This past weekend, DJ Cassidy, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Slick Rick, and Doug E. Fresh celebrated the grand opening of their “Pass The Mic Live!” Las Vegas residency at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Joining them on stage for their debut on Saturday, July 6, were special guests Public Enemy and Raekwon of Wu Tang Clan.
The next two weekends will feature a notable lineup of Hip Hop icons, including Akon on Saturday, July 13, and Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Too $hort, and Warren G for the finale on Saturday, July 20, making each show a unique, one-time-only event.
The continuous musical experience highlighted each artist individually and together, performing their biggest hits, some in their original form, and others as enhanced orchestrations, produced solely for this residency. Fat Joe’s “All The Way Up” was mashed with Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life” to showcase the Rat Pack’s influence, while Ja Rule and Fat Joe’s “New York” intertwined with Sinatra’s “Theme From New York, New York,” emphasizing the Big Apple’s impact on the artists. Quotes from pivotal Las Vegas and New York-based films adorned the night’s musical elements, creating a theatrical backdrop for the Hip Hop soundtrack, while elaborate Art Deco visuals set the scene for the Gatsby-inspired stage.
DJ Cassidy interwove each artist’s appearance through a musical journey of Hip Hop and R&B, creating a large singalong on The Strip. Chuck D reunited with longtime partner (and Las Vegas resident) Flavor Flav for their second American appearance together in seven years, performing a medley of their hits, including “Fight The Power.” Raekwon impressed concert-goers with a medley of over a dozen solo and Wu Tang Clan classics. Slick Rick emerged from the ground on a king’s throne, while Doug E. Fresh captivated the audience with his human beatbox and an interactive call-and-response segment. The night culminated with all five core artists uniting on stage to perform a unique rendition of Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick’s Hip Hop record, “Ladi Dadi.”
The Las Vegas Residency is the culmination of a four-year journey that began in Summer 2020 amidst the global pandemic when DJ Cassidy started the “Pass The Mic” series. Through three viral homegrown episodes and seven BET television specials, Cassidy passed the mic to 220 legendary superstars spanning 40 years, including Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan, Nile Rodgers, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Charlie Wilson, Hall & Oates, New Edition, Boyz II Men, TLC, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Missy Elliott, Wyclef Jean, Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, Shaggy, Sean Paul, and many more. With “Pass The Mic Live! The Iconic Las Vegas Residency,” DJ Cassidy continues to innovate live musical experiences featuring artists who have significantly influenced Hip Hop culture on a global scale.