Those who attended this year’s 1500 Or Nothin’ Day at the 1500 Sound Academy in Inglewood, California were in for a treat. Not only was there an ample amount of musical talent taking the stage, but Dave Chappelle also made a surprise appearance. At one point, he even rapped Biggie lyrics and toasted the crowd.
The City of Inglewood recognized the Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter collective 1500 or Nothin’ with their own designated day, celebrated every year on Martin Luther King Day (January 15).
This year’s event was the brainchild of Larrance “Rance” Dopson, who literally called upon his homies to pop out and show out. These weren’t paid gigs nor was he charging people to attend. It was simply a way to honor the greats while giving back to the community that has served them since the beginning. AllHipHop spoke with Rance to discuss the highlight from Dave Chappelle’s appearance.
AllHipHop: Every event you do has an incredible turnout. Why is giving back to the community important to you?
Rance: To me, it’s about empowering and changing people’s minds to a world they didn’t know existed. I founded 1500 Sound Academy, a music education institution, to give back to those passionate about pursuing careers in music and business.
Growing up in Inglewood, I didn’t have the necessary resources and mentorship when I started music, so throughout my career it became important to me to pave the way for more diverse, emerging talent to advance humanity for a better future.
Our events, workshops, and state-of-the-art music program provides creators worldwide first-hand experience and professional development taught by their favorite industry leaders.
AllHipHop: How epic was 1500 Or Nothin’ Day with Dave Chappelle? What was the best memory?
Rance: The best memory from 1500 Day was being on stage with my superhero friends Tasha Smith, Angela Bassett and my guy Dave Chappelle. We had a blast that night with thousands of people in attendance.
The event was put together in only a matter of four days, from the production to the artist lineup. My team had no time for pre-planning. It was great seeing all my friends and family show up. The City of Inglewood gave me my own designated day, which is celebrated every year on January 15.
AllHipHop: How did you get Dave on the mic for free? That’s legendary.
Rance: I have friends in mighty places. That’s the beauty of 1500 Day. You never know who our special guest will be or who’s in the audience. Every year it gets bigger and better. You just have to come and be a part of the moment.
Rance: What else are you excited for?
I recently worked with Justin Timberlake on his latest album, Everything I Thought I Was, and produced and wrote the song “Selfish.” I also played a huge role in the production of NLE Choppa’s album, Cottonwood 2: Deluxe 2.0, and so many other top projects from Alicia Keys, Gunna, John Legend, to Jay-Z and beyond. I also just launched 12 music schools across Asia, and I’m currently looking to expand 1500 Sound Academy in Africa.
