ARTS Pick: 9th Wonder

9th Wonder’s fingerprints are all over hip-hop music. Not only has he released a series of acclaimed albums with trio Little Brother, he’s produced tracks for some of the biggest names in the game—Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Jay Z, Destiny’s Child, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Jill Scott, Ludacris, Big Boi and Anderson .Paak, to name just a few. He’s recently brought his knowledge into an academic setting, teaching classes at North Carolina Central University and Duke University, and told HitQuarters that “Educating the youth on where hip-hop comes from and the history of it, using the records we use, gives hip-hop a longer life.” After a week in residency at UVA, leading beat-making workshops and lecturing on the history of hip-hop, he’ll perform a concert of his own.

Saturday, 4/1. Free, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 245-4980.

Free news is good news!

Nearly $1 million a year goes into the work you’re reading—covering local government, spotlighting the arts, and telling the stories no one else does. If you value that, help fund it for $10 a month (or whatever tax-deductible gift you can afford). Click to save the free word.