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Hip Hop Congress Midwest Summit to be held at University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

The Hip Hop Congress will host its 4th Annual Midwest Summit: “Politics, Globalization and the Hip Hop Generation” in collaboration with the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (www.mesa.umich.edu) from Friday, February 1st to Sunday February 3rd, 2008.

Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that Hip Hop Congress means drugs, guns, and scantily clad women. We highlight the entire Hip Hop spectrum and advocate a broader vision of Hip Hop culture than the stereotypes often seen on TV and Radio.  Hip Hop Congress (HHC) is an International Grassroots Network that educates, empowers, and unites individuals. We preserve and evolve Hip Hop by inspiring social action and cultural creativity within the community.  Drawn from evolving Black cultural expression, the Summit will connect this modern cultural phenomenon to University of Michigan’s programming in celebration of Black History Month.  To highlight this, the Summit will feature Black History 101 Mobile Museum.

The Summit will bring together a diverse group of people encouraging participants to educate themselves on world and domestic issues, organize action, and recognize how hip hop culture can be used to create positive change.  The goal of this year’s summit is to connect those interested in Hip Hop with education, social consciousness and community action.

Activities will feature a concert featuring renowned Hip Hop artists and will include workshops, panels and discussion on prominent domestic and world issues related to Hip Hop addressing Race, Gender, Politics, and Globalization. Scheduled guests include Professor Griff of Public Enemy, Prince Whipper Whip of the Legendary Cold Crush Brothers, OneBeLo, DLabrie and the Motor City Hip Hop Revue featuring Baatin of Slum Village, Invincible, Supa Emcee, 5 ELA, Versiz and more.  There will also be workshops teaching Graffiti Art, Breakdancing, DJ’ing, and MC’ing.

The Summit will be attended by interested parties from throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, California, New York and more.

Hip Hop Congress is an organization run by active young people who understand the societal pressures of today's youth.  We use Hip Hop to inspire social and civic action and stimulate individual creativity.  The Congress was created in 1993 to organize Hip Hop culture and pool resources and ideas into viable programs based on uplifting the greater Hip Hop community.  Since its inception, HHC has expanded around the world, making good music, good citizens and good connections across our globe.

Find out more information at - www.hiphopcongress.com

Hip Hop Congress Midwest Summit Tentative Itinerary

Friday, Feb. 1st

4 – 8PM           Union Lobby/Art Lounge              Registration/Black History 101 Kickoff

8 – 10 pm:                        U-Club          Film Screening and Discussion featuring

Prince Whipper Whip of the Legendary “Cold Crush Brothers” and many more.

10 – Midnight:                   U-Club          Welcome Party w/ performances by

Chicago’s “Fifth Elements Warriors”

Saturday, Feb. 2nd

11 am – 12:15pm:              Union                      Concurrent Sessions

12:15 – 12:40 pm:                                          Lunch Break

12:45 – 2:00 pm:      Union                      Concurrent Sessions

2:10 – 3:50 pm:                 U-Club          Forum on Hip Hop and Activism

featuring Professor Griff of Public Enemy and many more.          

4 pm – 6 pm: Union                    Hip Hop Element Workshops (DJ, MC,

Graffiti, Breakdancing)

6 – 8 pm:                                                      Break and Dinner on your own

8 pm - Midnight:       Pendleton Room                 Hip Hop Concert feat. OneBeLo,

DLabrie and The Motor City Hip Hop Revue including Baatin of Slum Village, Supa Emcee, 5 ELA and Versiz.

Sunday, Feb. 3^rd.

Noon – whenever:                                 Community Service Project in Ypsilanti, MI

ALL WEEKEND LONG:

BLACK HISTORY 101 MOBILE MUSEUM

Kickoff on February 1st from 5-8pm

(Located in the Art Room on the First Floor of the University of Michigan Union)

The University of Michigan Union is located at:  530 S. State St. in Ann Arbor, MI

Registration for U of M students is Free

Registration Fee for non-U of M students is: $10 (includes admission to all events)

*All venues listed are on the campus of University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

HHC Midwest Summit – Tentative Workshop Schedule

Friday, February 1st

7 – 9pm

Hip Hop Film:  Voices from a Common Struggle

(U-Club)

- This session will feature a panel of Hip Hop film directors and activists who will use excerpts from films to explore how this art form can help bridge cultures and identities.  It will also connect current films with the original Hip Hop film “Wild Style”, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary.  Prince Whipper Whip of the “Cold Crush Brothers”, who were featured in the film, will give insights to help us connect the past and present.  In doing so, this session will contextualize hip hop as a trans-cultural voice of resistance and reform, while still highlighting respective hip-hop movements and their roots.  Is film the 5th element of hip-hop?

Panelists will include:

Prince Whipper Whip of the Legendary “Cold Crush Brothers” 

Vanessa Diaz – Director of “Desde el Principo” (Film on Cuban Hip Hop)

Rushay Booysen – Music Director of “Masizakhe” (Film on South African Hip Hop)

Saturday, February 2nd

11 a.m. – 12:15pm

Hip Hop Wellness featuring The Fifth Element Warriors

(Wolverine Room)

- Wellness and Hip Hop?  That’s right, how you take care of your mind, body and soul translates into how you express yourself.  This session will help guide you towards being at your best as a participant in Hip Hop culture.

Hip Hop and Education

(U-Club)

- Hip Hop culture is increasingly being used in classrooms around the U.S. and beyond.  This session will expose participants to the world of Hip Hop Education.  Learn some of the existing approaches being used and why there has been so much success in effectively educating young people through this popular medium.  This session will be facilitated by Mark Gonzales, Omar Chakaki, Alex Fruchter of Soundslam.com, Shamako Noble of Hip Hop Congress (HHC), President of Hip Hop Congress.

Hip Hop Media Ownership featuring BboyB, editor of Hip Hop newspaper “Flypaper”

(Pond Room)

- Journalists, media consumers, readers, publicists, educators, and activists need to have an open platform about the problems that plague Hip-Hop culture and force it to regress, undermine our issues, criminalize our way of life and consistently project negative stereotype. Commercial media vs. Hip Hop, ownership of media, privatization of media, media conglomerates and the role of the FCC pertaining to minority (Hip Hop,) will all be put on the table. This discourse should communicate and progressively search for solutions towards advancing our culture, bringing a basic empowering attitude and finding ways to implant our own realistic views and images to a mass media.

12:45 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Women in Hip Hop

(U-Club)

- This session is a preview of a future Weekend Symposium on “Women in Hip Hop”.  A University of Michigan student group known as F.O.K.U.S. intends to work with HHC to develop a forum that seeks to unite women of all ages and walks of life to discuss the impact of women in Hip Hop.  The session will begin the discussion that will help frame its focus and agenda.

Poetry Workshop featuring Versiz and Kahn Davison

(Pond Room)

- Explore the literary power of poetry and spoke word performance from powerful performers who provide insight into the power of poetry in modern Hip Hop culture.

2:10 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Unite and Conquer: Drawing Strength from Hip-Hop Unity

(U-Club)

- Hip Hop has already transcended borders and cultures, but what would it take to harness its power as a social movement?  Hip Hop activists Professor Griff of Public Enemy, OneBeLo, Kamikaze of HHC – Gulf Coast, DLabrie of RonDavoux Records and Shamako Noble (President of HHC) will lead this discussion, addressing topics including the media, racism, classism, censorship and “haterism” to discuss our current status, and how to form a united front in the name of collective empowerment.  What do we stand for as a hip-hop community?  What do we stand against?

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Hip Hop Element Workshops

DJ Workshop  (w/ DJ Man-o-wax, DJ Architect and DJ Graffiti)

(Wolverine Room)

-Learn the art of Mixing, scratching and more.

MC Workshop  (w/ Shamako Noble, DLabrie)

(Pond Room)

-Lyricists Unite!  Tricks of the MC trade.

Breakdancing Workshop  (w/ Bravemonk and the Fifth Element Warriors)

(Pendleton Room)

-Enter the world of Breakin’ and see what it takes be a Bboy or Bgirl.

Graffiti Workshop  (w/ Won Kim a.k.a. Revise)

(Parker)

-Learn how to graf without having to run from the cops!