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New Orleans Hip-Hop for Hope:
Making History
Summary of Events for 2008:
New Orleans Student-Driven Community Music Coalition Hosts 3rd Annual “Hip-Hop for Hope Benefit Concert”
November, 2008 – New Orleans, LA - On Saturday, November 8th, 2008, a coalition of students, community leaders and music industry professionals, in partnership with organizations at Tulane University and New Orleans Upward Bound, hosted the 3rd annual "New Orleans Hip-Hop for Hope Benefit Concert".
Background: The primary goal of this event was to raise money and support for educational programming in New Orleans and to raise awareness about two key community issues - Education and HIV/AIDS. In the past three years, Hip-Hop for Hope raised over $18,000 for New Orleans educational programming, and has featured in the annual “Hip-Hop for Hope Benefit Concert” hip-hop artists from New Orleans and around the country, including Lupe Fiasco, Curren$y, Baby Boy da Prince, Raw Dizzy, Dee-1, Soul Rebels Brass Band and many more. The organization hopes to continue expanding its programming each year, eventually reaching the level of other music festivals such as Jazzfest, Voodoo Fest and Essence Fest. If you are interested in getting involved, donating money or services, or sponsoring the event, you can find more information at www.hiphopforhope.org.
Information About Upward Bound:
Upward Bound is a federally funded program that works with low income and first generation college-bound high school students. During the academic year, students participate in weekday tutoring, mentoring and Saturday supplemental instruction classes. During the summer, students participate in a summer institute which incorporates arts, humanities, sciences and languages into a culturally relevant curriculum that give students an edge on meeting state standards and preparing for college. To date, Upward Bound has successfully ensured that 100% of participants graduate from high school and over 90% enroll in college. Hip-Hop for Hope's donation will be utilized to enhance Upward Bound's summer programming, staffing and additional performing arts and creative writing development, as well as providing speakers to discuss safe and healthy habits and promote HIV/AIDS awareness. Tulane University's Upward Bound has also started an annual summer talent show in which students are able to showcase their performing arts work.
"Hustle for the Cause" Artist Contest Recap of 2006 Block Party The Community Block Party featured food and games for young people, as well as live music from Da Truth Brass Band, 5th Child and Sir Dilla. Summary of 2006 Benefit Concert The Benefit Concert featured a wide variety of local and nationally recognized artists, including: Personal Testimonies:
Quick Highlights:
* Hip-Hop for Hope was able to raise over $5,500 through its benefit concert in 2008.
* The 2008 Benefit Concert at Tipitina's had over 650 people in attendance.
*New Orleans artist "Curren$y", who co-headlined the 2008 benefit concert, was recently featured as one of the top up and coming rappers on the cover of XXL Magazine in November, 2008.
*New Orleans artist "Dee-1", who performed at Hip-Hop for Hope 2008 was recently featured on CNN and in Billboard Magazine (February 2009).
*Rap veteran, "Truth Universal", who also performed for the benefit concert in 2008, recently received a positive album review in the Source Magazine.
What: The 3rd Annual “Hip-Hop for Hope Benefit Concert: A Fundraiser for Upward Bound" featured some of the most popular Hip-Hop artists and D.J.s from New Orleans and beyond. The event featured expressions of hip-hop culture in the form of MC's, DJ's, break dancing performances by the Royal Flush Dance Crew and live graffiti art. The event was able to raise over $5,500 for educational programming through Upward Bound in New Orleans. The event was open to the public and had over 650 people in attendance. Producers included New Orleans Hip-Hop for Hope www.hiphopforhope.org, Flytracks Crew Marketing & Promotions www.flytrackscrew.com, HereWeGo Entertainment www.herewegoent.com, and Tipitina's Uptown www.tipitinas.com
When: Saturday, November 8, 2008
9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Where: Tipitina’s Uptown
501 Napoleon Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70115
Office: (504) 895-8477
Admission was $10, ages 18 and up.
Who: 2008 Artist Line-Up included...
Raw Dizzy
DJ Raj Smoove
New Birth Brass Band
Currensy
Truth Universal w/ One Eye & DJ EF Cuttin
Dee 1
Sess 4-5
Know One
Chopper City Boys
Cypher
Trifecta
J-Dubble
Big Dyce
Royal Flush Dance Crew
And many other Special Guests
Presented By: Tipitinas, HereWeGo Ent., Flytracks Crew
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In 2008, the top up and coming artists from New Orleans submitted their music and press kits for a chance to win the "Hustle for the Cause" Contest.
Here are your winners for 2008:
Lil Dee
The Cartel
Tragic
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Summary of Hip-Hop for Hope 2007
New Orleans Hip-Hop for Hope 2007 was yet another success for the hip-hop community in New Orleans. In just three days of events, Hip-Hop for Hope 2007 featured over two dozen artists, including New Orleans' own Raw Dizzy, Partners 'n Crime, Sess 4-5, Dappa, Dee-1, the To Be Continued Brass Band and more. The events also featured incredible panelists for a hip-hop forum, including the international superstar, Lupe Fiasco.
Overall, the events in 2007 drew in several hundred of local hip-hop fans and artists, and once again managed to raise over $6,000 for the MLK Jr. Charter School in the 9th Ward, as well as S.A.F.E.R. (Students for a Fair and Equitable Recovery).
The continued success in fundraising has put the combined total of donations well above $12,000, in just two years, for local education and recovery in New Orleans.
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Event Recap: Lupe Fiasco @ New Orleans Hip-Hop for Hope 2008!
Working long hard hours for atlantics records pays in full... Lupe Fiasco is on my list of top 5 lyricists of all times. Believe me, that is not some easy accomplishment, that list is sacred. When I first got offered the job to work for Atlantic I was excited, but I was not entirely sure who was on their label and I wanted to do my homework. One artist immediately stuck out to me- Lupe. While I love the other artists I promote, Lupe was far and away the one that sold me on it. I wanted the business executives to know that Lupe's style of music does sell, that it's popular with a variety of people, and that it is the future of the hip-hop industry. The following is a report I submitted as a recap of the promotional event I held for Lupe Fiasco at Hip-Hop for Hope 2007.
November 1st, 2007:
The stage was set for a great event- over 100 people crowded into the
Ashe Cultural Arts Center, amidst the West African sculptures and
paintings on the wall, waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of the
"Superstar" they came to see. From 6:30 to 8:30 pm, the crowd listened
to 9 different panelists speak their opinions on a number of different
Hip-Hop themed topics: HIV/AIDS, Education, economics, violence, and
other issues related to the lifestyle often associated with Hip-Hop. Other local hip-hop artists were in attendance, including Truth Universal, KJ Mac, Chris and Qmembers of the band Floopy Head.
[Photo: Chris, lead singer of New Orleans hip-hop band "Floopy Head".]
The crowd was heated- towards the end of the panel, people got a
chance to speak their minds, vocalizing powerful and passionate
opinions about the subject matter. This was what Hip-Hop for Hope was
all about- establishing dialogue and fostering interaction and
community participation. All of this served to set the tone for the
M.C. we all know and love, Lupe Fiasco.
[Photo: Panelists at Hip-Hop for Hope Community Forum]
Just when it seemed as if the dialogue had come to a climax and was
about to fade out, we ended the panel and introduced our distinguished
guest. Lupe entered the room as camera's snapped and people with
camcorders shuffled quietly closer to get a better angle. People
applauded Lupe as he entered the room full of onlookers, waiting
patiently to hear his 2-cents on the issues. Just as promised, we
started off Lupe's Q and A session with questions we had asked the
panelists just an hour earlier. "In what way do you see Hip-Hop as a
means of promoting education- does Hip-Hop belong in the class room
and if so, how should it be used?" Lupe was cool, calm and collected,
rubbing his chin in quiet reflection for a moment, before responding
with a careful, thought provoking analysis, displaying a wisdom well
beyond an average 24 year old. Lupe responded with something like
this: "I think Hip-Hop certainly has its place in the classroom as a
tool to help reach students, in certain circumstances, but I think its
important to remember that education doesn't only take place in a
classroom or a school... I never did very well in school, and yet
hip-hop was one means to help me learn the tools I needed. Also,
hip-hop shouldnt be the only tool, it is just a form of a music, not a
be-all end-all solution to the problems we face...etc". We knew after
the first response that Lupe was not just some big name or gimmick to
boost attendance at the forum- he was the real deal- his thoughts
would be a crucial contribution to the overall dialogue.
We continued on with more questions, trying to maintain some focus on
his new up and coming album "the Cool". I asked him if there were any
specific issues that he was concentrating on conveying with this new
album. I added that I knew his work was more artiststic than
prescriptive or academic, that his message was heavily layered with
imagery and every day life experiences- but what community issues
could we expect to find him addressing with his latest work? He
responded very coolly, describing some of the processes he typically
uses in creating a song and an album. He talked about how his message
gets interwoven into his songs through certain experiences and subject
matter, and how he often tries to convey a different perspective of
things, often exploring aspects of the typical issues which one might
have not considered before. One example he used was that, instead of
describing a rape, or the act of rape, and saying that it was a bad
thing, etc., he would be more interested in exploring the victim's
perspective months or years after- conveying the psychological impact.
This made perfect sense to me in retrospect, thinking about his other
works- his subtle nuances and narratives convey a profound perspective
on so many intertwined issues. In many ways, his music becomes more
powerful because he focuses less on a specific issue, but rather on
experience and the inherent complexity in any given circumstance. Lupe
talked about how he refuses to cover a subject more than once, and how
it both limits him but also allows him to continue to be original and
think about new ideas. He said some of his new songs would address
problems such as immigration and other less talked about issues in the
hip-hop world.
We then opened it up for the audience to ask questions. Many die-hard
Lupe fans were given the chance to finally ask some of the questions
that had always wanted to ask him. One person was curious to know
about the album artwork- what did the symbols mean? I thought he would
just say "well it looked cool", but little did I know, this question
would be one of the most pertinent for explaining the whole background
behind his new album. He cooly removed his jacket with the triangular
logo on the back and had one of his nearby crew hold it up as he
explained the three personalities, the Streets, the Game, and the
Cool. He spit a few fluid verses "blunts for fingers.... hollow points
for teeth", incorporating them perfectly into his answer as he painted
a picture of the concept and themes of "The Cool". My mom was there, a
50 year old white woman from the south, and later came up to me saying "you should tell Lupe that I am going to buy his CD after hearing his explanation!" Everyone was so impressed at his thoughtful responses, his poise and his approachable nature. The Q and A ended up being less formal than I had initially expected, but it worked to everyone's advantage. At times, it was as if Lupe and I were just having a one on one conversation in my living room, for everyone to see. At the same time, it felt almost as if we were two students giving a presentation to our class, thrown together at the last minute, but successful nonetheless. I tried to play my part, asking questions which could relate to the audience and tie in his appearance to the larger mission of the forum, while also giving him time to promote his album and explain what it was all about. Lupe was incredible at feeding off of
what I was giving him, providing answers which were entirely
refreshing, unpredictable, yet still %100 Lupe. It seemed as if there was an energy in the air- a realization on everyone's part that , wow, Lupe was actually there, he actually cared about what we were doing and he seemed genuinely interested.
Later on, fans asked him about his experiences coming to New Orleans
after the storm. He said his first time back, when opening for the
Roots at House of Blues, he just got off the plane and got back on.
This time, he said, was different. Driving between Gulfport, MS and
New Orleans, Lupe had a chance to see the destruction of the storm- it
was and is, way beyond what any outsider could ever imagine. He said
he was a changed person because of it- part of me wanted him to stay,
because I can't imagine what his reaction would be if he had seen up
close the damage the storm had left behind in the historic 9th Ward
and other parts of the city. One day just can't do justice to what has
taken place. Still, I could tell he had begun to understand our
struggle- a struggle beyond any words to describe it. We ended the Q
and A and let his fans come up and do a quick meet and greet, getting
autographs and giving thanks to the superstar who had taken time to
share his wisdom and his talents.
Later on, Lupe did a few interviews with local student newspapers,
city-wide media, and a local hip-hop film production company: 2 Cent
Entertainment. The directors of Ashe Cultural Arts Center were very
adamant about getting some of the pictures of Lupe's appearance to
hang on their wall of fame (they were all huge fans of his and they
were so pleased that he came down!). Overall, the event was a huge
success, and we can't thank Lupe enough for being in the right place
at the right time. Next year, we would love to have him come back and
hopefully do a performance for our benefit concert. I slipped his
manager my card and told him we would love to book him, and then shook Lupe's hand and thanked him again. I told him that he was one of the main reasons I had been working for Atlantic, that it was my plan from the start to try to get him to come down for our Hip-Hop for Hope event, and that it was truly a dream come true. This type of event
makes me just want to work even harder as a College Rep to help unite
artists with fans, promoting their music while working with them for a
much greater cause- Hope.
************************************
Summary of Hip-Hop for Hope 2006
"Hip-Hop for Hope 2006 was a great time for me to hang out with several of my students, enjoy energetic performances by leading local artists and bands, and feel good about supporting an important issue. It was a great Post-Katrina event that reminded me why I love New Orleans so much and why I am proud to be a professor at Tulane. For true hip-hop fans like me, it was non-stop action demonstrating that the New Orleans hip-hop scene has much to feel proud about. I can't wait for the next event."
- Shayne Lee, Ph.D. Sociology, Northwestern University
Ben Brubaker © 2007
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