A3C Hip Hop Festival Blog

"5 Reasons I Think You Should Attend A3C"

Written by Mike Walbert | Oct 3

Hello

In an interview yesterday I was asked to "give 5 reasons why someone should go to A3C."  To which I replied, "great question!"

It caught me off guard at first, but made me think about all the different people that come to A3C and what makes this event so special.  The first thing that came to mind were the thousands of people that fly to Atlanta from across the U.S. and overseas.  I thought about all of the MCs, DJs, producers, engineers and creatives.  I thought about the legends performing alongside up-and-coming artists.  I thought about the executives, icons, business leaders and tastemakers that share their knowledge, stories and insight.  I thought about all of the hip-hop fans that plan their year around A3C.  I thought about the hundreds of media outlets that come to capture interviews and create content with artists...

... AND THEN I replied with these 5 reasons why I thought people should come to the 11th annual A3C Festival & Conference in Atlanta.

Reason 1: The Energy

Every year during A3C there is a vibe in the city, and around the hip-hop community, that you can actually feel. One of our "taglines" is that A3C is hip-hop’s family reunion, and it really does feel that way. You’re among hip-hop fans and artists and there’s a certain energy and comfort in that.

Reason 2: The Discovery

Every year, dozens of artists "break through" at A3C. People are looking for new artists here.  It's one of the only events in the world where up-and-coming hip-hop artists have a real platform to connect and make an impact. It’s awesome.

I love hearing, “the first time I saw him/her was at A3C, now look at him/her!"  

Reason 3: The Connections

The connections at A3C are priceless. Come here to connect and meet people.  If you’re involved in hip-hop music, art, culture, business and you take your profession seriously, come to A3C.  You’re going to have amazing opportunities to meet a manager, film producer, graphic designer, booking agents, folks in technology, art, fashion, blah blah blah etc etc etc.  You can connect with the global hip-hop community and build your network. There's no other place like it.

Reason 4: The Experience

Where else can you see Cam’ron, De La Soul, Just Blaze, Wiz Khalfia, Pete Rock, Curren$y and 2 Chainz over a few days?  Watch a conversation with Dame Dash & Marc Lamont Hill, and then later that day see Boosie perform?  Where else can you go to a Dungeon Family performance, surrounded by Live Muralists, and play video games against De La Soul?  

It’s the overall experience, not one single event, that makes A3C special.  There’s no other experience like this in the world. 

Reason 5: Because...

The last reason is because you don't want to miss out.  Not even I know who is going to surprise us each year. That's the most exciting thing for me.

You’re going to hear and read about all the stuff that happened at A3C.  Why not see it live?  To quote Mystikal last year, "It’s A3C!  If you ain’t in this place, you ain't the business because this is definitely the business." In other words, if you’re not here, you’re missing out. 

I hope to see you in a couple days and look forward to another year of A3C!

Best,

Mike Walbert
A3C Director