Is Freaknik Coming Back? AC3 Announces '1996' Themed Music Festival




1996 marked an iconic era in hip hop music, from record sale peaks to the release of some of the most memorable albums. This year, 1996 will be celebrated in a big way. On Saturday, October 8, 2016, the 2016 A3C Festival & Conference in partnership with Mass Appeal will represent all coasts while commemorating the 20-year anniversary of 1996 with performances by Bone Thugs N Harmony (Midwest), Bun B (South), Too $hort (West), Redman (East) and more to be announced. The A3C Festival & Conference takes place in Atlanta, GA from Wednesday, October 5, 2016 to Sunday, October 9, 2016.

"'96 produced the soundtrack of my childhood. ATLiens, The Score, Reasonable Doubt, It Was Written, Illadelph Halflife and Beats, and Rhymes & Life still bump to this day," shares Mike Walbert, Executive Director of A3C. "We can't produce the 2016 A3C Festival & Conference without paying tribute to the lasting impact 1996 has had on the hip-hop community and the city of Atlanta."

During a five-day series of live performances, panels and workshops, A3C will highlight the music and style that originated during the golden year of 1996. The performances will specifically pay tribute to the era that brought us Bone Thugs N Harmony's Grammy winning single "Tha Crossroads," which went 2X Platinum, Too $hort's tenth album, Getting It, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard charts, Bun B's successful 1996 release with UGK titled, Riding Dirty, which sold over 850K copies, and Redman's critically-acclaimed gold-certified album, Muddy Waters.


Bone Thugz N Harmony's Krayzie Bone exclaims, "It's definitely an honor to perform on the 1996 stage. That year we released "Crossroads" and basically changed the game. That whole time period of music was thriving at that time, so we plan to bring all that energy to the stage at A3C and are very excited to be apart of this event!"


In addition to a series of performances and informative discussions, A3C will also throwback to the legendary spring break event '96 Freaknik with an exclusive after-party at Delightful Eatz (421 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312) starring Kilo Ali and DJ Jelly, among other well known pioneers from the nightlife and music scene.

2016 A3C Festival Panel Discussions include:
Fab 5 Freddy & Organized Noize - Discovering the Dungeon: The FIRST Interview
Venue: Ballroom @ A3C Conference Center
Date: Thursday, October 6th

Too Short - The Bay Area: Now and Then
Venue: Ballroom @ A3C Conference Center
Date: Friday, October 7th

A3C looks forward to bringing back a level of entertainment that has not been replicated since. Over the years A3C has become renowned as not only a place to hear good music but a haven to break new talent, network and learn about the music industry.

A3C Festival & Conference Passes can be purchased at: www.a3cfestival.com/attend. A3C Passes increase in price on July 31st and Single Day Passes are available on August 1st.


 

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