As the urban community continues to make giant leaps onto the music scene, it will be given an opportunity to create further progress into the future for the art form. The culture of Hip-Hop will gather tomorrow in Seattle, Washington to spark off the 8th annual National Conference for the Hip-Hop Congress.
Partnering with the Umojafest P.E.A.C.E. Center, Dope Emporium, Seattle Hip-Hop Youth Council, 206 Zulu, Global Fam and countless other organizations, this conference will serve as a means for the Hip-Hop community to establish a structured social and economic balance. Workshops will be featured during the conference such as “Marketing in the Digital Age” and “Hip-Hop and Healthcare” which are all geared towards creating another outlet for artists to further build the economy that surrounds the Hip-Hop craft. There will also be discussion outside of the music that will be used as a platform for topics such as Human Rights advocacy, education, youth leadership development and more.
“It’s time for Hip Hop to focus its energy on the healing and building of communities from which it came. Hip Hop can lead the way,” said Seattle mayoral candidate Wyking Garrett and Umojafest P.E.A.C.E Center co-founder.
Whether it is the music, or people portrayed in the media, the Hip-Hop community is rarely cast in a positive light. Using the deaths of Michael Jackson and Steve McNair to broadcast the negatives aspects of their life to negate the positivity they have given is a clear cut example of the media’s consistent influence on the masses. As the culture seems to continuously be under such heavy scrutiny, it is almost a no-brainer that those that support the genre should be able to become a congregation in order to discuss as well as debate. At the end of the day, everything should head in a positive direction and be a way to usher in growth through unification.
“Hip Hop is social glue for today’s youth,” said Seattle Hip Hop Youth Council member J-Infinite. “It’s something that the majority of us have in common and can relate to, so we use it to teach a positive message. It’s a tool for empowerment.”
As it was just stated, Hip Hop has been the metaphorical glue that has been able to pull in the youth and temporarily make differences insignificant. These differences, although they may seem petty to older crowds, are transformed into global issues that the world continuously makes itself deal with. Time and time again differences have created barriers and limited communication which has lead to madness and misunderstanding. If everyone was willing to see the positivity that this culture has been able to promote, instead of choosing to highlight every misstep that it takes, it could easily open the eyes and minds to many and hopefully bridge the gap.
For more information on the five day event, click here.
