Those attending this year’s 1500 Or Nothing Day event at 1500 Sound Academy in Inglewood, California are in for a treat. Not only did many musical talents take to the stage, but Dave Chappelle also made a surprise appearance. At one point, he even toasted the crowd while rapping the lyrics to “Biggie.”
The city of Inglewood annually celebrates Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter group 1500 or Nothin’ on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 15).
This year’s event is the brainchild of Larrance “Rance” Dopson, who called on his brothers to come out and show off. These were not paid gigs and he didn’t charge anyone for them. It’s just a way to honor a great man while giving back to the community that has served them since the beginning. AllHipHop caught up with Lance to discuss the highlights of Dave Chappelle’s appearance.
AllHipHop: Every event you host has incredible turnout. Why is it important to you to give back to your community?
Lance: For me, it’s about empowering people and changing their minds to enter a world they didn’t know existed. I founded 1500 Sound Academy, a music education organization that gives back to those passionate about pursuing careers in music and business.
I grew up in Inglewood and came into music without the necessary resources and guidance, so throughout my career I have paved the way for more diverse emerging talent to advance humanity and create a better future, became important to me.
Our events, workshops, and state-of-the-art music programs provide creators around the world with first-hand experience and professional development taught by their favorite industry leaders.
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AllHipHop: How epic is Dave Chappelle’s “1500 Or Nothinghin’ Day”? What is your best memory?
Lance: My favorite memories from 1500 Day are being on stage with my superhero friends Tasha Smith and Angela Bassett and my friend Dave Chappelle. We had a great time that night and thousands of people attended.
The event took just four days from production to artist lineup. My team doesn’t have time for pre-planning. It was great to see all my friends and family show up. The city of Inglewood gave me my own designated day, which I celebrate every year on January 15th.
AllHipHop: How did you get Dave on the mic for free? That’s legendary.
Lance: I have friends in many places. That’s the beauty of 1500 days. You never know who our special guests are or who’s in the audience. Every year it gets bigger and better. You just have to get involved.
Lance: What else excites you?
I recently worked with Justin Timberlake on his latest album Everything I Thought I Was and produced and wrote the song “Selfish.” I was also instrumental in the production of NLE Choppa’s album Cottonwood 2: Deluxe 2.0 as well as many other top projects by Alicia Keys, Gunna, John Legend and Jay-Z. I have also just opened 12 music schools in Asia and I am currently looking to expand to 1500 voice academies in Africa.
