Interview with co-founders of Hip-Hop Karaoke night in NYC. I’ve been curious about this but haven’t attended yet. Now I’m more curious. And apparently they’re trying to rebrand themselves without the “karaoke” in the title, maybe to avoid that initial reaction of skepticism. Link

Wex: Yea, if anyone out there can think of another word to replace the “karaoke” in “hip hop karaoke” please hit us up! We like to think of HHK not as a “karaoke” event per se, but as a Hip Hop concert – whose crowd also happens to include the performers. I think that’s a huge reason that HHK has resonated with so many people. Most of the time, when you pay your money to go see your favorite MC perform, you barely get a 45-minute set, there’s 20 of his boys on stage, and (at least in NYC), 90% of the crowd acts about as enthusiastic as a somebody in a funeral procession. We aim to take it back to 1988 – when going to a Hip Hop show meant that you moved, made noise, smiled, laughed, made friends and brought good energy to the room. That’s what we’ve been building for the last three years and what we continue to make happen every month – now at the Knitting Factory’s Main Space. You can read the words “Hip Hop Karaoke” and hate all you want, presume all you want, but there is no denying the vibe once you walk in the room. You’ll see every type of person you can think of: young, old, all races, equal parts male & female, Wall Street to Brooklyn – they’re all there and they’re all on the same page. That’s Hip Hop to me.