11.11.11
I have so much to share with you and so few spaces left to write… at least in this particular format, but I will do my best. I am extremely excited as usual because I am in Sydney and I am finding so many venues that allow hip-hop artist who have a social conscious message to speak… yet at the same time, a bit of a paradox exist, because while people are interested in their message, they have a hard time getting main stream attention.
One place I have visited several times during my stay in Sydney is Krosswerdz. Krosswerds is a Christian based hip-hop church based in Sydney, which has been in existence for 5 years. It meets once per month on the last Saturday of each month (except December). Krosswerdz enacts the four main elements of hip-hop (emceeing, DJing, graffiti and breaking), into their monthly church services. I found out about Krosswerdz from several sources. I believe MC Trey was the first person to suggest I attend a service. The first session I was able to attend was held in October, 2010. I was immediately impressed with several components of the church.
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Three Things
There is no doubt that Sydney has a dynamically growing hip-hop culture with several facets. It was great to see how hip-hop in Sydney represented itself when it was incorporated into three high profile events with a global appeal.
Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD) All Access Conference
MMAD united aspiring performers, with Australia’s most popular musicians and industry representatives in one location for a two day event. Participants were allowed to choose from a range of session focused on topics in both the business and creative side of the music including music, including songwriting, marketing, and performing. This conference had several components that related to my research. For example, there was one strand of sessions that allowed participants to see the global relationship that exist between music and social justice. Additionally artist who had developed relationships with the New South Wales school system explained the process for conducting workshops as well as concerts in tandem with school events, (in both non-profit and for-profit endeavors). Artist such as Morganics and The Street Warriors talked about their work in the Aboriginal community. Bliss from Bliss N Eso explained how they had to develop social media and digital technology skills in order to promote themselves and hone their craft. Morganics, Mistery, Miracle, MC Trey, and Mind Over Matter, spoke on a panel about the history of hip-hop in Australia, as well as the positive impact of many of the collaborations they have taken part in throughout their career. Each of these artists has worked with numerous youth based programs and has helped several current artist launch their career.
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I’m Not Racist But…
Definitely a compelling title right? This was the title of a community conversation held at the Seymour Center on the University of Sydney’s campus. It was one of many events hosted in part by the New South Wales Reconciliation Council targeted to fight racism in Australia directed predominately towards the indigenous community and refugees. L-Fresh, a.k.a ‘The Lion’, was one of four invited speakers. I have had the pleasure of working with him while I volunteered at Street University (which I will tell you about more in my next post). He is a hip-hop artist who has shared the stage with Nas, Public Enemy and Urthboy and spoken at conventions, most recently for Amnesty International. L-Fresh (picture courtesy of L-Fresh) is a young vibrant artist who has a way of succinctly stating really big ideas and deep thought… yet he is very approachable, and always ready to share a smile. So listening to his accounts of how he was made to feel different because of his religious practices was both saddening (because of how he was treated) and inspirational (because of how he handled it). I asked him to expand a bit more on the topic, and he provided this statement…
“I feel like there is a deep-rooted need for distinction or definition. The scene in Australia is very much divided. Hip-hop in Australia is still very much underground. It is only just beginning to tap into the mainstream. Nevertheless, there still feels as though there is a sort of mainstream and underground divide.
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Poetic Justice… It’s in the Lyrics!
I don’t know if you have ever experienced the following, but it happens to me quite often: you hear a song on a radio with a beat that captivates you. It has a great hook and chorus that are easy enough to remember. You buy a copy for your mp3 player and are listening to the song constantly. After a few more days, you actually take the time to listen to the lyrics and are aghast that the song is suggesting you do things that would definitely end any future bids for public office… OR in a better scenario, you find the song is encouraging you to think about an issue or social justice topic such as climate change, in a different light, or become an active participant against the societal ills that may surround you. It happens to me more often than I would care to admit; the music outweighs the lyrics and I immediately miss the intended (and unintended messages). I found this is one of the reasons poetry slams have become a popular venue for some hip-hop artist here in NSW, as well as throughout Australia. These artist use the poetry slams as a way to make sure their voices (and in some cases) lyrics, are heard above the music.
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Hip-Hop, Global Citizenship and Double Consciousness
I mentioned in my first blog, that I was trying to work with an organization called ICE (the Information and Cultural Exchange). It looks like I will work as a “Thinker-in-Residence.” I am truly excited about this opportunity! In this role, I will be teaching a global hip-hop technology class in their new center. Additionally, I will work as part of the ICE team to help think of creative solutions to help reach some of their long-term goals, as well as help evaluate some of the hip-hop related events they have sponsored.
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Up to four awards will be available to pursue projects around an aspect of international contemporary or popular music as a cultural force for expression. Preference will be given to creative projects that are conveyed in a dynamic fashion and are accompanied by a feasible plan. In addition to presenting unique projects on music as a global force for mutual understanding. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2012.