Hard out here: Ambridge Hip Hop concert canceled over crowd concerns

Scott Tady, Beaver County Times
·2 min read

AMBRIDGE — It can be hard out here even for an Oscar-winning musical artist.

Beaver County has seen its share of Oscar-winning actors from Michael Douglas to Christian Bale to Denzel Washington, but an Oscar-winning rapper just had his planned visit here cut.

Crunchy Black, a member of Three 6 Mafia, the Memphis hip-hop group that won an Academy Award for "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp" from the 2005 film "Hustle & Flow," was supposed to perform on Jan. 1 at an Ambridge bar. Several Beaver County-Pittsburgh hip-hop artists also were scheduled to entertain that evening.

But the concert didn't happen because the current owner of the Tick Tock Cafe canceled the event a few days before it was set to occur.

Mark Pazzanita said he was concerned about a potentially large concert crowd at a place that normally doesn't host shows.

"I didn't feel comfortable with it, especially with me not being able to be there," he said this week.

Crunchy Black, left, a member of Memphis-based rap group Three 6 Mafia, was supposed to play at an Ambridge bar on Jan. 1, but the event was pulled two days before by one of the owners of the building.
Crunchy Black, left, a member of Memphis-based rap group Three 6 Mafia, was supposed to play at an Ambridge bar on Jan. 1, but the event was pulled two days before by one of the owners of the building.

Worried the turnout would be larger than the Tick Tock could handle, and with the Merchant Street saloon in the midst of a liquor license transfer, "I decided that would be best," Pazzanita said.

The Tick Tock's newer ownership partner, Jimmy Prekop, had booked the New Year's Day show.

Crunchy Black pivoted by holding a meet-and-greet at the Pittsburgh studios of 1LiveRadio, an online radio station featuring music from independent artists from western Pennsylvania.

One of the co-promoters of the scheduled Ambridge show, Beaver Falls native Damon Foster of Mentool X Pansion Productionz (MXP), said he wasn't informed of the cancelation until two days before the show.

"The new owner was really hoping this event would help turn the corner in helping establish Tick Tock as a venue," he said. "It was going to be a nice take for the bar in general, and the new owner had it all down in numbers and presented it."

The poster for an Ambridge rap concert canceled a few days ahead of the Jan. 1 scheduled date.
The poster for an Ambridge rap concert canceled a few days ahead of the Jan. 1 scheduled date.

Beaver Valley hip-hop artists have faced hardships for years trying to find local venues that will accommodate their live performances.

"In the same token, all it takes is one bad apple to ruin a thing," Foster said. "Things happen in this business, but I still say you have less chance for negativity with a decent event with tight security."

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Oscar-winning rapper had his Beaver County concert canceled