Thug Life Army

Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative NFP and Greater Chicagoland Hip-Hop Filmmakers Caucus seeking music videos, feature shorts, full-length features, and documentaries to screen at Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month events Jul. 1-31, especially during week of 2006 National Hip-Hop Political Convention, Wed.-Sun., Jul. 19-23.

Films selected for screening must contain strong hip-hop themes, characters, storylines, music, and should reflect cast and tech crew strongly associated with hip-hop. Ideal submissions will reflect the convention’s themes of education, economic justice, human rights, health care, and media justice and this year’s Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month theme of “Planet Rocking into the Future,” or hip-hop getting up and out to change the world the way jazz, rock, and soul did over the past half century. 

Music videos will particularly screen during Jul. 1 Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month kickoff party TBA,  Jul. 19 “Power to the People” hip-hop extravaganza festival at Virgin Megastore Chicago, and Jul. 22 National DJ/Turntablists Reception and Jul. 23 National Hip-Hop Filmmakers Reception & Caucus at Mr. Peabody Records in original Beverly Hills on Chicago’s Southwest Side.

Opportunities for screening at other events throughout July available. Especially interested in screening music videos and films originating from Midwest and Border States in Middle South. Film submissions must be in DVD or VHS format. For more information or to submit a music video or film, contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Please also visit www.ChiHipHop.org

The following film and film related events organized by Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative NFP and Greater Chicagoland Hip-Hop Filmmakers Caucus have been confirmed:

3-6 pm, Mon, Jul 17, “When Scarlett Learned to Shimmy: Deconstructing the Mackstress” at Auditorium, Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60628, Greenview Park community, Far Southwest Side: womanist team lecture of the inaugural Lorraine Hansberry Lectures on pop culture criticism with English and humanities professor Shelia V. Baldwin, Ph.D., and cultural studies professor and ethnomusicologist Stephanie Shonekan, Ph.D., of Columbia College Chicago, using movie clips and text from Gone with the Wind, text from W.J. Cash’s Mind of the South, references to such vamps, mackstresses, and femme fatales as Theda Bara, Clara Bow,  May West, Lana Turner, Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, Dorothy Dandridge’s Carmen Jones and to compare and contract with hip-hop’s mackstresses, such as Lil Kim, Foxxy Brown, Trina, Rashawnna Guy, and Da Brat.

6:15-8:30 pm, Mon, Jul 17, “Do Ask, Do Tell,” at Auditorium, Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60628, Greenview Park community, Far Southwest Side: screening of DL Chronicles (2 Cent), followed by discussion of moral and health issues surrounding the down low phenomenon, lead by Lora Branch of Chicago Department of Public Health, STD/HIV Prevention & Care Program, 31st Street Clinic, executive producer of Grammy winning Kevin’s Room 1 and Kevin’s Room 2 (Black Cat), and Keith R. Green, associate editor, Positively Aware, Test Positive Aware Network, and Aaron Bowen, of Chicago Public Schools and LGBT youth activist .

8 pm-2 am, Tue, Jul 18, ”It’s a Multi-Flava Thang,” 606 Entertainment & Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative NFP Pre-Convention Revel at Lower Level, Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647, Wicker Park-Bucktown community, Near Northwest Side: Artek & 606 house DJ’s, MCs, DJs, poets, b-boys, b-girls, music video screenings, screening of clip or trailer from 1555 Filmworks'' Holla If You Hear Me featuring supporting player Artek and special appearances from lead actors Cyn Dulay, Lorenzo Hunt, other supporting cast Sheila Chalakee, Sheree Bynum, Mel-Rob, Malachi One, Revelation 810, Cherokee Princess, Danielle Carter, Terrence Mardis, Redell Drakeford, David Leonard, BLT, and Ray Love, giveaways, awards for heads who''ve made significant contributions to Greater Chicagoland's hip-hop scene.

5-9 pm, Wed, Jul 19, “Power to the People.” hip-hop extravaganza cosponsored by Urb, Nike, the Hip-Hop Game of Skillz Hosted by Amina, DJ Madrid, Dirty MF & host DJs Tone B, Nimble & Titan, additional organizing by Alternatives Youth (North Side campus of Hip-Hop University) at Upstairs, Virgin Megastore Chicago, 540 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, downtown’s North Bridge-River North-Gold Coast-North Loop district, Implicit, Rhymefest, Tree Thirteen, Zulu, SB, Aquamoon, Lomai & Legend Entertainment, Jonathon Mayuge, Connect Force, Madrid’s guys, Urbanized Music, Abstract Mindstate, Animate Objects, All Natural, Primeridian, Revelation 810 & Yung with Justin, Cochise, Marvo, Fire Squad, Ang 13, Miko & Ghostmob, Amina & Urbanized Music, Monte Smith, Malachi One, P-Lee Fresh & In Da Famalee, Vakill, Lexx Luger & Independent Day, MCs, poets & DJs primarily from Greater Chicagoland & Midwest, open mic (with A.C. Wolf Da Hairless One, J-Hustle), b-kid battle, MC battle, graffiti sketchbook competition, music video screenings, mingling models from Illanoyze®, Mario Uomo, prizes, giveaways.

Noon-8:30 pm, Thur, Jul 20, “Screen the Power” at Auditorium, Carter G.  Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60628, Greenview Park community, Far Southwest Side, and also possibly 5-11:30 pm at Negro League Café, 301 E. 43rd St., Chicago, IL 60653, Bronzeville-Grand Boulevard community, Near Southeast Side: screenings of independent hip-hop features & shorts, sponsored by Greater Chicagoland Hip-Hop Film Caucus, ReelChicago.com, Screen Magazine, Illinois Film Office, Illinois State Treasurer’s Office, Chicago Film Office.

9:30-2 pm, Sat, Jul 22 National Hip-Hop Elements Caucuses & Town Meeting on using activist art toward significant social change, with Julia Grob of Beat Back Bush Workout & Veronica Bohanon of AquaMoon and Spoken Existence as featured presenters and demonstrators, at Auditorium, Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60628, Greenview Park community:

combination of an Iowa-style caucus and New England-style town meeting, sponsored by Cook County Clerk’s Office, Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, Illinois Secretary of State Office’s Office, Indiana Secretary of State’s Office, Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, Illinois State Board of Elections, Wisconsin State Elections Commission.

2-7 pm, Sun, Jul 23, National Hip-Hop Filmmakers Reception and National Hip-Hop Filmmakers Caucus, cosponsored by Greater Chicagoland Hip-Hop Film Caucus, ReelChicago.com, Screen Magazine, Iowa Film Office, Michigan Film Office, Tennessee Film Office, Florida Film Office, Kentucky Film Office, Colorado Film Office, San Diego Film Office, Illinois Film Office, Illinois State Treasurer’s Office, Chicago Film Office at Mr. Peabody Records, 11832 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60643, original Beverly Hills: Iowa-style caucus on filmmaking issues, networking along filmmaking community, screenings of feature & documentary shorts, mingling models from Illanoyze®, Mario Uomo, film industry related giveaways, special invite to Chuck Hagopian Jr. of Illinois Treasurer Office’s Lights!, Camera! Illinois film production loan program, display of municipal and state production manuals from across the country.