Hip Hop Congress

Weekly Update o3.o5.o7

PRESS RELEASE INFORMATION
Ok for those of you who have press contacts and want to help spread the word about HHC’s conference coming up in July, hit berkowitz@hiphopcongress.com with an email. I’ll send you the press release back in a word document that you can tweak to make it relevant to your community. This is a great way to get others in your community to see that Hip Hop Congress has a presence and purpose for them.

Also check out the official Myspace and Facebook pages:
MySpace: www.myspace.com/hhcongress
Facebook: search berkowitz@hiphopcongress.com

this can also help you find myspace/facebook pages for your local chapters

CHICAGO COMMUNITY
Peace All,

All events and info are Chicago based unless other wise noted. Submit info to chicago@hiphopcongress.com.

Announcements

HHC National Conference
Look for official info coming soon on the Hip Hop Congress National Conference from July 4th – 8th at Ohio University in Athens, OH. Chicago will play a key role in this conference.

Protesting Power 92 TODAY!
Media Advisory: Protest and Press Conference

What: Concern Citizens Against Violence and a Coalition of Community Leaders in the Chicago and Gary areas are demanding that radio station WPWX (Power 92.3) stop bombarding our community with negative, misogynistic and materialistic lyrics, that promote violence, strip clubs, and drug & alcohol use. We plan to protest outside the station and demand a meeting with the station’s management.

When: Friday March 2, 2007 @ 4:00 p.m.

Where: Radio station WPWX – 6336 Calumet Avenue,
Hammond, IN 46324

Contact: Dwight Taylor 219.743.2766 cell phone.

Sponsors: Concerned Citizens against Violence / Hiphop Resurrection Movement!

Events

LOUDER THAN A BOMB
7th Annual Chicago Teen Poetry Festival
March 1st – 10th
@ Columbia College, Hot House, Young Chicago Authors,
and Illinois Institute of Technology
More Info and Full Schedule: www.youngchicagoauthors.org

||FRIDAY, March 2nd ||
Super Heroes of Sound at Louder Than a Bomb
Presented by: Free School, Hip Hop Congress, and Young Chicago Authors
Featuring: Culture Shock Camp
Free School (Aquil, Itchie Fingers, See More Perspective)
Spq’Her, DJ Arkitek, and More
www.myspace.com/superheroesofsound

Strictly Flow: Poetry Slam and Expo
Featuring Kevin Coval, Climbing Poetree (Alixa and Naima)
Hosted By Brother Mike
@ Depaul University Student Center
2250 N. Sheffield, Room 314 A and B
6pm!

||SATURDAY, March 3rd ||
Ang13, Robbi, Dr. Who, Lomai,
Ryan Officerperforming Live
@ Café Lura – 3184 N. Milwaukee
Hosted by Prime, DJs: RonRon, Kolek
10pm, $6

||SUNDAY, March 4th ||
Fundraiser for Campaign to End Death Penalty
Featuring Climbing Poetry, words and music by
Darby Tillis, exonerated Illinois death row prisoner
@ Windz Café, 2567 N. Kedzie, $10, 4pm – 6pm

Much Respect!
Asad

MINNESOTA SUMMIT RECAP/UPDATE
The 2nd Annual Hip Hop Congress Minnesota Summit was a complete success. Dr. James White and Asad Jafri (DJ Man-o-wax) really helped the heads here plug into what’s happening with HHC and recognize where we are going. Local students are looking to start a chapter here in the Fargo-Moorhead area and an exchange student at Concordia is looking to go back to Norway and start a chapter there (kinda like how our Germany chapter started). Luckily Napoleon Maddox from IsWhat?! will be in Norway this summer to help them think about where to begin.

Napoleon is also going to work with Dr. White to strengthen our presence in Cincinnati, Ohio (where he is based). On another front, a group i’ve been working with for years called Kanser, want to become HHC artists and start a community chapter in Minneapolis. They’re planning to come to the National Conference to connect with our people from other regions. Poets Alixa & Naima (www.climbingpoetree.com) came out from NYC and look to connect their important activism with HHC as well.

Oh and by the way…we had a ridiculous show that included Kanser, Alex Schein, Culture Shock Camp, IsWhat?!, The CORE, Brother Ali and a performance by Bravemonk, DJ Man-o-wax and the Five Element Warriors (FEW) of Chicago that blew the roof off!

Minnesota Update:
Efforts are underway to begin developing a Minneapolis community chapter of HHC. Big Zach from Kanser, Marcus Manning from “Blame it on Hip Hop” and others intend to collaborate together to try and bring it together. The community chapter may potentially be a local hub that connects efforts in the streets with a number of campuses in the area that are ripe for the development of chapters as well. The seeds are being planted and we’re hoping that the Spring will help it grow…

INDIANA UNIVERSITY
I think everyone is still a little worn from Awareness Week. Hip Hop Congress is not done for the year though. I’ll send an email when we are back in session. Until then, be thinking of things you want to see from Hip Hop Congress. We are always open to new ideas and members.

Check out our myspace at myspace.com/iuhhc

There will be a program in later March, honoring Women in Poetry; some of these include Toni Morrison, Nikki Giovanni, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Maya Angelou. The format of the event will include historical information, reciting of poetry, and musical selections and will last about two hours.

SACREMENTO COMMUNITY
wud up yall greatings 4m macramento …just wanted too stopping 2 give u ya the 411 on our chapter..sunday black sheep performed here @ the stonny in,and of courser ya boys rightous movement of the sac chapter ROCKED it sav syle..and you know it whent down..this sunday the A game tour is comming to davis thas like 20mins outa sac..basicly our chapter is gona rock it whith the home boy D, Labrie..and we are very much looking 4word to that..its our first time pitting it down as a chapter..so wish us luck yall…and dont 4 get my radio show is going to be starting in like 2 weeks on the net so pls support ya girl.and if any one has any dope music they would like to be played on the show hala @ cha girl…..gota go now stay up and keep the thizzness crack’n. lolololol 1 – vex

SEATTLE UNIVERSITY/ZULU NATION
Whattup everyone,

We are in the process of planning our next meeting, date TBA. We’ve gone through the history of Universal Zulu Nation, we’ve gone through the membership process, we got down at the anniversary, now its time to get down to business and build on how 206 Zulu can become a catalyst for change. With our 50 plus member list, the diversity of the team, and the strength of the network we collectively encompass, the environment of the Northwest, and the current climate of Hip Hop organizing, we are currently among the largest functional UZN chapters in the world, and the moves we make can have a ripple effect internationally. We have to be prepared to harness this potential.

There are many important organizations, movements, events, and opportunities (including Ghetto Prez’s Union Block Teamster’s Artist Union’s Industry Tastemakers, Hip Hop Appreciation Week in Seattle, Hip Hop Congress Annual Conference in Athens, Ohio, Bring Back the Balance Campaign, Summer 2007 1st Annual Hip Hop Telethon etc, Northwest Hip Hop in Education Summit, Northwest Urban Arts and Lifestyle Conference, etc.) to tap into and our goal will be to develop and infrastructure within 206Zulu to plug into and support these things.

Members will need to decide their individual goals, vision, and objectives in relationship to 206Zulu. There will be
programs/opportunities for artists/activists with all interests/educators/organizers/media producers etc, and if you don’t know what you wanna do or don’t know how, we can help you figure it out, but everyone must play their role and those roles and responsibilities and time dedications need clarity.

A lot of this process will come from background and outreach. Lack of proper intelligence is paralyzing in organizing and activism, especially in Hip Hop, and our members must have a thorough understanding of the existing landscape in order to channel our energies into something meaningful and not reinvent the wheel.

At the next meeting, we will be
-outlining 206Zulu’s relationship as an organization to national entities like Hip Hop Congress, the Hip Hop Association, The Temple of Hip Hop and H2ed, as well as national campaigns and events like Bring Back the Balance Campaign, and the 2006 1st Annual Hip Hop Telethon, the National Hip Hop Political Convention, and the Hip Hop Education Summit.

-providing an outline of the local landscape of youth organizing centered around Hip Hop such as the work of Seattle Youth Council, Seattle Urban Debate League, Hip Hop Appreciation Week, Union Block Teamsters, the Twomp, Reclaim the Media, and how collaborations and partnerships on specific projects can be established and implemented.

-get it crackin’

Please feel free to email or call me with any questions. Forward widely, even to non-zulu members who may be interested.

ONE!
-Julie C
(425) 223-7787

LINK OF THE WEEK
www.sxsw.com
South By Southwest is my current obsession. Check the band lists out and hit me back with any suggestions. I think I have the hip hop covered but if you see anything else of interest, I’d like to know.