NW Hip Hop / Community Meeting
Summary / Minutes
Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006
2:30-4:30pm (2:06 sign-in)
At LANGSTON HUGHES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
104 17th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98144
(206) 684-4757
Moderator: Jace, of Silent Lambs Project
Represented Organizations / Collectives:
Seattle Art Museum, Ninth Trybe Studies, UW Student Group, 206 Zulu, Red Army, Mind Movers, Spectrum, MADK, BYC, Project Mayhem / 1st Platoon, Think Big Foundation, Aim 4 Peace, Hip Hop Congress, Seattle University, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, Silent Lambs Project, YMCA, dRED.i, Wicked X, Social Justice TV, Obese Productions, Reclaim the Media, Coolout Network , WAPIFASA, 6 Deep, Power of Hope,
Massline, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, and Washington State Parks and Recreation
Introductions, agenda overview, and opening discussion:
Jace starts the meeting, and opening introductions commence. When asked why people chose to attend the meeting, answers included: “to build and dialogue in the community,” “to bridge gaps between academia and the streets,” “to see Hip Hop unify the world,” “to look and listen,” “to document the local scene,” “to work in schools,” “to promote Seattle Hip Hop,” “to see unity in the scene,” and “for the love.”
TOPIC ONE: The Hip Hop in Education Movement
After establishing a consensus on the effectiveness of Hip Hop in education, and the high number of teaching Hip Hop artists in the community, the discussion moves to the necessity and benefits of organizing teaching artists. Julie’s notes:
“Hip Hop in education is popular, especially in the after-school, workshop, and residency formats because it speaks to youth. In Seattle, where we supposedly have the highest number of non-profits serving the community, most teaching Hip Hop artists find opportunities to pass down their craft, share their experiences, and act as positive role models and mentors for young people through stipends from programs funded or implemented by non-profits, or by starting their own.
Though the rising demand for teaching artists is a positive thing, it is obvious that the same systems of privilege and oppression that operate on an institutional level in this society show up on the grassroots level. Sometimes teaching Hip Hop artists are deliberately exploited by non-profits, other times teaching artists are simply not being compensated for the full value of their work because many of us will do it for the love.”
Greg, of dRED.i, speaks on the challenges of working with non-profits and the experience of teaching artists not being truly valued or not being supported by the institutions that are moderating.
Organizing teaching Hip Hop artists- The social entreprenuerialship model:
“A social entrepreneur identifies and solves social problems on a large scale. Just as business entrepreneurs create and transform whole industries, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss in order to improve systems, invent and disseminate new approaches and advance sustainable solutions that create social value”
Julie introduces H2Ed’s mission, goals, and projects (www.h2ed.net), presents THA 5th Element Conference Tour rationale and objectives, as an action plan for
1) creating a systemized network of teaching artists by spotlighting the movement
2) advocating Hip Hop in education locally
Note: Laura “Piece” Kelley, added to this conversation later, speaking on the importance of providing professional development resources for teaching artists. Amos Miller offered to take on compiling a local teaching Hip Hop artist database.
Question/discussion Summary:
Funding for THA 5th Element Tour was brought up, and people were concerned about the interests of funders overshadowing the mission of the project. It is asserted that the message and mission of this project will not be compromised for funding, and that our priority now is establishing a board/conference committee, which will organize the teaching artists’ network/coalition and finalizing the mission, objectives, and plan of action for the tour.
TOPIC TWO: Hip Hop and Media
This discussion opened up by first acknowledging the importance of independent media sources and their relationship to local industry and community. The benefits of sharing knowledge and resources between grassroots sources and doing more outreach to local artists was brought up.
Julie C presented the media action item to establish an inclusive Northwest Urban Arts Media Coalition that will:
1) Serve as a resource for local artists by participating/creating campaigns and projects that encourage
-artists to produce and submit quality music videos to the local media outlets
-artists and Hip Hop practitioner’s to promote and listen in to local media outlets
-Hip Hop enthusiasts to take an active roll in requesting local artists’ music and videos
-Hip Hop artists and enthusiasts to create more independent media outlets
-cross promotion of media outlets
-local media to become more active in the local urban arts scene
-diversity in commercial media
2) Highlight and support activism in the urban arts community
3) Work with existing local and national grassroots media networks and campaigns to serve as the voice of independent media advocacy for the Hip Hop Community
Karen Toering and Sabrina Roach, of Reclaim the Media, and Peter Graff and Barbie-Danielle DeCarlo of KBCS, Community Radio discuss the vulnerability of grassroots media sources given how policy and legislation affect media ownership and content. They highlight the importance of advocacy, organization, and self-representation in the facilitation of democratic media that empowers the community.
Question/Discussion Summary:
Kym, of CI, brought up the responsibility of community radio and other independent media outlets to make themselves visible and active in the communities they wish to serve.
Karen’s comments on the power of Hip Hop as a culture in the struggle for democratic media: “Cultural events get people in the room. Get them there and then educate them. Hip Hop is Media.” The need to gather a core group of organizers and representatives from local independent urban arts media sources (TV, Community/College Radio, Print, Internet etc.), to develop a structure for systemizing networks of information and clearly identify entrepreneurial and social-change objectives for the coalition.
TOPIC THREE: Community-based projects:
Several projects were discussed as proposed solutions that could generate community growth through community activism, support, and resources. The success of these projects is vital to the collective strength of each other’s work.
THA 5th Element Conference Tour:
THA (Teaching Hip Hop Artists) 5th Element Conference / Tour is an innovative approach to youth advocacy, educational outreach, and community building through the promotion of Hip Hop culture. By working in conjunction with local student unions, organizations, and teaching Hip Hop artists, THA 5th Element Tour raises awareness of Hip Hop culture and builds understanding between different communities vested in today’s youth. THA 5th Element Tour unifies and draws media attention to the grassroots Hip Hop education movement occurring in different cities across the nation through the combination of its positive, educational orientation, and the utilization of Hip Hop promotion networks and strategies.
THA 5th Element Tour is a series of two-day events. The first day is an interactive Hip Hop education conference, which investigates and analyzes Hip Hop culture and its historical significance, delivers breakout-session workshops for teachers, artists, and youth, facilitates community forums and discussions, presents demonstrations, and provides networking opportunities for participants. The second day is an evening Hip Hop showcase featuring both touring and local artists that brings conference participants and local community members together in the acknowledgement and celebration of living Hip Hop culture in each city.
The Above Grounds Express Magazine:
This bi-monthly publication, tentatively slated for November, pays tribute to Hip Hop history month and will feature several articles on community issues, Hip Hop in education, politics, history, current events, music reviews, spotlights and more. Editor-in-chief, Preston Credit, is seeking writers, researchers, editors, photographers, designers, artists, and thinkers.
Directory / Database:
Khazm, of 206 Zulu presents an all call to participate and organize an ultimate directory / database, which could be easily accessible online at www.206zulu.com. Compiled information and resources will include:
1) A calendar for upcoming events and functions in the Northwest that can be easily updated by the promoter or organizer
2) Hip Hop specialty record stores
3) Listing of various venues, weeklies, and clubs nationally
4) Promoters and production company’s that support independent artists
5) Artist listings, manufacturing, distribution, record labels
6) Various listings for community centers, youth programs, breaking practice spots, and legal walls
Northwest Hip Hop Timeline:
Khazm presents a call for all to contribute in the organization of the Northwest Hip Hop Timeline. The purpose of this project is to document the history/herstory of Hip Hop in the Northwest and having it available to the public, online at www.206zulu.com, as an easy to navigated, legitimate source of information. 206 Zulu will be conducting extensive outreach and meticulous preparations to accurately document the history/herstory. It is crucial that all Hip Hop practitioners participate in this project.
206 Zulu is searching for information, stories, videos, audio, flyers, posters, records, CD’s, stickers, photos, graff flicks, black books, memorabilia, and vintage materials.
206 Zulu has working relations with The Universal Federation For the Preservation of Hip Hop and will be contributing the Northwest Hip Hop Timeline and additional support for the National Center for the Study and Preservation of Hip Hop Culture.
Established in New York City in 2003, The Universal Federation for the Preservation of Hip Hop is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that preserves Hip Hop culture and provides instruction on the ramifications, significance, social history, and placement of Hip Hop culture.
The Federation is the nation’s first non-profit organization whose board of directors include Hip Hop pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa, GrandMaster Caz, GrandMaster Melle Mel, Lovebug Starski, among others.
The first goal is to create the National Center for the Study and Preservation of Hip Hop Culture. This multi-million dollar, state of the art center, will be located in the Bronx, New York. The Center will house chronological archives on the evolution of Hip Hop Culture through the preservation of documents, artifacts, musical compositions, collections, artist biographical information, and other memorabilia. Simultaneously, an educational program will be developed to serve as an international place of study.
Business seminars and workshops:
In order to create more self-sustainability and professionalism within our region, Khazm encourages vested individuals to organize artist seminars and workshops that give insight with music and business management, production, marketing, promotion, and distribution.