Friday, January 04, 2008
NW Hip Hop Congress Jan. Bulletin
Current mood: accomplished
NW Hip Hop Congress January Bulletin
Northwest Hip Hop is ready to take 2008 by storm. For starters, the Seattle's Hip Hop Congress community chapter is officially on and popping, and as the incorporation and licensing process wraps up, we are ready to put some serious development behind the exponential growth defining the scene. The NW Hip Hop Congress network is a powerful coalition group made of some of the region's most thorough Hip Hop organizations, including 206 Zulu-the Seattle's chapter of Universal Zulu Nation (www.206Zulu.com ) and the Block Teamsters Union (www.blockteamstersunion.com ), artist crews and collectives, such as Project Mayhem, Alpha-P, and the Think Tank, and community-based nonprofits like Reclaim the Media ( www.reclaimthemedia.org ), CARA (www.cara-seattle.org ), and Seattle Debate Foundation (www.seattledebate.org ).
Our independent urban arts media partners include Zulu Radio and Fresh Coast Radio on 91.3fm KBCS Community Radio (www.kbcs.com ), Hip Hop 101 Television on Seattle Community Access Network ( www.myspace.com/hiphop101), and the Coolout Network (www.cooloutnetwork.com ). Here is only a fraction of what's been crackin' off:
This year, NW Hip Hop Congress was happy to officially welcome B-Girl Bench (www.bgirlbench.com ) and B-Girl Media, spearheaded by DJ B-Girl Chillz to our family. B-Girl Bench is a space for women to hone their craft, build with their community, and to develop transformative leadership from a local to global perspective. As the women in Hip Hop movement started gaining a lot of steam this year, B-girl became a pivotal force, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Beyond being a digital distribution guru and Hip Hop music director at Oseao.com, B-girl herself has been a staple in the Seattle music scene since 2001 as a DJ, breaker, producer, and hip hop teaching artist who has also been known to rip a few mics every once in a while. Her long awaited album Love or Fate?? featuring Piece, Toni Hill, Jerm, Asun, Julie C., Sista Hailstorm, Khanfidence, Phreewill, Cyreeta, DJ WD40, Sage Nomad, and Forrest is set for release this January 16th.
Read more about Seattle women in Hip Hop including DJ B-Girl Chillz, Onion and the Ladies 1st Collective at Hidmo, and Julie C here in the latest issue of the Seattle Weekly. ( http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-12-26/music/ladies-first-spotlight-s-seattle-hip-hop-s-best-feemcees.php )
On campus, the Seattle Central Community College chapter was founded by 206 Proof contributor (www.206proof.com ) and true to life Hip Hop junkie Jawn, under the advisory of Seattle Hip Hop organizing vet and 206 Zulu member Sam Chesneau. SCCC's chapter used 2007 to kick off their fundraising and outreach campaign. Aisha Becker-Burrow founded the region's very first high school chapter at Lakeside High after her hugely successful sweet sixteen bash at Youngstown Cultural Center themed "Hip Hop is Dead: Bring Back the Old School." This event, co-facilitated by B-Girl Bench, was a far cry from MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen. Aisha not only selflessly organized the event as a fundraiser for Hip Hop Congress, she also used it as a platform to spread awareness on the issue of police terrorism by inviting DJ DVONE and Rajnii Eddins to speak about their experiences as victims of brutality and abuse of power from the Seattle Police Department. See footage of "Hip Hop is Dead: Bring Back the Old School" including performances by Choklate, Piece, Rajnii, Silent Lambs Project, and DV One in the B-Girl Bench Ezine! (http://www.bgirlbench.com/ezine.html)
University of Washington's Hip Hop Congress affiliates have been working hard to build on the international platform of movement Hip Hop culture has become. With the help of Georgia Roberts, Hip Hop literary scholar, and Scott Macklin of Open Reel, Seattle artist/activists DJ Kuhnex and Rev from Blue Magic Entertainment as well as Madeline aka the Lioness from the group Canary Sing are headed to South Africa to produce a documentary on music and social motivation in South Africa. Working with South African artists and organizers including, Bulelani Futshane, Godessa, Zubz, Proverb, J-Bux, Teba, DJ Azhul, DJ Eazy, and HHC's own Rushay Booysen, they hope to use the documentary to spread awareness on the power of culture in affecting change on global issues. "For me, what's really interesting is how visually and with audio we are able to share and through sharing we are able to build," says Rushay, who is music editor for the project. Rushay, who has been active in Port Elizabeth's Hip Hop community for 18 years, see's his role as facilitating a process of life experience and reality both for visiting students, and for future viewers of the documentary. "I'm just a link that links the common purpose," he states. They are looking for support for this project, and further collaborative opportunity so to get down, email kuhnex@gmail.com, and to contact Rushay email rushhiphop@gmail.com .
Aaron "DJ Kuhnex" Jacob and Jamil "Rev" Suleman, have also been getting national recognition for "Bruce Lee Dedication," a class they've piloted on the University of Washington campus. The tangible objective of the class is to get something on campus dedicated to the memory of Bruce Lee, but the actual objective is much broader. "This is to start the dialogue of why students of color are not represented in the first place," says Rev, "this is about eradicating the symbolism of European domination on college campuses in general." For more information on this contact: yung.rev@gmail.com .
Seattle Hip Hop Summit Youth Council has also been making major waves in the region. This year, in addition to launching a new website, ezine, and newsletter, they've invested in the next generation of Hip Hop leadership with "Hiphopreneurs: CEOs in Training," a professional development club at Seattle vocational institute, and a Hip Hop Writer's Group at the Rainer Beach branch of Seattle Public Libraries. SHHSYC has also started a weekly young artist showcase at Waid's Place on 12th & Jefferson in Seattle, hosted by Genieva Arunga, J. Infinite, M-Famous, and Angel, the young stars that some of y'all may remember from Hip Hop Congress's National Conference in Athens, Ohio. For more information on Seattle Hip Hop Summit Youth Council contact wyking@gmail.com
Seeing as how this update is admittedly Seattle-Centric, be on the look-out for more regional information in the next issue, including shouts from the Evergreen College's HHC Chapter in Olympia, Washington, updates from the newly launched Tacoma Urban Debate League Program, and hopefully, an introduction to our new partners in the PDX, Mic Crenshaw and the Global Family Network Mission. If I missed you in this update, don't worry - holler at me and I'll getcha next round. Be sure to check the list below for events in the Northwest and music you don't wanna be without…. with that, I'm ghost. One!
Julie C is an emcee from the legendary Alpha-P crew, as well as Northwest Regional Coordinator for Hip Hop Congress, assistant chapterhead of 206 Zulu, and Co-Director for Reclaim the Media. Scholar at ya girl at juliec.206@gmail.com
January 5th Ladies 1st Spring 2008 Kick Off @ Hidmo
Communities Against Rap and Abuse, the Ladies 1st Collective, and B-Girl Bench are kicking off the 2008 monthly all-women's Hip Hop showcase at Hidmo Eritrean Cuisine Restaurant (20th and Jackson) with Seattle Hip Hop veteran Laura "Piece" Kelley Jahn and Hip Hop Congress's own Beloved1 and DJ B-Girl Chillz on the 1s and 2s. The event goes from 8pm-10pm and is followed by an after party by Boom Box. For more info visit www.myspace.com/seattleladiesfirst.
January 5th Freestyle Battle Championship @ Chop Suey
Seaspot and Block Teamsters Union present the final for "Wednesday night life Freestyle Battle Championship" for a grand prize of $4,500 in cash and prizes. Celebrity guest judges include Devin the Dude, Cool Nutz, Certified, Mr.DOG, Emmanuel, Neema, Sonny Bonoho, Mr. Yon, I.Gang, Evergreen Ent., Jay Barz. All ages/21+ bar on 1325 Madison from 8pm-2am. For more info visit www.myspace.com/footworkmedia.
January 5th The Return of Foot Traffic @ Lo Fi
Come experience the revival of this classic 206 subterranean Hip Hop event with Mind Movers, Alpha P, DJ B-Girl Chillz, and Elefaders. 21+ Free!!!
January 19th Indayog II @ Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle
Pinay Sa Seattle, Communities Against Rape and Abuse (CARA), Youth Speaks Seattle, 206 Zulu, Hiphop Congress, 91.3 KBCS Community Radio, B-Girl Bench, and BAYAN USA, proudly announces the second annual Indayog All-Women's Hip Hop Show. "This year's Indayog strives to honor the rich history of hip-hop and its revolutionary tradition by focusing on the counteracting of state repression through art," stated rogue pinay, emcee and cultural chair for Pinay SA. This years event will feature performances from Skim, Piece, Beyond Reality, Melissa Noelle Green, El Dia, Julie C, rogue pinay, Beloved1, DJ B-Girl Chillz and more. Contact: rogue.pinay@gmail.com.
January 23rd Water @ Columbia City Theater
The 206Zulu fam at Crisisnw.com present "Water" on Wednesday from 8pm-2am at the Columbia City Theater at 4916 Rainier Avenue South. This all ages/bar with ID function features some of the freshest NW Hip Hop including Alpha-P, Geo of Blue Scholars, Gabriel Teodros, Khingz, Godspeed, LaRue, Ill Top, Mind Movers, BYC Crew, and DJ Audeos. Free entrée served with $15 admission! Contact: juliec.206@gmail.com .
February 2nd Ladies 1st @ Hidmo
Communities Against Rap and Abuse, the Ladies 1st Collective, and B-Girl Bench bring you Southern Komfort, SKIM, and DJ Kylea at this edition of Ladies' First, monthly all-women's Hip Hop showcase at Hidmo Eritrean Cuisine Restaurant (20th and Jackson) from 8pm-10pm.
February 9th It's Bigger than HIP HOP @ Portland, OR
The Portland Black Intelligencer, a Hip Hop Congress Oregon partner presents Portland, Oregon's 2nd Annual Youth Summit "It's Bigger than HIP HOP" at 126 NE Alberta from 8-11pm. This year's event will include a keynote address from Professor Griff of Public Enemy, as well as an evening concert with local artists with $10 donation. For more information call (503) 781-5313 or email pbitruth@yahoo.com.
February 15th to 17th 206 Zulu 4th Anniversary @ Festival Sundiata
206 Zulu is celebrating its 4th Anniversary and Black History Month with four days of Hip Hop, showcasing some of today's emerging artists from the Northwest and beyond! The main events, held on the 16th & 17th will be in conjunction with Festival Sundiata at the Seattle Center. This all-ages event is FREE to the public. In addition to the musical performances, 206 Zulu will host a break battle (dance competition), art/graff showcase, and educational-orientated workshops and panels. Additionally, 206 Zulu will host a series of after-parties as well as Zulu Nation specials on local urban media sources to add to the weekend experience. Contact: khazma@gmail.com .
TV and Radio
-Friday Morning 1am-3am Fresh Coast Radio with your hosts DJ B-Girl Chillz and Julie C on 91.3 KBCS Community Radio, streaming live online from www.kbcs.fm
-Friday Evening 9pm-10pm Hip Hop 101 TV broadcasting live on SCAN Channel 29/77, streaming online at www.scantv.org
-Saturday Evening 10pm-1am Zulu Radio with your hosts DJ WD40, Gabriel Teodros, and King Khazm on 91.3fm KBCS Community Radio, streaming live online from www.kbcs.fm
Featured Artists and Music
BC Musik along with The Silent Lamb Project presents the long awaited solo album by Silas Blak, titled "Silas Sentinel." This solo album emulates all the elements of a classic. With his first single "Please Calm Down" Silas Blak rouses the senses as he uses his word play to hypnotize all audiences. The Silas Sentinel Album is not for rookies as his voice is used as an instrument and the energy he conveys slices you to the core. You are immediately swept away with his lyrical genius in such songs as "Never Peace, One Thin Rhyme, The Coop, Permanent Relaxer and Bombs Work." Silas Blak's musik is also referenced as awakening old slave mentalities and liberating socially conscience people to the next level. The Silas Sentinel album brings a new era to hip hop addressing the state of affairs and what we communicate from the average Joe's, the whack emcee's to the socially aware. Available courtesy B-Girl Media through iTunes: (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=269503600&id=269503537&s=143441 )
Seattle Hip Hop veteran Laura "Piece" Kelley Jahn's newest release Street Smartz is the story of a true school b-girl, the soundtrack to Piece's one woman play. Representing true Hip Hop through theater, music, spoken word, and her very own street style, get a glimpse into the reality and life of this undeniably talented artist. All of the tracks on the album Street Smartz were produced, arranged, composed, written and created by Piece, featuring the Queen's Ransom players. Piece's hot new album, Street Smartz, out now on iTunes courtesy B-Girl Media:
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/juliec206/blog#ixzz11mZHqMhO
Showing posts with label Block Teamsters Union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Block Teamsters Union. Show all posts
Friday, January 4, 2008
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Twomp Newsletter 1
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Summer 2007
The Twomp Newsletter 1
Spotlighting the unification, strength, and mobilization of Northwest Hip Hop Culture and surrounding communities
Notes from the Editor: Seattle Hip Hop is moving at a furious pace here on the tip of the West coast, the mighty 2-0-6, where the community continues to set precedence in youth service, activism, solidarity and artistic excellence in urban arts culture. Be sure to cop the new long awaited albums of Laura "Piece" Kelley-Jahn and Silas Blak! Shouts to the new University of Washington Hip Hop Congress Chapter. Also, check for the TWOMP radio show, Volume 3, featuring Piece, Unexpected Arrival, The Parker Brothaz, Sonny Bonoho, and much more coming soon!
Spring 2007
* DV and Raj: Hip Hop a Catalyst for Police Brutality Organizing Efforts
* Seattle Hip Hop Community Survey Launched
* Swagger Fest 2007
* Seattle Hip Hop Demands Media Justice
* Union Block Teamsters Update
The Twomp Newsletter c 2007
Send questions and comments to Juliec.206@gmail.com
Seattle Hip Hop Community a Catalyst for Police Brutality Organizing Efforts
Seattle police department's continual targeting of communities of color and lack of accountability for police misconduct and violence is at the forefront of organizing efforts in Seattle Hip Hop. In September of last year, Seattle Hip Hop pioneer DJ DV-One was assaulted by police officers attempting to inquire about his 14 year old daughter who was being detained. DV-One now faces felony assault charges and $15,000 dollars in fines. Last month, emcee, spoken word poet, and teaching Hip Hop artist Rajnii Eddins was wrongfully arrested while trying to find out why his student was being detained. Rapid response from the Hip Hop and spoken word communities packed courtrooms in both cases, and has drawn widespread attention to the ongoing issue of police brutality in this city.
As a response to this outcry, the Seattle chapter of the NAACP hosted a community meeting earlier this week, where about thirty people gathered and formed committees for an action coalition around the issue. "What we saw at this gathering was an outcry of the brutality that has been happening over the years that has gone unaddressed," says emcee and teaching artist Amanda "Beloved1" Cumbow, who is also the chair of the newly-formed communications committee. Beloved1 maintains that the greater purpose of the coalition is to organize the efforts and energies behind these individual incidents into a cohesive force. "We must present a united front to the politicians and the police department to get legislative changes," she asserts.
The police brutality action coalition is asking for the community's continuing input, support, and participation in this process. While the NAACP is an important ally in this battle, it was the voices, effort, and expertise of the people on the ground that has brought them to the table, and it will be that of the people who ultimately determine the extent of structural change that will come. For more information on how to support this process, or to voice your own experiences and concerns with police brutality, email Beloved313@gmail.com
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Seattle Hip Hop Community Survey Launched
Hip Hop Congress and Seattle University professor Dr. Mako Fitts have teamed up to launch the Seattle Hip Hop Community Survey. This pioneering effort is among the first of its kind which attempts to empirically identify the scope and needs of our diverse community in order to provide a well-needed research base for cultural organizing economic empowerment on the ground level with Hip Hop from a local to global perspective.
Students from Fitts' undergraduate pop culture class will be setting up interviews and surveying 200 movers and shakers in the Seattle Hip Hop scene, artists, promoters, journalists, educators, youth organizers, activists, and advocates alike. Students will also be going to shows and community meetings and submitting write-ups for local Hip Hop news sources such as 206zulu.com. The survey is anonymous and collects basic demographic and occupational information, assessments on the quality and availability of resources for the development of the local scene, and asks participants to rank the impact of issues and concerns such as racial, gender, and sexual discrimination as well as police brutality in their lives.. As a staple principle of community-based research, the information collected will be publicly owned and utilized to aid in the development of initiatives that will benefit the urban arts community as a whole in the region. Data will also be offered as a resource for urban arts community-based organizations in the city to quantifiably measure the impact of their work and demonstrate its value.
The survey is, in part, based on the cluster-model used in a report commissioned by Seattle's Office Economic Development called the Economic Impact of Seattle's Music Industry, which showed that the core of Seattle's music industry generates nearly 8,700 direct jobs in over 2,600 businesses, and 2,000 jobs in 335 music-related businesses at an average annual wage of $22,771 dollars per year. However, because the city's report largely neglected Hip Hop as part of the local music industry cluster (I counted one Hip Hop promotions company out of hundreds of other sources), it failed to show the rapidly growing connection between the independent music scene and the youth service sector in the city that is more prevalent in Hip Hop than any other musical genre. By utilizing the insight and experiences of Hip Hop artists, educators, and grassroots organizers, the Hip Hop Community survey was crafted to represent the full spectrum of Hip Hop cultural production emerging from the region, demonstrate its impact.
The survey is also an important step to bridging the gap between community and the campus in a time where the status quo has academia eons away from the reality faced by Hip Hop artists, educators, activists, and cultural organizers. While the works of folks like Jeff Chang and Bakari Kitwana have provided an important historical and theoretical framework to validate Hip Hop studies in the academic world, the transition from theory to practice remains largely unrealized. Projects that connect students and academic institutions with surrounding communities in mutually empowering ways is a movement towards making meaningful use of the academic study of Hip Hop Culture.
To promote the survey as a model for Hip Hop communities in other regions, the survey its results will be presented at the 2007 Hip Hop Congress National Summit in Athens, Ohio, July 4th-8th. For more information on this, email Juliec.206@gmail.com.
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Swagger Fest 2007: Seattle's most Flossy and Fly
If you were in the Emerald City on May 2nd and weren't at Chop Suey for Swagger Fest, I extend my regrets to you, because you missed some of the most dynamic, energy-packed performances Seattle has to offer. With Vitamin D on the ones and twos, Neemah of Unexpected Arrival hosting, and an arsenal of emcees from Soul Guerilla, Sportn' Life Records, and Union Block Teamsters, Swagger Fest did much more than live up to its name.
Setting it all off was J. Pinder, from Sportn' Life, who warmed up the young crowd at this all-ages event with tracks from his up-coming album "Back Pack Theory." J. Pinder was followed by a short guest appearance from Live Wire (NYC) of the Hip Hop Project. (If you haven't yet checked a screening of the Hip Hop Project, you can catch it next Tuesday, the 8th at AMC Uptown Cinemas in Seattle). However, things really lit up when Sportn' Life's Fatal Lucciauno hit the spotlight. With his plain hoodie concealing a neck full of chains, and his shouts out to his mama and sister in the crowd, Fatal boasted an irresistible charisma on the stage that was amplified by his power-packed performance. Fatal Lucciauno's debut album "The Only Forgotten Son" hits the stores this summer.
As the crowd grew, so did energy in the building, and by the time Parker Brothaz from the Union Block Teamsters took their spot in the limelight, it was officially on and cracking. So deliciously hood with it, the duo puts a 206 twist on crunk and hyphie, redefining what you thought was Northwest flavor. The Parkers' tracks are laced with style, wit, and contagious braggadocio. One my favorites from the set was "Hoodoptalistic," a freshcoast remake of the Outkast classic that had the crowd wildin'. If you don't pick up a copy of "Play Your Position 6" featuring the Parker Brothaz at www.myspace.com/therealparkerbrothaz, you are most definitely missing!
The evening reached a peak with Dyme Def, a group of young emcees from Soul Guerilla who are rapidly becoming Seattle Hip Hop favorites across the board. With their vitality, spitfire delivery, and banging production from Bean One, the trio boasts the kind of stage show that keeps an audience wildin'. Tracks from their new album "Space Music" are a marriage of audacity and mic mastery, broad-based commercial appeal met with the undeniable skills of authentic emceeing. Check 'em for yourselves at www.myspace.com/defdyme.
Although younger folks at the show began trickling off around midnight, undoubtedly because of school the next morning, the hundred-some people who remained were blessed with an impressive finale by Sportn' Life's crown jewel and Co-CEO, D. Black. Before the beat even dropped, the "Teflon Don," had the crowd chanting his name and throwing up Sportn' Life "L's." But it isn't the lights, the dramatic intro music, the fog machine, or the slick 'fit (dark sunglasses and a black shirt adorned with golden marijuana leaves) that makes Black's stage presence so demanding. The aura of confident superstardom D. Black emanates commands the attention of the crowd, and his rock-solid stage show full of favorites from his album "The Cause and Effect," seals the deal. Plus he wrote a whole hook about how you can't f*** wit him. For more information on D. Black and other Sportn' Life artists and releases, visit www.sportnlife.net.
In a time where the Don Imus incident has hood-fabulous Hip Hop facing an all-out assault from both mainstream media and old-guard Hip Hop cultural preservationists, and even Russell Simmons is recommending censorship of the "misogynistic words 'bitch' and 'ho,'" as well as the N-bomb, Swagger Fest was a reminder that it's not all about controlling content when it comes to mitigating the impact of artistic expression in pop culture. Yes, there was some glorified materialism, arrogance, some unflattering commentary on promiscuous young women, and some harsh realities of Seattle's hoods, plagued by drugs, guns, and gang violence reflected in the music, but the undeniable positive energy and sense of pride and community in the building that night trumps all claims that artists that speak on such are irresponsible and unaccountable to their audience. For example, Sportn' Life Record's notable success with connecting to their audiences through not just shows but events like community barbeques and smaller gatherings, are not solely marketing devices but rather are very deliberate efforts to cultivate a sense of family in the scene. Spearhead of Union Block Teamsters, the Ghetto Prez serves on the Public Defender's Association board, is a volunteer firefighter, and routinely speaks to youth in classrooms.
In the words of Fearce Villain from Dyme Def, "Hip Hop can only be done one way, and that's from the heart." We don't need voices censored in Hip Hop, we need the commercial corporations' waning chokehold on the game fully squashed and replaced with a thriving, diverse, independent music industry that authentically stems from the source of Hip Hop, the community. We need Northwest artists to sell thirty-plus thousand records on the regular in their own backyards. We need the media to stop reacting to words used by mainstream artists, and start creating local celebrities that have both the power and accessibility to influence our youth in a positive way, even if their content is controversial. So Seattle, damn what they sayin', and get cha swagger on…..
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Seattle Hip Hop Demands Media Justice
While mainstream media and the hip hop press have been scrambling to respond to Don Imus, the Seattle Hip Hop community has focused its attention on cultivating more lasting, structural changes in the struggle towards media justice. In late March, 206 Zulu and Reclaim the Media hosted a NW Hip Hop Community Town Hall to address the FCC Payola Settlement in late March, and to develop a statement of response. Drawing upon Universal Zulu Nation's Bring Back the Balance Campaign, the 2004 Seattle Statement on Radio, and Youth Media Council's report "Is KMEL the Real People's Station?" participants identified four areas to prioritize in organizing enforcement efforts. We will move to ensure that:
1) High quality local artists are not given the backseat to national artists when it comes to radio airplay.
2) Local youth run Hip Hop organizations such as 206 Zulu, Seattle Youth Council, the Think Big Foundation, and Seattle Urban Debate League get access to radio airwaves for outreach and community education
3) The presence of relevant public affairs/news be available in hip hop programming so local issues impacting youth such as police brutality, gentrification, and violence can be addressed in a widely accessible public forum
4) The impact of negative, repetitive messaging delivered to youth through mainstream Hip Hop be mitigated by the presence of local artists who have a better understanding of local issues and a higher level of accountability to the audience.
This project is a continuing effort with a two tiered focus of 1) increasing the visibility and capacity of those independent urban outlets that already adhere to these principles and 2) holding corporate media outlets accountable to the common good they are supposed to serve. Our next steps on this project are to define measurables for each of the four areas. Big ups to folks from Odd Fellas, 4BC Musik, Highline Community College, Pusher Promotions, Worldwide Confined, Seattle University, Seattle Urban Debate League, Think Big Foundation, The Temple of Hip Hop, Music Inner City, KBCS, Silent Lambs Project, and Mel Hart Enterprises who were there. For more information on media justice in the Northwest check out www.reclaimthemedia.org. On how to get down with this project, shoot me an email at juliec.206@gmail.com.
Note from Editor: Save Internet Radio! The final decision of the three judges that make up the Copyright Royalty Board may not be so final. Their heavily disputed decision to drastically increase internet radio rates has come up against some democratic resistance. Reps. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., and Donald Manzullo, R-Ill., on Thursday introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act. You have helped get the fight for the small broadcaster to the house. Please continue to support this timely legislation by visiting www.Savenetradio.org and getting your reps to co-sponsor.
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Union Block Teamsters Update
Seattle's first Hip Hop artist union, the Union Block Teamsters are on a roll. Their logo has been finalized, so be on the look out for posters and T-shirts, as well as a compilation album. In the meantime, the Teamsters have been performing, promoting, and doing radio interviews all across the state. Do4Self Records opened for 2 Live Crew in Yakima, Washington, Gator opened for Twister in Spokane, Washington, and the collective will soon be opening for Yung Buck. In addition, Union Block Teamsters have launched their DVD project, which will include videos from Do4Self and Parka Brothaz, as well as interviews with union members, local DJs, and other "industry tastemakers." Ghetto Prez of Sea-Sick Productions, who spearheads the Teamsters Union, says the DVD is a way to cultivate personal connections between the artists and their audience. "It's more than just listening to the songs," he says, "we get into their personal characters." The DVD project is also bigger than the Teamsters, the Prez asserts. "It's about supporting the local scene, getting DJs some exposure." Be on the look out for both the compilation album and DVD this summer. The Union Block Teamsters meet Thursday nights at Vito's. For more information email g-prez@seasick.com.
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/juliec206/blog#ixzz11mWOwdHq
Summer 2007
The Twomp Newsletter 1
Spotlighting the unification, strength, and mobilization of Northwest Hip Hop Culture and surrounding communities
Notes from the Editor: Seattle Hip Hop is moving at a furious pace here on the tip of the West coast, the mighty 2-0-6, where the community continues to set precedence in youth service, activism, solidarity and artistic excellence in urban arts culture. Be sure to cop the new long awaited albums of Laura "Piece" Kelley-Jahn and Silas Blak! Shouts to the new University of Washington Hip Hop Congress Chapter. Also, check for the TWOMP radio show, Volume 3, featuring Piece, Unexpected Arrival, The Parker Brothaz, Sonny Bonoho, and much more coming soon!
Spring 2007
* DV and Raj: Hip Hop a Catalyst for Police Brutality Organizing Efforts
* Seattle Hip Hop Community Survey Launched
* Swagger Fest 2007
* Seattle Hip Hop Demands Media Justice
* Union Block Teamsters Update
The Twomp Newsletter c 2007
Send questions and comments to Juliec.206@gmail.com
Seattle Hip Hop Community a Catalyst for Police Brutality Organizing Efforts
Seattle police department's continual targeting of communities of color and lack of accountability for police misconduct and violence is at the forefront of organizing efforts in Seattle Hip Hop. In September of last year, Seattle Hip Hop pioneer DJ DV-One was assaulted by police officers attempting to inquire about his 14 year old daughter who was being detained. DV-One now faces felony assault charges and $15,000 dollars in fines. Last month, emcee, spoken word poet, and teaching Hip Hop artist Rajnii Eddins was wrongfully arrested while trying to find out why his student was being detained. Rapid response from the Hip Hop and spoken word communities packed courtrooms in both cases, and has drawn widespread attention to the ongoing issue of police brutality in this city.
As a response to this outcry, the Seattle chapter of the NAACP hosted a community meeting earlier this week, where about thirty people gathered and formed committees for an action coalition around the issue. "What we saw at this gathering was an outcry of the brutality that has been happening over the years that has gone unaddressed," says emcee and teaching artist Amanda "Beloved1" Cumbow, who is also the chair of the newly-formed communications committee. Beloved1 maintains that the greater purpose of the coalition is to organize the efforts and energies behind these individual incidents into a cohesive force. "We must present a united front to the politicians and the police department to get legislative changes," she asserts.
The police brutality action coalition is asking for the community's continuing input, support, and participation in this process. While the NAACP is an important ally in this battle, it was the voices, effort, and expertise of the people on the ground that has brought them to the table, and it will be that of the people who ultimately determine the extent of structural change that will come. For more information on how to support this process, or to voice your own experiences and concerns with police brutality, email Beloved313@gmail.com
===============================================================
Seattle Hip Hop Community Survey Launched
Hip Hop Congress and Seattle University professor Dr. Mako Fitts have teamed up to launch the Seattle Hip Hop Community Survey. This pioneering effort is among the first of its kind which attempts to empirically identify the scope and needs of our diverse community in order to provide a well-needed research base for cultural organizing economic empowerment on the ground level with Hip Hop from a local to global perspective.
Students from Fitts' undergraduate pop culture class will be setting up interviews and surveying 200 movers and shakers in the Seattle Hip Hop scene, artists, promoters, journalists, educators, youth organizers, activists, and advocates alike. Students will also be going to shows and community meetings and submitting write-ups for local Hip Hop news sources such as 206zulu.com. The survey is anonymous and collects basic demographic and occupational information, assessments on the quality and availability of resources for the development of the local scene, and asks participants to rank the impact of issues and concerns such as racial, gender, and sexual discrimination as well as police brutality in their lives.. As a staple principle of community-based research, the information collected will be publicly owned and utilized to aid in the development of initiatives that will benefit the urban arts community as a whole in the region. Data will also be offered as a resource for urban arts community-based organizations in the city to quantifiably measure the impact of their work and demonstrate its value.
The survey is, in part, based on the cluster-model used in a report commissioned by Seattle's Office Economic Development called the Economic Impact of Seattle's Music Industry, which showed that the core of Seattle's music industry generates nearly 8,700 direct jobs in over 2,600 businesses, and 2,000 jobs in 335 music-related businesses at an average annual wage of $22,771 dollars per year. However, because the city's report largely neglected Hip Hop as part of the local music industry cluster (I counted one Hip Hop promotions company out of hundreds of other sources), it failed to show the rapidly growing connection between the independent music scene and the youth service sector in the city that is more prevalent in Hip Hop than any other musical genre. By utilizing the insight and experiences of Hip Hop artists, educators, and grassroots organizers, the Hip Hop Community survey was crafted to represent the full spectrum of Hip Hop cultural production emerging from the region, demonstrate its impact.
The survey is also an important step to bridging the gap between community and the campus in a time where the status quo has academia eons away from the reality faced by Hip Hop artists, educators, activists, and cultural organizers. While the works of folks like Jeff Chang and Bakari Kitwana have provided an important historical and theoretical framework to validate Hip Hop studies in the academic world, the transition from theory to practice remains largely unrealized. Projects that connect students and academic institutions with surrounding communities in mutually empowering ways is a movement towards making meaningful use of the academic study of Hip Hop Culture.
To promote the survey as a model for Hip Hop communities in other regions, the survey its results will be presented at the 2007 Hip Hop Congress National Summit in Athens, Ohio, July 4th-8th. For more information on this, email Juliec.206@gmail.com.
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Swagger Fest 2007: Seattle's most Flossy and Fly
If you were in the Emerald City on May 2nd and weren't at Chop Suey for Swagger Fest, I extend my regrets to you, because you missed some of the most dynamic, energy-packed performances Seattle has to offer. With Vitamin D on the ones and twos, Neemah of Unexpected Arrival hosting, and an arsenal of emcees from Soul Guerilla, Sportn' Life Records, and Union Block Teamsters, Swagger Fest did much more than live up to its name.
Setting it all off was J. Pinder, from Sportn' Life, who warmed up the young crowd at this all-ages event with tracks from his up-coming album "Back Pack Theory." J. Pinder was followed by a short guest appearance from Live Wire (NYC) of the Hip Hop Project. (If you haven't yet checked a screening of the Hip Hop Project, you can catch it next Tuesday, the 8th at AMC Uptown Cinemas in Seattle). However, things really lit up when Sportn' Life's Fatal Lucciauno hit the spotlight. With his plain hoodie concealing a neck full of chains, and his shouts out to his mama and sister in the crowd, Fatal boasted an irresistible charisma on the stage that was amplified by his power-packed performance. Fatal Lucciauno's debut album "The Only Forgotten Son" hits the stores this summer.
As the crowd grew, so did energy in the building, and by the time Parker Brothaz from the Union Block Teamsters took their spot in the limelight, it was officially on and cracking. So deliciously hood with it, the duo puts a 206 twist on crunk and hyphie, redefining what you thought was Northwest flavor. The Parkers' tracks are laced with style, wit, and contagious braggadocio. One my favorites from the set was "Hoodoptalistic," a freshcoast remake of the Outkast classic that had the crowd wildin'. If you don't pick up a copy of "Play Your Position 6" featuring the Parker Brothaz at www.myspace.com/therealparkerbrothaz, you are most definitely missing!
The evening reached a peak with Dyme Def, a group of young emcees from Soul Guerilla who are rapidly becoming Seattle Hip Hop favorites across the board. With their vitality, spitfire delivery, and banging production from Bean One, the trio boasts the kind of stage show that keeps an audience wildin'. Tracks from their new album "Space Music" are a marriage of audacity and mic mastery, broad-based commercial appeal met with the undeniable skills of authentic emceeing. Check 'em for yourselves at www.myspace.com/defdyme.
Although younger folks at the show began trickling off around midnight, undoubtedly because of school the next morning, the hundred-some people who remained were blessed with an impressive finale by Sportn' Life's crown jewel and Co-CEO, D. Black. Before the beat even dropped, the "Teflon Don," had the crowd chanting his name and throwing up Sportn' Life "L's." But it isn't the lights, the dramatic intro music, the fog machine, or the slick 'fit (dark sunglasses and a black shirt adorned with golden marijuana leaves) that makes Black's stage presence so demanding. The aura of confident superstardom D. Black emanates commands the attention of the crowd, and his rock-solid stage show full of favorites from his album "The Cause and Effect," seals the deal. Plus he wrote a whole hook about how you can't f*** wit him. For more information on D. Black and other Sportn' Life artists and releases, visit www.sportnlife.net.
In a time where the Don Imus incident has hood-fabulous Hip Hop facing an all-out assault from both mainstream media and old-guard Hip Hop cultural preservationists, and even Russell Simmons is recommending censorship of the "misogynistic words 'bitch' and 'ho,'" as well as the N-bomb, Swagger Fest was a reminder that it's not all about controlling content when it comes to mitigating the impact of artistic expression in pop culture. Yes, there was some glorified materialism, arrogance, some unflattering commentary on promiscuous young women, and some harsh realities of Seattle's hoods, plagued by drugs, guns, and gang violence reflected in the music, but the undeniable positive energy and sense of pride and community in the building that night trumps all claims that artists that speak on such are irresponsible and unaccountable to their audience. For example, Sportn' Life Record's notable success with connecting to their audiences through not just shows but events like community barbeques and smaller gatherings, are not solely marketing devices but rather are very deliberate efforts to cultivate a sense of family in the scene. Spearhead of Union Block Teamsters, the Ghetto Prez serves on the Public Defender's Association board, is a volunteer firefighter, and routinely speaks to youth in classrooms.
In the words of Fearce Villain from Dyme Def, "Hip Hop can only be done one way, and that's from the heart." We don't need voices censored in Hip Hop, we need the commercial corporations' waning chokehold on the game fully squashed and replaced with a thriving, diverse, independent music industry that authentically stems from the source of Hip Hop, the community. We need Northwest artists to sell thirty-plus thousand records on the regular in their own backyards. We need the media to stop reacting to words used by mainstream artists, and start creating local celebrities that have both the power and accessibility to influence our youth in a positive way, even if their content is controversial. So Seattle, damn what they sayin', and get cha swagger on…..
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Seattle Hip Hop Demands Media Justice
While mainstream media and the hip hop press have been scrambling to respond to Don Imus, the Seattle Hip Hop community has focused its attention on cultivating more lasting, structural changes in the struggle towards media justice. In late March, 206 Zulu and Reclaim the Media hosted a NW Hip Hop Community Town Hall to address the FCC Payola Settlement in late March, and to develop a statement of response. Drawing upon Universal Zulu Nation's Bring Back the Balance Campaign, the 2004 Seattle Statement on Radio, and Youth Media Council's report "Is KMEL the Real People's Station?" participants identified four areas to prioritize in organizing enforcement efforts. We will move to ensure that:
1) High quality local artists are not given the backseat to national artists when it comes to radio airplay.
2) Local youth run Hip Hop organizations such as 206 Zulu, Seattle Youth Council, the Think Big Foundation, and Seattle Urban Debate League get access to radio airwaves for outreach and community education
3) The presence of relevant public affairs/news be available in hip hop programming so local issues impacting youth such as police brutality, gentrification, and violence can be addressed in a widely accessible public forum
4) The impact of negative, repetitive messaging delivered to youth through mainstream Hip Hop be mitigated by the presence of local artists who have a better understanding of local issues and a higher level of accountability to the audience.
This project is a continuing effort with a two tiered focus of 1) increasing the visibility and capacity of those independent urban outlets that already adhere to these principles and 2) holding corporate media outlets accountable to the common good they are supposed to serve. Our next steps on this project are to define measurables for each of the four areas. Big ups to folks from Odd Fellas, 4BC Musik, Highline Community College, Pusher Promotions, Worldwide Confined, Seattle University, Seattle Urban Debate League, Think Big Foundation, The Temple of Hip Hop, Music Inner City, KBCS, Silent Lambs Project, and Mel Hart Enterprises who were there. For more information on media justice in the Northwest check out www.reclaimthemedia.org. On how to get down with this project, shoot me an email at juliec.206@gmail.com.
Note from Editor: Save Internet Radio! The final decision of the three judges that make up the Copyright Royalty Board may not be so final. Their heavily disputed decision to drastically increase internet radio rates has come up against some democratic resistance. Reps. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., and Donald Manzullo, R-Ill., on Thursday introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act. You have helped get the fight for the small broadcaster to the house. Please continue to support this timely legislation by visiting www.Savenetradio.org and getting your reps to co-sponsor.
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Union Block Teamsters Update
Seattle's first Hip Hop artist union, the Union Block Teamsters are on a roll. Their logo has been finalized, so be on the look out for posters and T-shirts, as well as a compilation album. In the meantime, the Teamsters have been performing, promoting, and doing radio interviews all across the state. Do4Self Records opened for 2 Live Crew in Yakima, Washington, Gator opened for Twister in Spokane, Washington, and the collective will soon be opening for Yung Buck. In addition, Union Block Teamsters have launched their DVD project, which will include videos from Do4Self and Parka Brothaz, as well as interviews with union members, local DJs, and other "industry tastemakers." Ghetto Prez of Sea-Sick Productions, who spearheads the Teamsters Union, says the DVD is a way to cultivate personal connections between the artists and their audience. "It's more than just listening to the songs," he says, "we get into their personal characters." The DVD project is also bigger than the Teamsters, the Prez asserts. "It's about supporting the local scene, getting DJs some exposure." Be on the look out for both the compilation album and DVD this summer. The Union Block Teamsters meet Thursday nights at Vito's. For more information email g-prez@seasick.com.
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/juliec206/blog#ixzz11mWOwdHq
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