Thug Life Army

Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20, during Hip-Hop Appreciation Week, Global Artists Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of hip-hop history and culture, will present “A Celebration of Harlem Hip-Hop History” – a free, interdisciplinary exploration of hip-hop’s roots in the Harlem community – in conjunction with Columbia University and the Harlem Arts Alliance.

The event will take place at Columbia University’s Alfred Lerner Hall and include a symposium exploring Harlem’s significance to present-day hip-hop as well as music demonstrations, artistic exhibitions, and a sneaker-painting competition, sponsored by Converse.

The program is as follows:

Thursday, May 19

Hip-Hop Symposium

Location:  Columbia University; 115th Street & B’way; Alfred Lerner Hall; Satow Room; 5th fl.

      6 p.m. – 9 p.m.      

Featuring:

·     M1 (Dead Prez), music artist and cultural activist

·         Michael A. Gonzales, journalist, author and cultural critic

·         Havelock Nelson, Billboard magazine’s first rap columnist

·         Eddy Petit, scholar and artist

·         Paul Winley, pioneering rap music producer                                  

·         Moderator: Dowoti Desir, activist, journalist, professor, Brooklyn College/CUNY

Friday, May 20

Exhibitions and Displays

Location:  Columbia University, Alfred Lerner Hall, Satow Room, Basement, 115th Street & B’way.

1 p.m. – 5 p.m.              Converse Sneaker Art Battle

Emerging artists will use graffiti and illustrative art skills to creatively “tag” plain white sneakers. The winning design will be featured on a limited-edition Converse sneaker.

1 p.m. – 5 p.m.              Exhibition of Rare Hip-Hop Handbills and Classic Period Photography

The Hip-Hop party handbill was the first form of street marketing in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. These particular handbills are a part of a collection on permanent exhibit at the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Photography from Jamal Shabazz’s book Back In the Day will also be displayed.

1 p.m. – 2 p.m.              True School: Rap as a Teaching Tool           

Master mix tape blender Silva Sir-Fa drops science about how rap can be used to help students become more open to learning math, grammar and spelling.  

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.              Presentation of Original Break beats by DJ Neil Armstrong

Break beats are the rhythmic foundation of hip-hop music. This crowd-pleasing mix tape magician will cut and mix seminal sample-spotting musical tracks.

   3 p.m. – 4 p.m.           Demonstration of Scratch Techniques by Grand Wizzard Theodore

The acknowledged inventor of turntable scratching and the “needle drop,” will illustrate his groundbreaking techniques.

“A Celebration of Harlem Hip-Hop History” is the second interdisciplinary initiative presented by Global Artists Coalition. The first event at Miami’s Para Deisos Design Center last May attracted 8,000 attendees and showcased such rap icons as Doug E. Fresh and Biz Markie.