Now entering its fifth year of existence, Hip Hop Generation, a student organization on campus, is once again holding the annual \Hip Hop As a Movement"" conference, which will take place Friday, April 16 through Sunday, April 18.
Initially a collaboration between the ASM Diversity Committee and the WUD Music Committee, HHG has grown from humble beginnings to become a force in hip-hop. The first university hip-hop conference of its kind, the success of ""Hip Hop As a Movement"" has spawned copies all over the country while garnering the name recognition necessary to book big-name artists.
Many artists contribute to the event due to its social significance.
""A lot of people take severe cuts in pay just because they know that this is such a great event, they get exposure, and they're doing a good cause for the hip-hop community,"" said Errol Packard, WSUM music director and HHG collaborator. Included in this year's lineup are hip-hop legend Afrika Bambaataa, dead prez, Young Bloodz, Jean Grae and Prime.
In addition to Friday and Saturday night performances, ""Hip Hop As a Movement"" will feature a wide variety of panels and workshops, all of which will take place at Union South. Included in the mix are such themes as ""Creativity-Diversifying the Art of DJ'ing: Turntablism, Mixtapes, Production, Radio, Mixshows"" and ""Doin' the Damn Thang: Real Life Stories from the Independent Rap Hustle.""
Arguably the most intriguing element of the conference, especially in an election year, is the political movement panels. There, hip-hop activists, artists and registered participants will come together to discuss and strategize grassroots efforts to organize youth through hip-hop culture.
The events of the conference are a powerful tool for uniting a diverse group of people while also assisting the university in its quest to diversify the campus.
""We really want to show that Madison, even though it might not be so diverse, can have events like this that can appeal to people of color and diverse backgrounds. Events like this help the university,"" Packard said.
Anyone interested in participating can register for the conference at www.hiphopgeneration.org or at Union South beginning at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday and Sunday. The panels and workshops are all free, as is Friday's concert at Memorial Union. Friday's show at Luther's Blues, 1401 University Ave., is $12 and Saturday's show at The Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St., is $20 in advance and $22 the day of the show. Dorm residents can receive $5 off Saturday's show by presenting a printed copy of the e-mail they received from Hip Hop Generation.
