Rapper KRS-One to perform outdoor concert at Avalon Village

Avalon Village, the eco-friendly neighborhood center built from blighted and abandoned lots in the Detroit-area enclave of Highland Park, has friends in high places.

East coast rapper KRS-One is set to perform an outdoor concert at the campus’s Jakobi RA Park that is expected to draw as many as 3,000 fans.

The concert is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30 and serves as a fundraiser for the Avalon Village Homework House and music programming for Highland Park students.

It will also honor the memory of those who have been killed by gun violence.

Having launched his hip-hop career as part of Boogie Down Productions with DJ Scott La Rock, KRS-One is also known for his political activism. He started the Stop the Violence Movement after La Rock was fatally shot in 1987.

“KRS-One has a sense of community. He has a sense of purpose for our people — he’s a teacher and his music is empowering,” said Avalon Village founder Shamayim “Mama Shu” Harris. “He’s the first major artist to perform a concert of this size in our village. We are so excited KRS-One is coming to put on an unforgettable show that will help raise funds to support our programming and the children and families in our community.”

Mama Shu started Avalon Village in honor of her slain sons: Jakobi RA, who was killed at age two by a hit-and-run driver in 2007, and Chinyelu, who was fatally shot at age 23 in 2021.

Tickets are $40 advance and $50 at the door and are available to purchase at theavalonvillage.org .

Avalon Village is located at 34-36 Avalon St., Highland Park.