Hip Hop Congress

Red Army to ‘ignite revolution’ with sound at 19 South (HHC event at Ohio U)

What started out as a simple chat about music a year ago in front of Shively dining hall has morphed into the powerful, politically-charged music of Red Army. Red Army will bring its acoustic-folk rock sounds to 19 South tonight.

Sophomores Austin Young and Will Cooper formed the group this fall after combining their musical talents to create good music and political awareness among their peers.

Both members of the group acquired a musical background playing the acoustic guitar before attending Ohio University last fall.

“My uncle sang and played acoustic guitar, so I was always interested in doing it too,” Young said.

Cooper has a more unconventional story.

Click here to continue…..

Welcome our newest chapter U of New Mexico!

First off here is an article written by one of the members of the chapter and as noted by Travis (One of the Organizers):
No mention of HHC because my boy who wrote the article is also co-presiden of the local chapter and it would have been a conflict of interests (from a journalistic standpoint) and no one else was going to cover the story if he didn’t do it. Still, it’s a pretty good article and helps expose heads on campus to Hip-Hop.

The article is set around the appearence of former Pharcyde member Tre Hardson and Fatlip

Click for the Article Here

Now to hear more about the chapter from Travis:

My name is Travis Cole (DJ Philos) and we have recently started a HHC chapter on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque. We are
chartered and funded as of about a week ago and we are working on setting up weekly public cypher’s on campus incorporating all of the elements (we got funding for sound, linoleum, panels to paint, plus $ for fliers), free B-Boy workshops (more workshops to follow) and two events. The first event is with Fatlip and Tre Hardson (Slimkid Tre) from Pharcyde plus some local talent and the other is a Dia de los Muertos jam. Both shows are at a local arts collective called stove because the good venues on campus were already booked but it’s cool because we invited local artists out to do a sick piece on the outside of the building that is all Day of the Dead themed, something we could never do on campus.

Anyway, we already have the venue on campus booked for Breakin’ Hearts 5, the biggest b-boy event in the state probably for valentine’s day next semester (our boy has thrown the show for the last four years and is now a member of our chapter so it works out really well) and we’re working on one other show for next semester that will be our response to recent acts of racial intolerance on campus. We will hopefully be featuring an open panel discussion on the role of artistic expression as a form of resistance against intolerance and prejudice, plus we’ll feature local local hip-hop artist’s as well as musicians in other genres (to celebrate cultural diversity) and exhibitions by a local flamenco group and a local
capoeira group, b-boys, etc. We are also trying to get a national headliner through. I’m not about the logistics of that yet, but we’re hoping to get artist’s from other chapters involved if anyone’s down.

As a corollary project, some of the other local member’s and I have been working on an international hip-hop exchange between the U.S. and Cuba to protest the blockade and travel ban and also to build with some killer Cuban hip-hop artist’s. Last year was the first year and it was pretty successful, but next year will be off the hook.

Sorry about the long message but i figure it’s better to catch you guys up all at once and be done with it. You can hit me back at the local congress email hiphop@unm.edu or you can also call me if you have any questions @ (505) 350-2553. We’ll be back up with you guys after these two shows and a couple more meetings and let you know where we’re at before the semester is over. Peace.

A little bit about Brandon Greene aka Prolyphek (Vegas)

I am currently a videographer intern for www.maxpreps.com owned by CBS.

My job is to pick one highschool football game a week, film it and put together a highlight package. While this is a paid position I am also competing against every other intern for a possible job a 5,000 dollars. Every week we post our video can voted on by the public. These votes accompanied with the ratings we receive from CBS will determine who wins.

My video can be seen at http://www.maxpreps.com/FanPages/intern.mxp#-scroll to las vegas. I am also 1 of 3 finalist for a MTV Choose or Lose Correspondent Position. From what I was told, Nevada was very competitive and I should be happy that I made it into the final selection pool. Our final assignment was to compile a short documentary on a social or political issue facing our state. This video along with our phone interview will determine who wins and who will be flown to New York and provided with equipment to produce one story per week for MTV from January through the Presidential Election in November.

My video can be seen at think.mtv.com/prolyphek (title-Choose or Lose Nevada Education) The last contest that I was involved in was the apple insomnia festival, where my team had to compile a short film incorporating certain elements in a 24hr period. Unfortunately, someone on my team didn’t fill out the proper paper work and our video was disqualified however it is still available on www.youtube.com/tintedskinfilms (title-Coach Commander). I was also lucky enough to participate in the beta testing phase of a huge internet sound stage which broadcast your concert live as well as filming your set in HD using a 5 simultaneous cameras. Our new video for our song “Yada Yada Yada” will be available within the next 10 days.

To contact Brandon email: prolyphek@aol.com

A political Fiasco – Lupe visits Hip Hop Congress at UMich

A political Fiasco
Rapper talks gay rights, hip hop and Hillary Clinton on steps of Grad

By Kimberly Chou, Daily Arts Editor on 10/30/07
Original Article Found Here

Rapper Lupe Fiasco held court on the Diag yesterday, answering questions about politics, hip hop and homophobia.

“I make really good hip-hop music, Grammy-nominated hip-hop music, GQ-Man-of-the-Year hip-hop music,” Fiasco said by way of introduction. “The opportunity-to-speak-to-y’all-in-the-Diag hip-hop music.”

Fiasco spit a few verses – old and new material, with the crowd joining in occasionally – but told the 400-or-so gathered that he wasn’t allowed to perform.

Students, many of whom saw the event advertised on Facebook.com and through e-mails, were able to get over the initial disappointment.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” said LSA sophomore Britney Rashleigh. “It’s just good to see him, a celebrity in Ann Arbor – an African-American celebrity in Ann Arbor – and for everyone to come out.”

At one point, a fan insisted on freestyling for Fiasco. Fiasco let the guy rap, though he joked, “You trying to take my shine, son.”

But he then used him as an example. He said he wanted to listen to the wannabe rapper, saying that before current fame and fortune, Fiasco was just like him.

The event was sponsored by Atlantic Records’s Urban College Network and the Michigan Chapter of Hip Hop Congress. The hip-hop star promoted his upcoming album The Cool.

Fiasco, whose real name is Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, took questions from the audience for about half an hour.

The questions were often pointed – not surprising for an outspoken artist known for the political content of his lyrics.

A fan who proclaimed himself to be “an openly gay man who loves hip hop” asked the rapper where he fell in the spectrum of hip-hop artists who have expressed contrasting views on homosexuality and the gay community.

He pledged support for gays, among other groups, because he said he supports anyone who faces discrimination.

Another asked who Fiasco was going to vote for in the 2008 presidential election.

Fiasco said he doesn’t believe in voting, but he wants Hillary Clinton to win.

“I’m tired of men, ya’ll,” he said to cheers, “I think that a woman in charge of the most powerful nation in the world is going to empower so many women.”

LSA senior Meagan Mirtenbaum, co-president of a student group promoting Arab-Jewish harmony, Bridge the Gap, asked Fiasco to perform and speak at a planned event next spring alongside Orthodox Jewish rapper Matisyahu.

“I think that was actually pretty ballsy to ask him to come perform with Matisyahu,” said Business School junior Sasha Compere, a member of Encore, a University student dance group that performed at the event.

Mirtenbaum said she only found out on Sunday night that Fiasco was going to be speaking on the Diag but the group has been planning a way to hold a Matisyahu/Lupe Fiasco concert since early summer as part of a year of cross-community activities.

Fiasco eventually directed Mirtenbaum’s invitation to his assistants, but not without his own questions first.

He joked about a price tag when she first asked him the question, then asked her about her nationality.

“I’m Jewish,” Mirtenbaum said.

“How much money we talking?” Fiasco replied.

There were a few seconds of awkward laughter.

“Thanks for playing out the stereotypes,” Mirtenbaum said.

Mirtenbaum said she wasn’t offended by the jokes, but she said if Fiasco did accept the invite conditions of what would be “appropriate” fodder for humor would have to be clarified.

“I think he was making jokes the entire time so I didn’t take it offensively,” she said.

Jennifer Yin, a Business School senior and a college representative for Fiasco’s record label, arranged the event.

“He’s real, he’s not going to hide anything in. He’s not going to pretend like he’s not going to offend anyone,” she said. “I think he handled the questions very well. I think he’s very respectful. That’s who he is – that’s the type of person he is.”

- Daily News Editor Gabe Nelson contributed to this report.