<p>One day after the LAPD beat up Rodney King, an Ice Cube concert went down in history as one of the most violent shows ever held at First Avenue. Hosted by Jay Smooth, we ask rap experts and former First Ave staffers about gangsta rap, security, and the uneasy relationship between the Minnesota music industry and Black hip-hop artists.</p>

One day after the LAPD beat up Rodney King, an Ice Cube concert went down in history as one of the most violent shows ever held at First Avenue. Hosted by Jay Smooth, we ask rap experts and former First Ave staffers about gangsta rap, security, and the uneasy relationship between the Minnesota music industry and Black hip-hop artists.

March 4, 1991: Ice Cube/WC and the Maad Circle

In The Current Rewind’s second season, we’re tracing the 50-year history of Minneapolis club First Avenue, using 10 pivotal dates to explore how a city, a scene, and popular music have evolved since the dawn of the ’70s. The Current’s Cecilia Johnson and Mark Wheat — along with special guest hosts like Craig Finn, Jay Smooth, and Sun Yung Shin — will meet you at the barricades for opening night, drop in on life-changing shows, and take an inside look at the present-day #SaveOurStages campaign.

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March 4, 1991: Ice Cube/WC and the Maad Circle

March 4, 1991: Ice Cube/WC and the Maad Circle

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