Thug Life Army

Russell Simmons, Chairman and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President/CEO of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) announce the convening of the first Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment. Under the theme "Get Your Money Right," HSAN is focusing this year's Hip-Hop Summits on improving financial literacy and empowerment among millions of youth throughout the United States who are part of the hip-hop generation. The New Orleans Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment will convene on the campus of Xavier University on Saturday, April 9, 2005 at the Student Center, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans from 8am-3pm central time.

"We''re starting our journey in New Orleans to inspire and motivate young people to take more seriously both the opportunities and the responsibilities of being financially empowered," emphasized Russell Simmons. "We''re bringing the best of hip-hop culture with the best expertise on financial matters that impact the quality of life of our communities."

The New Orleans Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment will begin with a Career Expo which will present companies and businesses that have employment opportunities to offer from 8-11am, followed by a Summit Opening Orientation from 11am - 12 noon. The Summit participants will then go into four Breakout Seminars on "Building Credit & Repairing Bad Credit and Basics of Banking;" "Wealth Building & Asset Management;" "Home Ownership & Auto Financing" and "Entrepreneurship." Following the Breakout Seminars will be an Artist Panel featuring testimonials from the personal experience of hip-hop and rap artists and others who have achieved financial success.

Celebrity appearances will include Doug E. Fresh, Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons, Wild Wayne and DJ Slab 1. Other artists to be announced.

The presenting sponsor of the New Orleans Hip-Hop Summit is Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

Other sponsors include Clear Channel's Q93FM, The City of New Orleans, the Lieutenant Governor's Office of the State of Louisiana, Xavier University and the Rush Card.

"The New Orleans Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment is another substantive step forward as we engage the power of hip-hop to promote social change," declared Dr. Benjamin Chavis. "Specifically, ''Get Your Money Right'' is a serious effort to educate and motivate young people to get their finances in order and to build a strong, lifelong financial foundation."

About Hip-Hop Summit Action Network

HSAN is a non-profit, non-partisan national coalition of artists, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates, civil rights proponents and youth leaders united in the belief that the "hip-hop" phenomena is an enormously influential agent for social change which must be responsibly and pro-actively utilized to fight the war on poverty and injustice.

To register for the New Orleans Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment, go to www.q93.com or www.hsan.org .

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