Lauryn Hill and The Roots have been listed as performers in the New York JVC Jazz Festival with jazz greats like Cassandra Wilson and Wynton Marsalis, who has been extremely critical of rap music in the past. Conversely, Herbie Hancock will also appear on the bill and has been very accepting of hip-hop. The concerts run from June 16-29 and will play in popular venues like Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater.
George Wein, producer of JVC Jazz Festivals, said that the shows would range from 70-piece orchestras to solo performances.
Herbie Hancock, a jazz legend, heavily impacted the commercialization of hip-hop in the early 80s when his electronic hit Rock It utilized scratching and won him a Grammy for best R&B Instrumental. More recently, the 55-year old Hancock released Dis is Da Drum.
The reclusive Lauryn Hill made history in 1999 for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill when she won 5 Grammy awards, a record Alicia Keys tied this year. Hill has not released a studio album since.
Wynton Marsalis has said, I hate rap music, and recently called it a modern day mistrel show. Currently, Marsalis, is the Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York,
