Hocus Pocus in Akron

Hocus Pocus is a French hip-hop group formed in Nantes in 1995 and led by rapper and producer 20Syl. Their jazz-rooted rap, live instrumentation and turntable work became established through the albums 73 Touches, Place 54 and 16 Pièces, including tracks such as “Hip Hop ?” and “Smile.” During the Place 54 period, Hocus Pocus performed at the Olympia in Paris and documented the concert on film. Touring around 16 Pièces retained the group’s full-band setup, centered on 20Syl’s vocals and DJ Greem’s turntables alongside guitar, bass, drums and keyboards.