The bright lights of Radio City Music Hall have gone dark for now on dozens of local kids who were preparing for the experience of a lifetime -- but their talent is not going to waste in the eyes of a legendary hip-hop star.

Three young artists were given the opportunity to perform in front of Darryl McDaniels of the legendary group Run-DMC during a virtual rehearsal.

A hundred kids in the Garden of Dreams Foundation have been preparing for a talent show at Radio City, but it was postponed because of the pandemic. The nonprofit charity helps children who face obstacles from sickness to poverty. 

For 18-year-old Denzel Rodriguez, the show's postponement is not the first setback he's faced. His father and uncle were both shot at his housing development in Harlem a couple of years ago. 

"I literally could have lost my uncle and my dad and they weren't even a part of the shootout, they were just two bystanders. It's like, 'Alright, what do I do?'" he says. "I either choose that path, being part of the violence or I choose the path to be different and make people see me and see that there's a possibility we can be different and make other things happen in spite of what's around us."

McDaniels offered his talents some high praise. 

Rodriguez, a high school junior, hopes to perform his song "Divinity" when the talent show is rescheduled.