Now in its 8th year, the A3C Hip Hop Festival is a 2-day, 3-night event held annually in Atlanta, GA. Not only has the event become the largest Hip Hop festival in the southeastern United States, drawing over 15,000 people in 2011, but it is the premier gathering place for MCs, DJs and producers that create Hip Hop music as well as participants and fans of the culture.
A3C is dedicated to providing quality Hip Hop to fans in Atlanta, the Southeast and beyond. What began in 2005 as a small showcase for independent artists around the country has now evolved into a national platform for established and independent Hip Hop artists alike to perform, network, learn and build. Over half of the festival attendees come from outside of Georgia including abroad and from all sectors of the music industry. A3C is an all ages, family-friendly event and a well-rounded showcase of Hip Hop music and culture.
A3C 2011 featured performances from more than 200 performing artists from around the country as well as the festival's first international showcase.
A3C artists represent a diverse array of Hip Hop sounds and industries from unsigned to legendary and international to female. A3C alumni include Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Big K.R.I.T., Jean Grae, J. Cole, The Juice Crew, Little Brother, MURS, Yelawolf, Wale, Pill, Freddie Gibbs, 9th Wonder, M.O.P., GrandWizzard Theodore and many more.
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More than just live music performances, the A3C is also host to several major competitions including the iStandard Producer Showcase, Needle To The Record DJ Competition (N2TR), Enter the Cypher Freestyle Exhibition and Deuces Wild b-boy/b-girl battle. These exciting events bring competitors from across the country and highlight other elements of Hip Hop culture.
All competitions take place during the festival weekend and are open for anyone to enter.
A3C offers significant educational and professional development content. Numerous panel discussions are themed around topics such as marketing, finance, licensing, production, media, international strategy, visual interpretation, women in Hip Hop and more. Past panelists include industry professionals such as DJ Burn One, Wendy Day of the Rap Coalition, HipHopDX Editor in Chief Jake Paine, John Gotty of The Smoking Section, SESAC’s Cappriccieo Scates, Universal Music Group’s Ricardo Spicer and A Tribe Called Quest’s Jarobi.
A3C also features film screenings, equipment demonstrations, expert lectures, tutorials and more. The Pro Audio and DJ Gear Experience showcases major manufacturers both in a trade show format and on stage.
A3C partners with local businesses for artists meet and greets, music associations like Grammy and ASCAP for industry networking and schools for educational events. Many attendees laud A3C as one of the last music events where legends, aspiring musicians, media and like-minded music fans co-mingle and interact with each other.
Each year, A3C provides rich networking opportunities for all who attend.
