Ismail Al-Amin

Executive Director

“This year’s Showcase will feature two of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time – De La Soul and Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Neither group has ever played Akron before, but many, many people here have been and continue to be influenced by their music.”

In reference to the longevity the event has been fortunate to have Al-Amin said “we are very thankful to be five years deep into bringing original cutting-edge entertainment to the city of Akron. When we approached city officials six years ago with the idea, we needed them to understand that we were only interested in the ‘true school’ expression of the music. Meaning, that we only wanted to showcase those artists who helped lay the foundation for the culture, which is peace, love, unity and having fun, plus those current artists who are carrying on the tradition of the true-school.”