associated Las Vegas with and to this day I believe those are the shows that define the city. In the same way that if you ask people what songs define Hip Hop, any of the songs they would name are songs that are decades old — ‘La Di Da Di,’ ‘Sucker MCs’ and so on and so forth.”
He added: “These shows are decades old, but still define Las Vegas. The most definitive one, if I had to choose one, I believe is the Rat Pack. The Rat Pack is very interesting because the it didn’t consist of five unknown artists; it consisted of five stars, who joined forces to create a never seen before ensemble that could only be experienced in one place: Las Vegas.
“People flew from all over the world to see the show and people kept coming back. It transformed the lives of those five artists that were already megastars and, in turn, they transformed a town. So I was really fascinated by that idea.”
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Cassidy wanted to start at the place where Hip Hop was born, New York City, and so it only made sense that he built the foundation of the show with artists from the five boroughs.
Despite being thousands of miles apart and sitting on opposite ends of the country, Cassidy believes that the two cities are more alike than most may think.
“New York and Las Vegas have a lot in common. Especially like old world New York and old world Las Vegas — the elegance and sophistication, as well as the gangster swag,” he explained.
I loved the idea of Cassidy starting the show with none other than the human beatbox himself, Doug E Fresh. If you’ve experienced watching Doug, whether on MTV, in the movie Beat Street or in concert, you know he is a Hip Hop maestro who has a way of commanding the stage and engaging the crowd.
The story unfolded from there.
Cole Curtis
“It really felt like a story was being told,” Cassidy agreed. “Let me be clear, everything I do derives from Doug E. Fresh. I invented nothing. Pass The Mic is an interpretation of all my Hip Hop heroes. Everything that I say on the mic is inspired by, or an interpretation of, something that the great Hip Hop party MCs have said before.
“If it doesn’t come from Doug E. Fresh, it comes from DJ Hollywood or from Lovebug Starski or from Kid Capri or Andre Harrell, who was a major mentor of mine. Pass The Mic is very much a descendant of what Doug E. Fresh has been doing his whole career so it was really emotional for me to have him as such an integral part of this show.
“Not that he’s passing a torch, but I feel like he’s letting me hold the torch for three hours. He and I have grown very close over the years. He really is a mentor and a friend, and so it was fitting that he acted as a glue and kind of a co-maestro for the entire experience.”
Doug E. Fresh’s beatboxing was nothing short of spectacular as he delivered a three-minute sonic journey that left the audience in awe. His beatboxing is beyond human, a robotic instrument that no one has been able to match. It’s a true form of what Hip Hop is.
After the show, I also had the chance to chat with Doug E. Fresh and told him that “we need you to drop another album.” He smiled, held my hand and said with a big smile: “It’s coming.”
I can’t explain the excitement I had when he said this to me; it felt like a new chapter in Hip Hop history was about to be written. With MC Lyte, LL Cool J, Rakim and Will Smith all releasing new albums this year, the momentum is certainly building.
Everyone knows that the artist that comes to mind immediately when mentioning Doug E. Fresh is the iconic storyteller himself, Slick Rick. As Cassidy reiterated, The Ruler brought back a sense of authenticity that is often missing in today’s music thanks to his slick (no pun intended) tone on “Hey Young World” and the other timeless songs that fans still rap word for word to this day.
Slick Rick appeared in the infamous King of the Throne chair wearing his large medallion chain and rocked the crowd with “Children’s Story.”
Cole Curtis
He came back later in the show to wow the audience with “La Di Da Di,” which has been sampled over a thousand times by countless notable artists including Snoop Dogg, JAY-Z, Eminem, Ice Cube and the late Biggie.
Later on, Fat Joe came out to “Rockaway” the crowd with his classic hits and added to the historical night by bringing out Remy Ma on stage, whose presence was a powerful reminder that women in Hip Hop carry an equally legendary status.
Dressed in a beautiful emerald gown, Remy also proved that Hip Hop isn’t just about shaking ass, but about lyricism and substance as well. It was an important moment to show the younger generation of female artists that they, too, have a vital voice in the culture.
Ja Rule wanted the ladies to put it on him as he lit up the stage with his high-energy set, throwing the audience back to the ’90s and early 2000s with his timeless hits. Hearing his raspy voice that used to dominate radio waves and seeing his infectious smile radiate throughout the room was so refreshing. It was both touching and a testament to the spirit of Hip Hop to see how much he was enjoying himself on stage.
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Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat brought a true ATL vibe with a string of hits that showcased Dupri’s undeniable impact on the music industry. His extensive catalog reminded everyone why it’s hard to match his expertise as a songwriter, producer and performer. The chemistry between JD and Da Brat hasn’t changed since she was signed to So So Def in the 1990s, turning the event into a non-stop spectacle of hits.
Too $hort had the crowd on their feet as he “Blew the Whistle” with a catalog that represented the West Coast and the Bay Area. Short Dog’s stage presence is always a treat as he effortlessly performas his iconic songs that can blend in with the current sound of today’s music.
You can put on a Too $hort song in your car, at a club or at a festival and the crowd will dance and recite his lyrics through out his entire set. His iconic catchphrase “Bitch!” still resonated the same, even in his suit and sneakers.
Keeping things on the West Coast, Warren G mounted up with “Regulators” before wowing the audience with a surprise performance by Kurupt. The show’s lineup illustrated that Hip Hop knows no geographical boundaries, seamlessly combining East Coast legends with West Coast icons and a touch of Southern hospitality.
Cole Curtis
DJ Cassidy even paid tribute to the West Coast with renditions of classic hits from the likes of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, showcasing a non-biased celebration of Hip Hop and its rich diversity.
In between acts, Cassidy displayed all facets of Hip Hop as he danced and played music during his electrifying DJ sets, with the movie Beat Street playing on the screen behind him and showcasing the breakdancing scene between the New York City Breakers and the Rock Steady Crew. If you know, you know.
This show wasn’t just a performance; it was a testament that Hip Hop is alive and well. The synergy between the artists, the carefully thought-out setlist and DJ Cassidy’s innovative presentation proved that the genre has — and will — continue to stand the test of time, reminding us all of why this culture is so impactful.
Pass The Mic Live! deserves to travel beyond Las Vegas. It needs to go state to state, perhaps even worldwide. I mentioned to DJ Cassidy that I need to see more Pass The Mic Live! shows to incorporate the remaining 206 participants from the original series. He humbly laughed and agreed.
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What I witnessed on July 20 is that Hip Hop’s legacy continues to thrive. DJ Cassidy, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Ja Rule, Fat Joe and many others continue to keep the culture alive and kicking. Here’s to more of these iconic moments that remind us why we fell in love with Hip Hop in the first place.
I’d like to sum this up with these words from Cassidy himself: “I really wanted to get a musical experience more than any other Pass The Mic Live! show yet, to really incorporate collaborations like never before.
“And the fact that Rick and Doug have collaborated so iconically, and Joe and Ja collaborated so iconically, that really set the foundation to create a never-seen-before, one-time-only collaboration that you could only see at this show.
“When I first called each of them, I didn’t even have to really pitch the idea; they just got it. Very quickly, we started moving like a unit. That [Rat Pack-inspired] photoshoot [promoting the residency], which I think took place April 1, was the first time we were all together in one room.
“That day when we put on our tuxedos, I think we all just felt that we were on the brink of something magical. Still to this very second, I think we all still think we’re on the brink of something magical. And I think we all feel that the future has really just begun.”
