"The Purple Tape": Wordsmith's new play celebrates hip hop's 50th

Joining Tom now is the Baltimore-based hip hop virtuoso, recording artist and activist Anthony Parker, better known as Wordsmith, the founder of the youth advocacy organization, Rise with a Purpose… Also with us in studio are Tajae Holloway and Dayana Punnett, two of the performers in The Purple Tape, a new musical written and produced by Wordsmith in collaboration with the Baltimore Rock Opera Society, that celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Set in Baltimore in the 90s, The Purple Tape's storyline incorporates classic period rap hits from Wu-Tang, The Notorious B.I.G., 2PAC and LL Cool J. The students of New Song Academy (where Wordsmith teaches) rap their way through a summer day as they embark on a hunt for a rare copy of the famous Raekwon album. Only 10,000 cassettes of that album were printed, guaranteeing it would be intensely coveted by devoted Raekwon/Wu-Tang fans. The search for "The Purple Tape" ends up being a lesson in hip hop history, as the students come to realize the culture of hip hop is a way of living. The Purple Tape is an exuberant, educational and family-friendly musical experience. (photo courtesy Wordsmith)Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.