Hip Hop for the Homeless coming to seven Connecticut venues

Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant
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Hip Hop for the Homeless, the ninth annual concert series to raise money for emergency shelters and other social-service organizations, runs Dec. 1 to 10 in seven venues all over the state.

Joey Batts — the founder of Hip Hop for the Homeless, who emcees every show and performs in some — said the series isn’t just to raise money for the needy, but to unify the state’s hip-hop communities.

“Sometimes our genre of music can be a lot more isolated than a lot of other genres,” Batts said. “I think hip-hop is rooted in ego, the ideology being that you can’t dig someone doing the same thing as you because if you give someone else props you’re taking away from your own artistry. So people tend to stay isolated and not click up.

“Also, famous rappers cut their teeth as solo acts. It’s ingrained in the hip-hop DNA that you have to be like Nas, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar,” he said.

More than 40 rappers will perform at the seven shows, each one with a different lineup.

“If we change the lineup, people might come out to one show and then come out to a different show, so we’re making a big deal out of every single show. What we’re doing is something bigger than the music,” Batts said.

The musicians are not paid for their appearances and the venues offer their services for free, Batts said. Sponsors help pay for t-shirt production, so the money made selling them goes 100% to the social service organizations benefiting from the profits.

All events have an admission of “suggested donation,” but Batts hopes visitors are generous. “Anyone who donates $20 gets a shirt,” he said.

Since 2014, its inaugural year, Hip Hop for the Homeless has made progressively more money each year, with the exception of the COVID year 2020, when the show was virtual. In eight years — with annual takes ranging from $2,060 in 2014 to $5,755 in 2021 — the event has raised $29,382.

All shows start at 8 p.m. Venues, dates, beneficiaries and performers are:

  • Dec. 1, The Statehouse, 310 State St. in New Haven, to benefit Columbus House: Joey Batts, Bonzoraps, Chef the Chef, The 50x50s, Gambit, Mr. Ivory Snow and Mo Niklz

  • Dec. 2, Hoops N Hops, 1187 Hopmeadow St. in Simsbury, to benefit Simsbury Food Pantry: Lord Cookz, DJ Cajar, BAP Pack, Jimmy Vo, DreGotTheBlues and Riq Laflaree

  • Dec. 3, The Oasis Pub, 16 Bank St. in New London, to benefit New London Homeless Hospitality Center: N.M.E. The Illest, Stryfe, Jay-Rez, Suave-Ski, Trevor Michaud, Spark Kent, AO Money Meech

  • Dec. 7, The Main Pub, 306 Main St. in Manchester, to benefit MACC Charities: Reggie Blue, Arahmis.wav, Jobo, Clover, Gramps, BAP Pack and DJ Gameboy

  • Dec. 8, Black Eye’d Sally’s, 350 Asylum St. in Hartford, to benefit Hands On Hartford: Joey Batts, AQMNI, Roc Lauren, 60ShotBlake, 12 Rounz, Rudeboy Musa, Poe Swayzie and Streetcode Danj

  • Dec. 9, Hook & Ladder, 136 Main St. in New Britain, to benefit the Friendship Center: Muggsy, Smoov Jones, Nick Rose, AQMNI and DJ Freakstar

  • Dec. 10, Strange Brew Pub, 86 Water St. in Norwich, to benefit the TVCCA Shelter: Joey Batts, N.M.E The Illest, Stryfe, Zitro the Great, Kamoflage, Hopeville General Store, BK Badwolf, Arichusetts, White Cheddar, James Joyce the Squatch, Grizzy the Great and Stars of Beyond

See facebook.com/HipHopfortheHomeless for more information.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.