Weekend combines entertainment, education
The 4th Akron Hip-Hop Showcase, Sept. 3, will feature national and local music acts, and the event is joined by a whole weekend of culture, music and education. MC Lyte and EPMD will take the stage at downtown Akron's Lock 3, along with up-and-coming Ohio artist Stalley, Tanya Morgan and DJ Krate Digga. The event combines live entertainment with community education in order to help counteract the negative impact that culture, media and hip-hop music have on urban youth and their communities.
The showcase begins at 5 p.m., and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under age 12.
The weekend also includes the Akron premiere of actor Michael Rapaport’s critically acclaimed film “Beats, Rhymes & Life - the Travels of A Tribe Called Quest," a film about the legendary music group, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. at the Akron Civic Theatre. Tickets for the movie are $5. On Saturday morning (Sept. 3), a free community conference entitled “Popular Culture & the Media – Their Impact on Urban Youth and their Communities" will examine the psychological and social impacts that popular culture and the media play in the lives of urban youth.
The aforementioned MC Lyte, a well-known international recording artist and national youth mentor, is the guest speaker for the conference. The conference, which takes places Sept. 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., also will include three informational breakout sessions: The Psychological Impact of Popular Culture & the Media on Urban Communities, facilitated by Dr. John Queener of The University of Akron’s Department of Counseling and Minority Behavioral Health Group; Swag Reloaded – Redefining Style and Excellence in Urban Youth, which will be hosted by Brian Hamlin of Saint Gabrielle Street and Prince Georges Community College; and Non-traditional Approaches to Engaging and Educating Urban Youth, facilitated by Gabriel Benn, Founder of Edlyrics, LLC and Guerilla Arts, Inc.
This conference is geared toward students, parents, teachers, administrators, mentors or anyone else who is interested in better understanding the plight of the contemporary urban young person. To register for the conference, send an e-mail to .
The conference is a collaborative effort between Keepers of the Art, Inc., the Knight Foundation and the Department of Pan African Studies at The University of Akron. The Department of Pan African Studies offers the specialty course “The Political Economy of Hip-Hop." This course offers an in-depth look into the social, political and economic impact of hip-hop culture domestically and internationally.
For more information about the conference, or any of the other events, visit www.keepersoftheart.com, or contact Executive Director Ismail Al-Amin a call at (330) 990-1178.
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