Hip Hop Congress

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.