Kennedy Center to Host Hip Hop Festival in 2014

Rapper Nas attends Moet Rose Lounge Presents Nas’ Life Is Good at Bagatelle on July 17, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Moet Rose)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hip-hop artists including rappers Nas and Somalia-born K’naan will take center stage in an unexpected place next year: as part of next season at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
The center announced Tuesday that its 2013-2014 season would include the weeklong festival “One Mic: Hip-Hop Culture Worldwide.” It will also feature an international theater festival featuring works from at least 10 different nations and new American works in theater, opera and music.
The center is one of the nation’s busiest performing arts centers, with more than 2,000 performances scheduled.  The 2014 hip-hop festival will open with Nas rapping with musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra Pops playing music from his classic debut album “Illmatic.”  The festival will also feature Puerto Rican musicians Calle 13 and a graffiti exhibition.
Copyright 2013 article by Brett Zongker, The Associated Press via thegrio.com