EVENT
Has Hip Hop Lost Its Political Voice?
Ongoing
Location: Redstone Theater
Town hall discussion with Claude “Paradise” Gray, Dan Charnas, Juhanna Rogers, Thembisa Mshaka, and Young Dirty Bastard in person
Moderated by Bill Stephney
In celebration of June as Black Music Month, the Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) is hosting a town hall forum on the role of hip hop as a channel of political commentary and action. The UHHM is bringing together a group of dynamic thought leaders from various sectors of the hip hop community, to discuss the role of hip hop in shaping the future of communities of color. In America’s new political and social climate, critical conversations about the experiences lived by Black and Brown communities are essential. Hip hop is one space where the voice of the voiceless could always be found.
An important sources of hip hop’s power is rooted in the lyrics of artists who use verbal imagery to recount and address the many injustices that have plagued Black and Brown people for decades. The UHHM’s goal is to have a thought-provoking conversation about the state of today’s hip hop in relationship to its past and its prospects for the future.
Panelist will examine some of the following discussion topics:
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Is the new hip hop generation assuming the same social justice responsibilities as previous generations?
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What responsibility does hip hop have to fight back and speak up about today’s conditions in education and school to the prison pipeline?
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How can hip hop challenge our current government that appears prepared to roll back laws, civil liberties and rights which will un-proportionately affect Black and Brown communities of color?
The participants are:
Bill Stephney (moderator), principal executive for Broad Market Media, and former chief executive of Def Jam Records
Claude “Paradise” Gray, author of Ain’t No Half Steppin’
Dan Charnas, acclaimed journalist, screenwriter, and record producer
Juhanna Rogers, scholar-artist and Indiana University Great 8 member
Thembisa Mshaka, Indie filmmaker and author
Young Dirty Bastard, son of Wu-Tang Clan member Old Dirty Bastard.
Tickets: $10. Order tickets online.
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