In hopes of tapping into the vein of nostalgia and honor legends, DJ Cassidy will be kicking off his new Pass the Mic series, he tells Billboard.
The concept came into fruition when Cassidy was having a conversation with Earth, Wind, & Fire‘s Verdine White, and one of the group’s renowned records, “That’s the Way of the World,” began playing on his speakers.
“Hearing that song, while on the phone with Verdine, put a smile on my face and brought me some much-needed calm,” Cassidy tells Billboard.”I thought about how fortunate I was to have friendships with many of my heroes and how lucky I was to be able to enjoy their music in their company.”
The idea instantly sparked Cassidy’s creative juices and prompted him to go on a Zooming spree in hopes of spreading the love musically.
“I wondered if I could find a way to share that special feeling with others, so I sat at my turntables in my living room and began Zooming with my musical heroes of 1970s and 1980s, literally passing the mic from one home to the next, in effort to honor and uplift the heroes around the world on the frontlines of health, freedom, and justice. The result is Pass the Mic.“
He adds, “I hope this virtual mix moves others as much as it has moved me. I am forever grateful to my musical heroes for their decades of hope, inspiration, and soul, and with them, I celebrate all the heroes around the world.”
On Thursday night (July 2), he kicked off the series’ premiere episode with Earth Wind & Fire, New Edition, Bobby Brown and more.
Check out an episode of Pass the Mic below.