DJ Cassidy is off to the races with his popular popcorn-style showcase of classic songs and legendary artists.
You’ve likely seen some iteration of the groove DJ’s Pass the Mic series online or after your favorite award shows. Now, your turn to see the nostalgic magic take place in person is coming up at the end of the month.
As The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reveals, Cassidy’s Pass the Mic will become an in-person concert event, featuring on-stage performances from Lil Kim, Mase, Ja Rule, and a slew of surprise guests from the 90’s and 2000’s, at Florida’s Pegasus World Cup event on January 29.
For the unfamiliar, the Pegasus World Cup is a star-studded horse racing event, where celebs and race fans alike converge to hedge their bets and watch their favorite jockeys and horses compete for the big win.
“It has always been about the biggest records, the biggest artists and the biggest lineups, but all presented in an intimate way,” Cassidy told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Ja, Kim and Mase have some of the greatest party records of all time. They define the eras in which they debuted and they are hip-hop heroes around the world,” he added. “When I called them, it was a very quick conversation. ‘I’m taking ‘Pass The Mic’ to the stage for the first time at this event and I need you to take part.’ And their answer was, of course, ‘yes.’”
Cassidy and the crew will be bringing racing fans their staple classics, passing the microphone from performer to performer on a special stage that will be constructed with a Hollywood Squares-style layout inside the all-new trackside Carousel Club, which features a 19th-century carousel as the main bar.
The idea for Pass The Mic came to the DJ over the pandemic, while lounging around on FaceTime with his friend and mentor Verdeen White of Earth, Wind, and Fire. When their song “That’s the Way of the World” coincidentally came on low in the background at Cassidy’s home, White began singing along with the iconic lyrics.
“I got a chill down my spine,” he said of the experience. “I said to myself, ‘How cool is this?’ I’m not only friends with so many of my musical heroes but I have the privilege of experiencing moments like this. With everything going on in the world right now, it would be so amazing if I could give this feeling to other people.”
With a series of webcams and some technical music savvy, Cassidy made his dream a reality in July 2020. And for viewers of his online live or any number of his multiple BET specials, the rest is history.
You can get tickets to watch the Pass the Mic magic live and in person yourself – safely, of course – HERE.