Rap’s 50th year celebrated with festival featuring hip-hopera – Times Union

The festival is both a celebration and a fundraising event to finance the next year of Beautiful Racket’s programming, which focuses on underserved Hudson youth.

The nonprofit began in 2020, according to Beautiful Racket Founder Anneice Cousin. Though Hudson Junior-Senior High School had returned to in-person instruction, singing and playing instruments was not allowed due to contagion fears, reducing the music department to “moving from classroom to classroom on a cart.”

The African-American Hudson native said it exacerbated issues of access to music education since wealthy parents “can supplement this by buying private lessons for their child… but if you don’t have the ability to do that, you’re out of luck.”

Cousin called music “a really important part of the educational day.”

“I feel it’s like food, water and shelter — creating is for our spirit, it keeps us well.” 

To continue music education and cut down on racial disparities, Cousin formed Beautiful Racket, which at first was a trio of students taking voice lessons from Cousin, a talented singer.

Beautiful Racket grew and developed partnerships with other arts organizations in Hudson, and now the nonprofit includes an all-ages community choir facilitated in part by Hudson Hall and DJ classes held at the Hudson Area Library. The group meets at the city’s First Presbyterian Church and has performed at Hudson’s Winter Walk, Waterfront Wednesdays and the nonprofit’s inaugural festival in 2021.

The July 29 festival features hip-hop and music performances as well as food, drink and vendors. Rapper and producer J-Live, who has released nine studio albums and collaborated with such acts as DJ Premiere, CunninLynguists, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Soulive, will perform, as will bassist Zwelakhe-Duma Bell and his band and DJ Intell Hayesfield.

The festival will also feature Hudson High student Kenold Dorce performing his original hip-hopera. “Hip-hoperas” are long-form narrative rap performances, some taking the form of musicals, and others, concept albums. Examples include Price Paul’s “A Prince Among Thieves,” Beyonce’s “Carmen: A Hip-Hopera,” and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” and “Hamilton.”

Dorce’s piece follows the arc of a relationship and break-up, according to Counsin.

The festival will also include food and drinks from Half Moon, Alima’s Kitchen, Whatsreallygood and Upstate’s Cold Brew, according to the nonprofit.

Entrance to the festival is free, but donations are encouraged to support the event and to fund Beautiful Racket’s next year of programming. QR codes linking to a donation page will be placed throughout the event, Cousin said.

The festival kicks off at 4 p.m. at the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, just a short walk from the city’s Amtrak station.