Curating the hottest performers including legends, burgeoning stars and brand new acts is what makes A3C so unique. Shane Gill, Network Manager for Opposition, has the pleasure of curating a showcase headlined by an East Coast veteran with opening acts that represent the future of the culture.
Gill got his start in music working with DuckDown Records with artists such as Talib Kweli, Buckshot and Sean Price. He joined Broadband TV in 2014, a media and technology company that connects artists, fans and advertisers. When Gill joined the staff they were in the process of launching Opposition which was created specifically for hip-hop artists.
We caught up with Gill to get the scoop on the Opposition showcase and get some insight on what it takes to curate a great show.
What is the concept behind for your showcase for A3C?
There is no particular concept. It’s really just about bringing good hip-hop together. We have goals similar to A3C’s goals. We want to have all three coasts involved. We have Cam’ron involved, the headliner from the East Coast. We are going to try to get some Southern and West Coast blood in there as well. Really the way we do our lineup is just making it organized and just having good artists and good quality music. So it’s nothing too unique from the rest. But you know it will be well done and there won’t be any of the mess you get at some of the hip-hop shows.
Describe your showcase in three dope words?
Core of hip-hop
What is going to set your showcase apart from hundreds of other events happening during the festival?
One thing is our showcase is completely tailored to the audience. Like the other showcases it is free, but we’re going to be doing giveaways. There will be t-shirts. We are still thinking of other gear and treats but it’s definitely catered to them. We are going to have our headliner do a nice long performance because that is who they are coming to see. We are going to have quality openers. It’s not just going to be guys that we work with. It is going to be artists that we like and enjoy and think the crowd will enjoy. There is going to be a lot of quality control and not so much quantity. It’s going to be the best quality we can give to the crowd. That is the number one priority. We want to give them the best show possible. It’s not all about branding ourselves. We are happy to have just to have our name on the event title and we want the crowd to have a really good time.
What artists will performing at your showcase?
G. Herbo will definitely be performing. He’s a really great artist out of Chicago. He is now in L.A. Ravyn Lenae is going to perform. She is a really great R&B artist. And then also Jaylii Got Juice is going to perform.she is another talented female artist. Right now we just half of the lineup confirmed. The other half will be coming soon.
Are there any surprises or pop-ups that might take place on-site during your show?
Definitely. Like I mentioned about the gear. There will be t-shirts there will be other surprises that we will be giving away to the crowd. Just to give a little background on the showcase, it’s also a partnership with Zae. He goes by AZae Production. He is the biggest director on Youtube and probably one of the biggest hip-hop directors out right now. His channel has almost a million subscribers. He gets about 15 million views a month. He works with everyone from Migos to Lil Durk, Lil Herb and Rich the Kid. He started in Chicago and now he is based in Atlanta. We are doing the showcase with him. He has so many relationships with these artists that are very unique because he shoots so many videos for them so it’s not like your average presenter who is more like a company. He is friend’s with these artists. We know A3C said just eight performers but we know the way Zae works. He is going to get more of his friends and surprise guests onstage as well.
What kind of experience do you want your fans to have at your showcase?
When you go to a show you just want to have a good time no hassle. Not waiting for an artist to come on. Not a hot and messy experience. Clean and cool is the best way to describe it. We’ll have good quality music. We want the crowd to enjoy every minute of their time there, not just the final performance. We want them to enjoy the entire show for all four hours.
What are a few tips you can share for upcoming promoters and curators looking to build a career in the music business?
Always do everything as early as possible. So even if you think that show isn’t coming soon, always try to book as far in advance as you can, because there are so many other things that will come up getting closer to the date.You’ll want to already have your venue secured and the main artist secured. Then more towards the date you can just focus on promotion. You shouldn’t be focussing on logistics too close to the show. That’s definitely one of my main tips. Also, be sure you are bringing in the right type of artists for the the right market and that you have diverse lineups. So it’s not the same type of artists for the whole show, because you want to bring in different types of crowds. It’s always good to have a balanced lineup.
What are you looking forward to the most this year at A3C?
Of course our showcase. The other panels. Connecting with other artists. Seeing lots of up and coming artists. The reason I like these festivals is that it gives you a chance to see well-established acts in smaller venues that you usually wouldn't, but also it puts the shine on who is next and you get to see them perform live which always gives you a good indication of their actual star power and how far they can go. And just connecting and networking out there. So many different people and brands come to A3C. So it makes it easy to set up meetings and get some face time with a lot of people.
Where can fans stay connected with you on social media?
We got Twitter facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Instagram. And I think Zae has all of those as well. I think he is also on Periscope. We also have the website, Opposition.tv.
