Schoolly D, in a rare live appearance in Atlantic City as part of the First Annual Legends of Hip Hop Show at the House of Blues at Showboat Casino-Hotel, plans to make up for lost time.

The influential - and at times controversial - gangsta rapper shares the bill with a who's who of old school hip-hop: Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick and Biz Markie.

Schoolly D, whose real name is Jesse B. Weaver Jr., will play DJ during the show, introducing each act and also deliveringsome of his signature rhymes on Saturday, June 27.

A Philadelphia native, Schoolly D first made his name in the early '80s with his graphic depictions of urban life in "Saturday Night" and "Smoke Some Kill."

He later moved into writing for film, notably a longtime collaboration with independent director Abel Ferrara ("Bad Lieutenant," "King of New York"), and television, including scoring the cult classic "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" for the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup.

Ahead of his upcoming gig, Schoolly D spoke to At The Shore about his new musical direction, why writing for the screen is now his thing, and how he went from the mean streets of Philly to the cushy world of the Main Line.

Q: What do you have planned for "International Super Sport," your first new record since 2000's "Funk 'n' Pussy?"

A: If you took Funkadelic, the White Stripes and my early '80s stuff - my first two albums - and put those three together, that's what you got. I pretty much played everything - I played guitar, I played drums, I played the Wurlitzer keyboard.

Q: Are you going with a label or will your release it yourself?

A: I can go one way or the other. When you do a deal with a major label, they want a piece of everything. I'm going to mix it and have it done by July. If someone comes up with the right money, then yeah.

Q: Do you have any plans to work with Abel Ferrara again?

A: I just reconnected with Abel. He wants to do a prequel to "Kings of New York." We did 12 films together. I broke it off - it got too wild. That's when I started doing the cartoon. Abel said, "You get famous in film, you get rich off television." I got spoiled with the royalty checks.

Q: What do you like about writing for the screen, compared to a recording?

A: The reason I like film is the movie world is so much better … the actors are so much more wacky than musicians, the parties are so much better, the budgets are so much bigger. You get to go to San Francisco or the Cannes Film Festival. You get to hang out with Dennis Hopper and Claudia Schiffer. That's the lure.

Q: Looking back, how was it to be an up-and-coming musician in Philly?

A: Philly is a no bulls--t kind of city. You have to know your Ps and Qs. I knew I was going to be an artist or a chef. I wasn't interested in being a garbage man or a plumber. Nothing against them - we need those guys to buy our records. I wanted to write songs or paint or sculpt (work) that would change the course of people's lives. I wanted to live in a bat cave. I wanted to rule the world. I wanted to have beautiful women. I wanted to have a car like the Green Hornet in "Batman."

Q: Did all that work out for you?

A: The thing about getting what you want is I actually f---ing did it. In my era, growing up as a black man, you better live fast; you don't know how long you're going to live. You have a list when you're 12 of what you want to do. I grew up in an era when you actually could have a dream - and I actually did it.

First Annual Legends of

Hip Hop Concert with

Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick,

Biz Markie and Schoolly D

WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27

WHERE: House of Blues, Showboat Casino-Hotel, Atlantic City

HOW MUCH: Tickets, priced at $27, $35 and $40, are available at the HOB box office or Ticketmaster at 800-736-1420 or www.ticketmaster.com.

WEB SITE: www.dougefresh.com; www.ricktheruler.net; www.bizmarkie.com

Legends on the bill

Slick Rick: This bling-loving British rapper, left, generated considerable controversy in the late '80s with his single, "Treat Her Like a Prostitute." His career has been interrupted several times by legal problems, including a stint in jail for charges connected to a 1990 shooting and a dispute with the Immigration and Naturalization Service over his residency status in the U.S.

Doug E. Fresh: Known for his uncanny beatbox abilities, he was one of rap's earliest stars and the leader of the Get Fresh Crew that included Slick Rick. His singles "The Show" and "La Di Da Di" are considered classics of the genre. He also has collaborated with Prince and the Beastie Boys, and recorded the theme for the New York Knicks.

This Harlem native, right, mined the lighter side of rap with his off-key rhymes on his biggest hit, "Just a Friend." His career was derailed for much of the '90s by a copyright lawsuit over his use of a Gilbert & Sullivan sample. Recently, Markie has been known more for his work as a DJ than as a performer and has been a cast member on the MTV series "Nick Cannon: Wild 'n Out."

Biz Markie: