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City Unveils All-Star Hip Hop Lineup for Free Concert at Forest Hills Stadium

Forest Hills Stadium (Forest Hills Stadium via Facebook)

July 29, 2021 By Allie Griffin

City officials unveiled an all-star Hip Hop lineup that will take the stage in Forest Hills next month.

The man known as the “Father of Funk,” George Clinton, will be headlining the free concert on Friday, Aug. 20 at Forest Hills Stadium.

Clinton and his group the P-Funk All Stars will headline the concert alongside rapper Too $hort.

The concert is part of a series of free concerts — one in each borough — that the city is organizing alongside the Bronx’s new Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) as part of its comeback from the pandemic. The concerts are happening during “NYC Homecoming Week” from Aug. 14 through Aug. 22.

“This is one you do not want to miss…,” UHHM founder and director Rocky Bucano said of the Queens show. “We are celebrating the 80th birthday of the second-most sampled man in Hip Hop, George Clinton.”

Clinton, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, is known for hits like “Atomic Dog” and “Give Up The Funk.”

Other musicians playing at the Forest Hills concert include DJ Hurricane, DJ Wiz, EPMD, Mobb Deep and Yo-Yo. DJ Hurricane, who is known for his work with the Beastie Boys, and rapper Havoc of Mobb Deep both were born and raised in Queens.

The Forest Hills concert begins at 4 p.m. and expects to run until 9:30 p.m.

New Yorkers interested attending the concert must be vaccinated, de Blasio said. Attendees must present proof of vaccination to enter the concert venue. However, reasonable accommodation will be provided for persons unable to get vaccinated because of a disability, according to city hall.

Free tickets for the Queens concert as well the concerts in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island will be released to the public in batches starting Monday, Aug. 2 at 10 a.m. online at nyc.gov/HomecomingWeek.

Additional free tickets will be released in batches on the below dates.

Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 7 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 9 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 5 at 7 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 6 at 10 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 7 at 9 p.m.

The Queens show will be followed by a massive concert the next day on the Great Lawn in Central Park. Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson and Bruce Springsteen are among the musicians who have announced that they will be performing at the free Aug. 21 show.