UW-Madison will be transformed into an arena of hip-hop music and political activism beginning Friday.
At the third annual Hip Hop as a Movement conference, a weekend of musical celebration is augmented by opportunities to learn about multiracial politics and activism.
Students will be able to attend live hip-hop performances by popular artists of the genre at three concerts sponsored by the conference. Friday night’s offerings include a performance at the Memorial Union Terrace at 9 p.m. and another performance at Luther’s Blues for the 21-and-older crowd beginning at 10 p.m. The final concert will be held at the Orpheum Theater, 216 State St., at 8 p.m. Saturday night.
The conference is nationally acclaimed and promises to draw a large crowd. Co-founder David Muhammad said he expects MTV, NBC and UPN will all be on hand to cover the event.
“This is the biggest college hip-hop conference in the country,” Muhammad said. “The conference has grown exponentially. This year we’re anticipating 2,500 to 3,000 people.”
The student organization Hip Hop Generation, which puts together the conference, began three years ago as a collaborative effort between UW’s student radio station, the Wisconsin Union Directorate and the student government to address issues faced by young people of color.
“We wanted to do diversity outreach,” Muhammad explained.
On its website, www.hiphopgeneration.org, Hip Hop Generation identifies hip hop as an effective strategy for reaching out to today’s youth.
“We feel that hip hop is especially equipped to address these issues, because it is a culture created by young people of color and one that is rooted in the reality of their communities,” the website states.
Hip Hop Generation also serves as a basis from which UW students can work cooperatively toward social change.
“Hip Hop Generation has developed into an active campus voice for progressive politics and multiracial coalition building. The organization has assumed the role of creating avenues for educational dialogue and outreach,” the website reads.
Aside from musical entertainment, the conference offers a variety of panels and workshops on topics ranging from recent political events, like the Sept. 11 terrorist bombings, to hip-hop song lyrics.
“The panels address hip-hop culture and history or the strategies behind organizing social justice,” Muhammad said. “The social-issue panels will engage participants in active discussion and debate.”
Other panels, such as “lyrics and the power of words,” will involve a panel of hip-hop artists debating whether or not artists should be held accountable for the negative impact of their lyrics.
Muhammad said he hopes to encourage participants to take a stand in today’s politics either through participating in political coalitions or by voting.
“We’ll offer voter registration at the conference, and we want the participants to be informed voters and be able to make smart voting decisions,” Muhammad said.
The weekend will conclude with all participants coming together to discuss this year’s conference theme: “Building a Grass Roots Hip-Hop Movement.”
