WOMEN IN HIP HOP CONCERT FEAT RAPSODY CELEBRATES ITS DEBUT WITH ALLIED MEDIA CONFERENCE 2016
Detroit’s first contemporary interactive Women in Hip Hop Conference launches at The Allied Media Conference this year, bringing together leading figures in Detroit’s hip hop, digital media, art, dance, and performance communities to “redefine roles and breaking the stereotypes of women in hip hop, while inspiring women in the arts.” The conference will showcase workshops, performances, discussions, and media addressing topics that range from: the international cross-cultural impact to the intersection of Hip Hop and digital technology, creative commerce: making a living in today’s music industry, and storytelling across multiple platforms. The conference will culminate with the first-ever Women in Hip Hop Concert on June 17th at the Garden Theater. Grammy Award Winning Artist Rapsody will be headlining along with special guests Mama Sol and Mahogany Jones.
The Foundation of Women in Hip Hop breaks new ground from June 16-19th with Detroit’s first Contemporary Interactive Women in Hip Hop Conference and Concert. This experience is a part of the 2016 Allied Media Conference celebrating its 18th annual event and 10 year anniversary in Detroit. Every year the conference brings together a vibrant and diverse community of people using media to incite change: filmmakers, radio producers, technologists, youth organizers, writers, entrepreneurs, musicians, dancers, and visual artists.
Throughout the Foundation of Women in Hip Hop’s weekend-long events, a fabric of passionate women will say “Bye Felicia” to the hegemonic aspects of Hip Hop Culture, and indoctrinate event goers with a unique explorations of hip hop. The conference will, “explore the historical and contemporary context, dynamics, impacts, and potential of Hip Hop music and culture on women,” while also looking to the future for ways that hip hop can uplift females across Detroit. The conference will be held on Wayne State University’s campus from June 16-19th, while the concert will be held at the beautiful Garden Theater in Midtown on June 17th.
This conference and concert is a new project from the Foundation of Women in Hip Hop, a Detroit organization with a profound and distinctive mission. This organization was founded by Piper Carter, Miz Korona and Invincible around seven years ago with an aim to, “educate and empower the community through sharing love of the arts, inspire growth, build leadership and influence the perceptions and roles or women in hip hop for current and future generations.” This organization fosters peace, love, harmony and diversity and unites artists activists and academics alike. It promotes spaces where assumptions, negativity, hatred and violence are left at the door, and invites event goers to acquire self-awareness, personal development, accountability, and listening skills. It is clear that the event will serve as a manifestation of the organizations principles.
As the foundation explains, “The three-day event will include a cipher, b-girl dance, film screening, hands-on workshops, a technology space, a recording experience, a mural, a network gathering, a community dinner, and panel discussions. The conference will also feature a concert showcasing the next generation of women in hip-hop.”
Run the Jewels
Artist Exactly Hi-Tops has been given permission to create a Run The Jewels mural, an American hip hop supergroup formed by New York City-based rapper-producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike. Event organizer, Piper Carter is excited to showcase all of the remarkable acts at the concert. Notable names such as: Jessica Care Moor, Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, Piper Carter, Rapsody, Mohogany Jones and Mama Sol, have worked tirelessly to make this event possible.
The First Annual Women in Hip Hop Concert will be headlined by 2015 Grammy Winner Rapsody, who was notably featured on Kendrick Lamar’s “Complexion (Zulu Love). A female emcee with a conscious and confident swagger, she demands that her voice and lyrics are heard. Rapsody has released a variety of solo projects with collaborations from the likes of: 9th wonder, The Cool Kids, Chance the Rapper, Big K.R.I.T. and Ab-Soul. She dives fearlessly into the hard hitting issues, giving comfort and understanding through her words. Dr. Dre has confirmed, “Rapsody, that’s my new favorite female MC. I’m gonna keep it all the way 100 with you. She’s hot!”
Rapsody
Detroit’s own Mahogany Jones is a jack of all trades- wearing hats such as activist, poet, educator, Hip Hop Ambassador, and BET’s Freestyle Fridays Champion. Mahogany takes matters facing real people and transforms them into meaningful rhymes which feed the soul.
On right, Invincible, left, Mahogany Jones.
Mama Sol is also on the bill holding down for Flint, Michigan. This Hip Hop/Neo Soul band is determined to take the genre to new heights, with a goal of, “prioritizing education, responsibility and art.” Mama Sol & the NUTZ are sure to bring their A game for the concert, and shake up listeners’ vision of the world we live in.All of this excitement does not come without hard work and collaboration. This experience has brought together some of the brightest and most passionate minds from the city and abroad, and that diversity is exactly what will make the event spectacular. As event organizer and co-founder of the Foundation of Women in Hip Hop Carter confirmed “the true essence of hip hop is the DIY culture.”
EVENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALLIED MEDIA CONFERENCE
Thursday //
“Run The Jewels” + SPIN Wall” + Exactly Hi-Tops Record Cover Work Shop // 10:00am- 5:00pm Baltimore Gallery Mural Detroit
Women from all over the country will be in attendance; with that much power in the room, what better way for us to network than for us to spend our time learning, celebrating, and discussing our respective crafts as they relate to hip hop. The networking space will be split into five 1 hour time blocks, each 1 hour time block will focus on 1 of the 5 Elements of Hip Hop (Graffiti, Emcee, B-Boy/B-Girl, DJ-ing, and Knowledge).
Exactly Hi-Tops Talks about (Girl Graffiti) “up side down inside out” // 3:30-4:30pm
A brief demonstration with discussions about the ways identity and gender interacts with Graffiti writing this will include a brief dialogue/ Q&A with audience.
Friday //
SheShock Hip Hop: Encouraging the Power of Women Beatmakers 9:00am-10:30am
SheShock Hip Hop uses music and beat making to sonically transform the lives of girls and women. This workshop introduces girls and women to music technology to help them develop skills to express themselves artistically in original, raw, and personal ways. Participants will walk away with introductory beat making skills and new creative outlets for freedom.
The Antidote, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Jendog Lonewolf and YaliniDream will share their science of lyricism, including the basics of composing a song, writing bars, wordplay, and the art of the multiple entendre. In addition, they will facilitate space to explore how hip hop can heal, empower, and serve as an antidote to what plagues our communities. Come ready to write, perform, reflect, receive feedback, work together, and share. Participants will write, memorize, practice, and strategize.
Producing Beats and Samples, 2:00pm-3:30pm
Participants will learn the basics of beats and beat making. Learning from artist Nappy Nina, we will begin building the foundations for a great track.
B-Girl Movement, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Step out of your comfort zone and try something new … BREAKING! a.k.a. Breakdancing. The B-Girl Movement seeks to create a supportive environment for young women interested in participating in breaking. In this session we will educate audiences about the involvement and history of women in b-girl/b-boy culture while pushing the boundaries of its context.
Remembering, Re[pair]rations and Reimagining, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Participants will explore how black and brown folks can build healthy, resilient communities inside out, re-imagining community and the ways we hold ourselves together outside state structures. We will use body mapping and storytelling to look at how we practice truth telling, hold our communities together, and engage in building narratives to ‘move’ our movements.
Saturday //
Introduction to DJ’ing, 9:00am – 10:30am
Stacey Hotwaxx Hale is a Detroit- based house DJ and legendary producer. This 90-minute session will teach the basics of original turntablism and allow time for some practicing.
Femmes in Hip Hop, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Where can femmes find a space of power within hip hop? The feminine persona in hip hop has been negative and hyper sexualized and we force ourselves to claim this representation of us. Participants will discuss hip hop and media literacy, deconstruct and re-map hip hop characters to understand where they came from, and explore ways we can re-brand and create a hip hop piece.
The Poetics and Politics of Hip Hop Feminism, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Join a conversation with Aisha Durham, Ph.D (author of Home with Hip Hop Feminism: Performances in Communication and Culture) and Ruth Nicole Brown, Ph.D (author of Hear Our Truths: The Creative Potential of Black Girlhood) featuring the band We Levitate, and moderated by Jessica Robinson and Blair E. Smith. We will engage in critical discussions about collective organizing and do it yourself/ourselves music making when Black girl genius is at the helm.
Reveal of Exactly Hi-Tops “Tag The Jewels” Mural, with Exactly Hi-Tops “Run the Jewels” record cover design workshop // 5:30-7:30pm Baltimore Gallery
Katie Craig will host a hands on work shop for youth this interactive will invite young people to design their interpretation of the “Run The Jewels” record cover. Youth will create record cover designs and experience live painting. This workshop promotes entrepreneurship using art and design.
Tag the Jewels is a worldwide street art initiative for which over 40 artists across 6 continents were invited to remix the group’s iconic album cover art – two opposing hands, one forming a gun, the other holding a chain the photo images our sold an proceeds go to “Art Rode” to support the efforts to educate. . The artists were given a very simple brief and the freedom to express their own unique interpretations of Nicholas Gazin’s original artwork. These signature pieces designed by respected local artists have gone up contemporaneously on walls from Los Angeles to Lagos, Paris to Jakarta, Sao Paolo to New Delhi and many more. It is the first global installation of its kind. Run the Jewels is grateful to these talented artists for their generous and inspiring contributions.
TICKET GIVEAWAY! CHECK OUT OUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT for your chance to win one Allied Media Conference ticket ($150 value) and 2 VIP tickets ($75 each in value) to the concert! We will announce the winner’s names to Allied Media by Tuesday, June 14th.
Full Schedule + Details:
Track Sessions: http://bit.ly/amc16womeninhiphop
Practice Space: Organized by DJ Hotwaxx: http://bit.ly/amc16wihhps
Network Gathering: http://bit.ly/amc16wihhng
FOLLOW WOMEN IN HIP HOP AND ALLIED MEDIA! @wefoundhiphop // @allied_media
—
Words by Hailey Dukes. New kid on the block + sponge for all things Detroit. Student to this earth and the people, places, and things on it. Walking an unceasing journey to observe, feel, analyze, understand. Inspire me! Follow Hailey on IG @wolf___hailey // Twitter @heyygirllhai
The post WOMEN IN HIP HOP CONCERT FEAT RAPSODY CELEBRATES ITS DEBUT WITH ALLIED MEDIA CONFERENCE 2016 appeared first on PLAYGROUND DETROIT.