DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist set out on tour to celebrate hip-hop history

A unique tour will begin in September as DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist pack up six turntables and some hip-hop history and tour North America.

Twenty-five cities will be hosting the two as they pay homage to the beginnings of hip-hop with the “Renegades of Rhythm” tour. Music celebrating the legacy of Zulu Nation founder, Afrika Bambaataa, will be strung together live on vinyl to treat music fans to an once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Afrika Bambaataa’s historic vinyl collection spans to over 40,000 and is stored at Cornell University. The duo aims to preserve the legacy of Bambaataa and his genre-busting and socially minded complexity.

“His collection includes not just soul and rap, but also soca, calypso, dub, salsa… it’s obvious that this music was important to him, and it’s reflected in his own music,” said DJ Shadow. “For example, when the Soulsonic Force is singing an African chant, it actually comes from a Manu Dibango record. That’s when being a crate-digger comes in handy – you have to be able to pick up on the references and reiterate them.”

The needle will drop on September 1 in Toronto and continue until October 10 in Vancouver.

Renegades Of Rhythm 
Tour Dates
9/1 – Toronto, ON – Guvernment
9/3 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
9/4 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
9/6 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
9/8 – Washington, DC – The Fillmore Silver Spring
9/9 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
9/11 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
9/12 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft At Center Stage
9/14 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
9/16 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
9/18 – Austin, TX – ACL Live
9/19 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
9/20 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
9/22 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
9/23 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
9/24 – Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theater
9/26 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
9/27 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen
9/29 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
10/1 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10/2 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
10/3 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
10/7 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
10/8 – Seattle, WA – Neptune
10/9 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

Words By. Matthew Anness