Thug Life Army

Hip Hop’s largest music conference, How Can I Be Down? will come to the Georgia World Congress Center November 5-11^th. Hip Hop’s largest music conference, How Can I Be Down? will feature a host of hip hop related celebrity guest panelists including keynote speaker, Jermaine Dupri, executive vice president of Urban Music for Virgin Records.

Hip Hop’s largest and highly anticipated music conference, How Can I Be Down? is served up dirty south style (at least this year) in the city appropriately dubbed, the “Millennial Motown of the South. Hip hop’s hottest and most sought after producers and entertainers, executives and directors will converge on Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center to answer the question thousands in attendance want to know. “How Can I Be Down?”

Presented by the Peter Thomas Entertainment Group and Sam Ferguson, this six day, multi platform event offers entertaining workshops and highly informative panels covering a mixture of topics regarding the business behind the music. Jermaine Dupri, executive vice president of urban music for Virgin Records and founder of So So Def Records will kick of the How Can I Be Down? 2006 conference with the keynote address.

With additional industry heavyweights leading the panel, this year’s motivating hip hop line-up also includes, Kevin Liles, executive vice president of Warner Music Group; Michael "Blue" Williams, President of Family Tree Entertainment and manager to Grammy award-winning hip hop group OutKast; Damon Dash, CEO of Dash Films/Damon Dash Music Group; Lee Burnett, publisher of VIBE/Vixen Magazine; Kevin Wales, CEO of Worldwide Entertainment/Bad Boy; Shakir Stewart, senior vice president of A&R Island Def Jam; super song writer/producer, Scott Storch; famed Aftermath producer Focus, and Ronnie DeVoe, member of renowned R&B group, New Edition and founder/CEO of DeVoe Broker Associates – to mention a few.

With a speakers panel that reads more like a BET Awards roster, attendees will get answers to frequently asked questions such as how to run a successful record label and how to collect royalties independently. Panelists will also cover a mixture of topics from mobile technology and distribution opportunities within it to global marketing and strategies that work.

“It was conceived as, and still remains the only conference that caters specifically to the business and culture of the billion dollar industry we affectionately label hip hop” said music mogul, Russell Simmons of the HCIBD? music conference and expo. Pulling out all the stops, the conference includes an “Urban Marketplace” featuring vendors showcasing a variety of products from the latest digital tools used to create and distribute music to fashion accessories, urban gear, music, and more. Rounding out the conference are key events including unsigned artist showcases, a celebrity basketball tournament, a gospel brunch and a fashion show extravaganza.

This year’s HCIBD? is presented in association with Kenny Burns, and Ian Alexander. The conference also holds partnerships with conglomerates such as Radio One, Comcast, VIBE Magazine, So So Def Recordings, Virgin Records and Starlink Media Entertainment Group. For a complete listing of sponsors and panelists as well as information on registration and events, visit “howcanibedown.com.”

The How Can I Be Down? music conference was founded in 1993 by Peter Thomas of The Peter Thomas Entertainment Group. Rekindled in 2004, the music conference is still as hot as ever. With successes in South Florida, Jamaica and Toronto Canada and attendance totaling more than 50,000 people, HCIBD? is currently the largest premier urban entertainment, marketing, and lifestyle conference in existence.