The Streets of Hip Hop and SF

Wow. If you ever had a chance to see Chor Boogie's work on a Cali wall you'd say "that boy got talent". Several months ago, I first heard about this talented muralist's graffiti through a friend. I friended him immediately on FB because I wanted to stay up on his latest project.

In this blog post dated Nov. 7th, Shannon Butler shares sad news about Chor Boogie's recent stabbing while painting a mural as part of San Francisco's Storefronts project. Good thing he was able to chase them away from his paint. I hope he gets well soon.

A lot of folks were wondering when I'd post a follow-up to the blog (post Hip Hop Conference). Well, here it is!

Several photos from the conference are posted on this site with more to come. Links to the panel discussion with the pioneers of hip hop are here: http://www.cornell.edu/video/details.cfm?vidID=396&display=preferences and in the list of links to the right.

So, sit back, listen, and explore this most monumental two-days in hip hop history.

Official Cornell Hip Hop Conference Afterparty!

Beyond Books - Old Skool Hip Hop Radio

In my quest to continue expanding the blog, I am posting some flava in ya ear (to borrow a Crag Mack'ism). The few that follows represent some of the hottest new and old skool Hip Hop radio shows, podcasts, and videos to help you catch up on all the art that you're missing. Stay tuned for more...

The Wake Up Show
Hosted by Sway and King Tech
http://ursession.com/wakeupshow/#19292

WEFUNK Radio
From Canada & Hosted by Professor Groove and DJ Static Team
http://www.wefunkradio.com/

DJ Cyrus Podcast
B-Boy Classics Radio Vol. 1 - (5/11/2007)
http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/audio/radio/live/detail.asp?ID=46

Classic Hip Hop Mix. Old School Pioneers Video
ErskineSeven from Long Island
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3923316879672802133&hl=en

Celebrating the Origins of Hip Hop: Pioneers of Hip Hop Bring New Cornell University Library Collection to Life

FOR RELEASE:
Contact: Gwen Glazer
Phone: (607) 254-8390
E-mail: grg59@cornell.edu

Celebrating the Origins of Hip Hop
Pioneers of Hip Hop Bring New Cornell University Library Collection to Life

ITHACA, N.Y. (Aug. 21, 2008) – Afrika Bambaataa and other pioneers of hip hop will travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to speak at a two-day conference celebrating Cornell University Library’s acquisition of “Born in the Bronx: The Legacy and Evolution of Hip Hop,” a collection that documents the early days of hip hop with recordings, photographs, posters and more.
Events on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 will include music, performances and lectures by several of hip hop’s founders, and roundtable discussions led by prominent speakers from the hip hop and academic communities. Cornell University Library will host the event, which will highlight the one-of-a-kind historical materials.

“By paying tribute to those who laid the foundation, we tell our own history,” Bambaataa said. “Preserving hip hop’s early years will help future generations understand the places they come from.”

Bambaataa will address the symposium on Friday, Oct. 31 as part of a roundtable discussion featuring other hip hop pioneers such as Grandmaster Caz, Grandwizzard Theodore, Popmaster Fable, Tony Tone, Disco Wiz and Kool Lady Blue. Select artists will also perform in Alice Statler Hall that evening.

Noted hip hop historians will speak at the event, including authors Jeff Chang and Mark Anthony Neal, associate professor of black popular culture at Duke University. Hip hop photographer Joe Conzo will present his historic images of the Bronx during the conference. The event is free and open to the public.

"We want the community at large to celebrate hip hop's contributions to American culture through a better understanding of its origins, which are the focus of this unique collection,” said Katherine Reagan, curator of Rare Books & Manuscripts at Cornell University Library.
Johan Kugelberg, a collector, curator and writer in the field of popular culture, donated the materials to the Library. Kugelberg’s book, “Born in the Bronx,” chronicles the evolution of hip hop in the South Bronx, beginning in the early 1970s. The 2,000-piece collection includes the archive of Bronx photographer Joe Conzo, vinyl records and other recordings, handmade party and club fliers, and custom-painted textiles by artist Buddy Esquire.

Visit http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/hiphop for more information.

About Cornell University LibraryOne of the leading academic research libraries in the United States, Cornell University Library is a highly valued partner in teaching, research and learning at Cornell University. The Library offers cutting-edge programs and a full spectrum of services, rare books and manuscripts and a growing network of digital resources. The Library’s outstanding collections – from medieval manuscripts to hip hop and from ancient Chinese texts to comic books – preserve the past and pave the way for future scholarship. To learn more about Cornell University Library, visit .

Ya'll Want this Party Started Right!

The images are of students who packed a classroom at the Lehman Alternative Community School a year ago to listen to an interactive media literacy presentation about Hip Hop. I worked with Eldred Harris and DJ President Ike (turntabalist from NYC who has worked with Chuck D of Public Enemy fame) to deliver the presentation. We were really impressed by how much the students know about the origins of Hip Hop. They were very interested in talking about non-commercialized Hip Hop (underground artists) and how important political messages are in the music and graffiti.

Recently, Cornell University Library under the leadership of Katherine Reagan and in collaboration with faculty, library and archives staff, and students (in particular, History Department faculty Professor Margaret Washington, grad students Danielle Heard from the English Department and Vernon Mitchell from History, undergraduate Darin Lamar Jones of Black Students United and Ellen Marsh and CUL Department of Communications staff) officially announced the Hip Hop Conference in October! Check, check, check it out right here http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/hiphop/index.html.

Right now our energy is focused on programming! In the coming weeks we will hold a series of meetings to discuss the topics for the panels and guest lectures. It's so important that anyone who has an idea share it with us! Let your voice be heard on the MIC! And remember, we're talking about the OLD SKOOL BABY! The Conference is an opportunity to explore the origins of Hip Hop and the planners are hoping it will be an event to remember!

Holla,

Ira

Shouts Out and Mad Love....

....goes to Harvard for recently hosting a Conference on "The Role of African Hip Hop." The conference was held on March 13-15 2008. The two-day event featured African Hip Hop artists and panelists from across the Dispora. Check out the conference details at: http://www.africanhiphopproject.org/Conference/.

Thanks to my homegirl and colleague Del Hornbuckle, filmaker and Associate Director for Access Services in the Baker Library at the Harvard Business School for giving me a heads up about this conference as Cornell University Library plans its own.

Personal thanks to the sponsors and supporters of the Harvard Conference for recognizing the importance of Hip Hop in global cultures "not only as an art form but as a cultural force that shapes youth culture and affects social change globally." I wish I coulda been there.

One Luv,
Ira