COMPTON : 4 Rap Artists to Perform at Benefit for High School

Four gangsta-rap artists have agreed to perform at a benefit concert later this month at Centennial High School in Compton to help the school pay for the upcoming yearbook and various extracurricular activities.

The concert was announced this week by Compton Mayor Omar Bradley, who has criticized rap lyrics that have obscenities and negative depictions of blacks and women. Bradley said he hopes to arrange other fund-raising concerts in the area if the Centennial effort is successful. Tickets are $10 per person.

The rappers who will perform at Centennial at 7 p.m. on March 23 are Deon (Dee) Barnett and Kelton (K.K.) McDonald of the group 2nd II None; Crawford (Hi-C) Wilkerson, and David (D.J. Quik) Blake. All are Centennial alumni.

Bradley praised the rappers for giving back something to the community. “We want people to know that gangsta rap has made a slight turnaround,” he said.

At a City Council meeting last October, Bradley criticized rap artist Eric (Eazy-E) Wright, who sought a permit to produce a local video. The next day, Bradley announced an agreement in which Wright would produce a video giving Compton a positive image.