Verbal Kent
MC Starr and DJ Pain1, who owned the spotlight. For the most part, hip-hop has forgotten the art of scratchin' vinyl, but DJ Pain1 brought it back to an awesome effect.
Over the rhythms, which included funky samples of yesteryear spun with a heavy modern bass, MC Starr delivered positive, unifying messages that connected with the crowd. Kids lifted their arms waiting for teacher to call on them at the front of the stage; too bad they didn't recognize class was out when the bell said groove. Overall, the audience's attention was reserved, but at least it was captivated.