The hip-hop package tour, where a group of emcees set out across the country together, has become commonplace in the last five years or so. Shows like Kings of the Mic (with LL Cool J, Ice Cube, De La Soul and Public Enemy) and the Art of Rap (again with Public Enemy, and this time with Ice-T, EPMD, Naughty by Nature and others) have crisscrossed the country, giving some underrated classic acts a mechanism with which to set up a national tour. During the Masters of Ceremony tour, superstars like Rick Ross and up-and-coming emcees like O.T. Genasis share the stage with legends like Rakim and Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Still, a survey of the lineups for these festivals shows one consistent weakness: A completely random artist roster. Dancehall DJ Super Cat will rock the stage this Saturday on the same bill as House of Pain, for instance; while I’m sure each act loves the other’s work, it seems like some of the lineups are less about an idea and more about logistics.
amNewYork sat down to construct its own package tour proposals, and didn’t even have to leave the borough to do it.
Here are a few ideas of how Brooklyn hip-hop could take itself on the road.
