An organization which uses urban trends and popular youth culture to empower youth, The Urban Youth Empowerment Foundation, will be introducing a Hip-Hop Artist Development program for at-risk youth living in South Los Angeles, California.

Recognizing that Rap music is a dominant form of expression for inner city youth, the Foundation has developed a free, 6 weeks program for aspiring rappers between the ages of 14 and 21. This program will begin by teaching participants about the history of Hip Hop culture and follow with a wide range of topics ranging from songwriting techniques to live performance. With an emphasis on positive and socially conscious lyrics, participants will work collectively on their own songs to be unveiled and performed live at the culminating Hip-Hop showcase.

The Foundation’s founder, Sebastien “Dome’ Elkouby says, “It makes sense to use Rap music, the one thing that has our youth’s attention, to address the extremely important issues that affect them everyday. This will show that Rap music can be used in a positive way, contrary to what many believe.”

What does Hip Hop have to do with empowerment?!

At its inception over 30 years ago, Hip-Hop culture was founded on the ideals of peace, love, unity, and having fun.  It grew out of gang violence and poverty as a positive alternative to crime, drugs, and hopelessness.  Through Hip Hop’s main 4 forms of expression, DJ’ing (music), B-boying (breakdancing), Graffiti (mural art), and MC’ing (rapping), urban youth were able to voice their immediate concerns and worries as well as their dreams, hopes, ideas, and ambitions.  Unfortunately, today, psychosocial conditions in urban areas haven’t changed much.  Hip-Hop is now widely recognized as the voice of today’s youth.  Rooted in the urban experience, it speaks to those who yearn to be heard just as it did in the beginning.  Based on this understanding, the Empowerment through Hip-Hop Program was designed to empower youth by utilizing Hip-Hop culture as a tool for youth empowerment. 

The Empowerment through Hip Hop Program aims for the following:

To use Hip-Hop culture as a tool for social change and youth empowerment.

To promote conscious Hip-Hop music.

To create a bridge between Rap artists and the youth they influence.

Visit their site for more information - www.thefoundationonline.net