Common & Kurtis Blow Give Impromptu Performances At DC Book Launch


Every writer's dream, I'm sure, is to launch their book with celebrity musicians in tow to speak about the book and break out into song at random points to accentuate each point you're making as you talk about your book. OK, maybe that's just my dream. But if it were writers Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois' dream, then it came true last night as they presented their book The Anthology of Rap to a packed house in Washington, DC at the historic Lincoln Theater. Bradley and DuBois have edited an anthology that brings together more than three hundred lyrics written over 30 years, from the "old school" to the "golden age" to the present day and rappers Kurtis Blow, Kurtis Blow, Jr. and Common were on hand to talk about their own rap careers and how hip hop has transformed their lives. The blurry video I managed to catch below is a clip of Common talking about his classic "I Used to Love H.E.R." before he broke out into an impromptu performance that had the audience dancing in their seats.

Unfortunately, I had to leave this wonderful event, presented by the Smithsonian's African-American History Museum and Words, Beats & Life early, so I missed the later impromptu performance by the legendary Kurtis Blow and his son who performs internationally now. But from what I caught on Twitter, the performance of "The Breaks" was like that. If you are in the DC area and in the mood for more events centered around hip-hop, be sure to check out Words, Beats & Life's Remixing the Art of Social Change International Teach-In that is happening the rest of this week with workshops and events featuring the father of hip hop, DJ Kool Herc, and other notables.

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Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois The Anthology of Rap [Amazon]

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