Weekly Update 12.15.o4

WASH U:
So we end our year with some good ish and some bad ish. On the low tip, the school only have us 36% of the budget we requested. On the positive ish, we aren’t gonna let that stop us. We are cosponsoring with local radio station to put on a Brother Ali show and tentatively a Main Flow show in February. We had a fun open mic that featured a blazing feminist piece that left us all enlightened and entertained. I’m going to make an effort to take over a few more student groups on campus to ensure that we can do shows at will next year.

Keepin it live in ‘05

Peace,
Yoni

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN:
UC HipHop Fundraiser party was a success and we raised about $170 ticketing a buck a head. Night was hype with four different DJs, MCs and b-boys reppin’ the stage and on the dance floor. Plans for next semester include: Album release party for liMbs, Al-iteration, Agent Mos and a few other Congress heads, production + MC workshops, film series and talks of an awareness week. When will discussion about the summer conference begin? We’ve got a few ideas and would like to see how other chapters feel about ‘em. Peace!

Victor Carreon

VASHON:
We finished creating our own Manifesto for our chapter. After that, we did an emcee exercise working on rhyming every word in our verses with either wicked or wild. We capped it off with the best cipher of the year—and last one before Winter Break—that went for a good 40 minutes. Over break we are gonna get together and watch Wild Style and Krush Groove at G’s house. When we come back, we start working on our mixtape and show.

Peace, Cortez

WEB UPDATES:
Check out the Haiku D’Etat album review from USC member Zach Franklin. There is also a great feature on the IU chapter and Aaron Berkowitz as they prepare for the 5th Annual Awareness Festival at IU in February.

We hope you have a nice and relaxing holiday season. If anything crucial comes up, we’ll let you know. Another year in the books for Hip Hop Congress…

Peace and Love,
Ron Gubitz
Hip Hop Congress

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes ‘Awww!” —Jack Kerouac

Weekly Update 12.o9.o4

WASH U:
Channels of Rage is an awesome movie about the Israeli Palestinian conflict, we had a good turnout for the event and some thoughtful discussion ensued. This Thursday, Hip Hop Congress is presenting an open mic with a twist, a live band featuring a drummer, bassist and Dj to fill it in. On Saturday we are cosponsoring a party with the association of black students. Good semester, much more to come.

GRINNELL:
The Post-Waltz Jam that the Grinnell HHC was steamin’ Saturday night. All of campus in their finest formal wear came to let loose and dance to some real hip-hop. The party was also good because it was just another way to get our name out there, and show the campus that HHC is making its presence known. We gotz big plans for next semester. Loras College ya’ll should definitely holla at us so we can start collaboratin’.
–Stay ups

TEXAS STATE:
What up Hip Hop Congress…this is Mischiff from TxState. School is out for the Congress down herr’. We will be back in the mix next semester. Holla at us through email.

Experience is a lesson
and lessons can cause you stressin
Unless the lesson invested in
is an answer to lessen question”

SAN JOSE STATE:
What’s crackin’ Hip-Hop Congress chapters? Our Fall Semester is winding down we got finals coming up over here at SJSU and probably all you other chapters do to. We haven’t planned too much, but we are going to have a dinner banquet at a restaurant in Palo Alto just to have an outing for our chapter to do something fun. We probably won’t be doing too much during winter break so I hope everyone has some good holidays and does well on their finals.

Aite ya’ll payce out.

VASHON HIGH SCHOOL:
The chapter here is finally on the next level. We have about 19 regular members. We have been exploring the beauty and sanctity of a cipher. Rahman Jamaal and Shamako Noble have contributed essays on the cipher which we have read and then implemented. We are working on developing true versatility in all aspects of our emcee game as we work towards producing our own Vashon mixtape and show with the help of the Center for Recording Arts and Production (CRAP) run by Gabe and Jason.

Yesterday, we listened to Kweli’s “Manifesto,” discussed his points and if they were relevant to hip hop in 2004, then created our own Manifesto for our chapter. As always, our cipher was off the chain.

We’re just beginning to take off…get ready.

Peace and Love,
Ron Gubitz
Hip Hop Congress

“The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” —Theodore Roosevelt