A "Hip Hop Task Force?" Plus, upcoming conferences and events
And more Hip Hop news that isn't about dumb sh*t!
💐 Happy Spring to my friends, neighbors, supporters and haters! Here’s another hand-curated roundup of Hip Hop news, views and insight for folks who like to look at Hip Hop as more than just entertainment. As a culture. An ethos. A pedagogy. A worldview.
That’s probably you! So between this newsletter, and the (new and improved and now AWARD WINNING) podcast/vodcast Hip-Hop Can Save America!, you’re in the right place.
🙏 TWO QUICK CALLS TO ACTION and then on to stories and updates and events.
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🏛️ A “HIP HOP TASK FORCE” IN CONGRESS?
Yep. Launched by New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman, this initiative is meant to “leverage the power, the brilliance, the popularity, the creativity, the social justice and political infrastructure of Hip Hop to build political power here in congress.”
In theory, not the worst idea. Buuuuut I wanted to know what it might look like in practice. So I brought Rep. Bowman on to the show.
I got some answers, as well as some added insight as to why he decided to launch this project.
I’ll be keeping an eye on the efforts, and hope to be involved in some way, as I was in helping craft language for another U.S. House of Representatives initiative, H.R. 602, which commemorated Hip Hop’s 50th.
Wait, what? What exactly did I contribute to that resolution? We’ll get into that soon. For now, check out my conversation with Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
Also available as an audio podcast episode.
HIP HOP x SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING = WE DO IT 4 THE CULTURE
In another recent, inspiring episode, I chopped it up with Jamila Sams, founder of We Do It 4 The Culture, a company that provides “social-emotional learning curriculum grounded in the elements of hip-hop for grades 6-12.” Jamila breaks down their approach and highlights ways the program can help students, teachers and parents alike!
Also available as an audio podcast episode.
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📰 HIP HOP NEWS THAT ISN’T ABOUT DUMB SH*T
Recent news that tickled my Hip Hop intellectualism fancy.
📖 What Can Hip Hop Tell Us About Egypt Today? [Columbia News]
In this book excerpt from Laughter in the Dark, Yasmine El Rashidi invites readers to explore a country that is being transformed, for good or bad, by the rise of a fresh youth culture.
🎶 Rhymefest Drops Blueprint For Maturing In Hip-Hop [allhiphop,com]
Rhymefest‘s latest project, James and Nikki: A Conversation, which he refers to as a “composition” rather than an album, is a unique proposition in the current landscape of music. The project is based on a 1971 conversation between novelists and activists James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni.
🕊️ Detroit rapper BO$$, pioneering female gangsta rapper, dies at 54 [The Detroit News]
📺 ‘Hip-Hop And The White House’ Documentary [deadline]
The film, narrated by Jeezy, will premiere on Hulu on April 22.
☕ Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health Launch DeMar DeRozan Inspired Coffee and Hoodie [NBA]
Proceeds from these products to provide free men’s group therapy for a year
🎭 A Hip Hop musical about the underground railroad to Mexico [WaPo]
💃 Review: Rennie Harris and Chicago House to the Rescue [NYT]
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago presents the first of two programs at the Joyce Theater, including a sparkling New York premiere by the hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris.
😨 A reminder that there is (I suspect) a coordinated movement by Right Wing puppet masters to spread misinformation to Black people using Hip Hop — but not the way you might think. [Me]
🕊️ Gylan Kain, 81, a Founder of the Last Poets and a Progenitor of Rap, Dies [NYT]
👕 How Bay Area Hip-Hop Made Cozy Clothes Cool [KQED]
🙄 The 90s hip-hop T-shirt is back – with a twist (Spoiler: The “twist” is appropriation -Manny) [Guardian]
📅 UPCOMING INTERSECTIONAL HIP HOP EVENTS
March 22, D.C.: Howard University “Reporting While Black: Celebrating Women and 50 Years of Hip Hop. What have we learned?”
April 1-7, D.C.: Words, Beats and Life Festival - A weekend of concerts, events and workshops
April 3-7, CT: VersoFest, The Westport Library’s annual music and media conference and festival (has a couple of Hip Hop related panels).
April 5, NYC: Fresh, Bold & So Def Symposium A Tribute to Women in Hip-Hop
April 13, NYC: Hip Hop Youth Research and Activism Conference [info - register]
April 23-25 [Cal Poly Humboldt]: 11th Annual Hip Hop Conference
May 3-4, Harvard: 8th Annual Can’t Stop Hip Hop Education Conference
May 23-26 [Cork, Ireland]: European HipHop Studies 7.0 - DROPPIN’ SCIENCE
June 22, NYC: #HipHopEd Conference
Oct. 11-12 [Chattanooga]: Chattanooga Hip Hop Summit
KNOW OF AN EVENT THAT SHOULD GO HERE? REPLY & TELL US!
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Thank you. 🙏 —MF