Before the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” there was DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Before “Run’s House,” there was Run D.M.C. Hip-hop has changed drastically throughout the years, and one campus group is gathering students to track its progress. A forum titled “Hip Hop vs. America” will be held at 7 p.m. in the African-American Cultural Center. It is hosted by the University chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and Shanelle Matthews, and participants will debate the state of hip-hop and major issues affecting it. Aaron Phipps, the Alpha social chair and former National Pan-Hellenic Council president of the University chapter, said there is a clear need to discuss hip-hop and its true meaning because it has been lost in translation over the years. “We want to open the lines of communication between those deeply tied in the hip-hop culture and those who are affected by it the most,” Phipps said. The debate will be an informal discussion between audience members and panelists. Guest panelists include University football player Marlon Favorite (Big Fav) of Black Vynm, New Orleans artist David Augustine (Dee-1), Courtney Scott of Trill Entertainment, Arin Jones of Elysian Fieldz, video model Crystal St. Junious and Brandon Odums of 2-Cent. Hip Hop vs. America is modeled after the BET television special of the same name. It was aired in September to discuss the role of hip-hop in contemporary America. Everyone from Nelly to the Rev. Al Sharpton to NPR’s Farai Chideya discussed issues such as sexism, violence and materialism in hip-hop. “The biggest issue facing the genre is it mutation from a tool used to express and uplift a race that wasn’t being heard to a monster that is used as a scapegoat for anything wrong in America,” Phipps said. On BET’s “Hip Hop vs. America” blog, rap artist Beanie Sigel said, “To me, hip-hop is the No. 1 marketing tool in America right now.” Augustine, University marketing alumnus, agreed with this statement saying that the commercialization of the genre comes with mixed blessings. “It allows the culture to grow and gain fans, but the more corporate it gets, the more it loses its essence,” he said. Phipps said the purpose of the forum is to help people differentiate between true hip-hop and the corporate version. “We would like to make one step in clearing the name of hip-hop and separating it from the marketed super monster that is titled hip-hop,” he said. According to Augustine, artists that aren’t as marketable as less talented artists are having a harder time in the industry, but he said ultimately it is up to the fans to decide. “It’s just a reflection of what people want right now,” he said. “If they wanted socially conscious lyrics, that’s what they’d get.”
—-Contact Lauren Walck at [email protected]