Hip-Hop in the YouTube Age: How the Medium is Changing the Message

A discussion presented by Harry Allen, Hip-Hop Activist & Media Assassin 

How is the rise of Internet video affecting hip-hop? Writer/broadcaster Harry Allen was an early proponent of the Internet, strategizing an online presence for Public Enemy as early as 1991, and publishing the print journal *rap dot com* in 1994. In this event, Allen will lead a discussion, accompanied by a wide selection of clips, exploring online video’s significant impact on hip-hop culture. The medium, Allen argues, is changing the message. It is doing this through enabling personal visions that don’t fit traditional television formats; providing an outlet for even more direct communication between artists and fans; reviving rare video content; and by other means. Hip-hop has consistently absorbed and incorporated the technology around it, mutating slightly with each new addition. The web provides no exception. Where both go next will be the ultimate focus of this review.

​​Free with Museum admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Museum members may reserve tickets in advance by calling 718 777 6800. For more information about becoming a Museum member and to join online, please click here.