WASHINGTON, D.C.— “IF I RULED THE BLOGOSPHERE: Hip-Hop Blogs and Social Change” will feature prominent hip-hop bloggers in a dynamic conversation about how artists are gaining traction online, the impact of technology on music promotion and how bloggers and artists can raise awareness about important issues in the hip-hop community and beyond.
Co-sponsored by Words Beats & Life (WBL) and Future of Music Coalition (FMC), the event takes place on Saturday, April 3 at Busboys & Poets (14th and V Streets NW, Washington, D.C.) from 4-7 p.m.
WASHINGTON, D.C.— “IF I RULED THE BLOGOSPHERE: Hip-Hop Blogs and Social Change” will feature prominent hip-hop bloggers in a dynamic conversation about how artists are gaining traction online, the impact of technology on music promotion and how bloggers and artists can raise awareness about important issues in the hip-hop community and beyond.
Co-sponsored by Words Beats & Life (WBL) and Future of Music Coalition (FMC), the event takes place on Saturday, April 3 at Busboys & Poets (14th and V Streets NW, Washington, D.C.) from 4-7 p.m.
“With shifts in how we consume information—from blog posts to Twitter, Google Reader and Facebook, to name a few—the hip-hop generation looks to the wit and wisdom of its bloggers to guide trends, address social injustices and to promote hip-hop music and culture,” says Simone Jacobson, Director of The Cipher at Words Beats & Life, the organization’s capacity building resource. “Yet with music and technology moving at such a rapid pace, hip-hop artists and advocates increasingly have a lot of questions about how to get a foot in the door. This event will give them an opportunity to interact with the most influential hip-hop bloggers in the country. There’s also the question about how we can plug in to the issues that impact our community as hip-hop artists, consumers and writers, which we’re very excited to explore.”
The first half of the discussion will feature hip-hop bloggers such as Meka Udoh (2 Dope Boyz), Dallas Penn (Dallas Penn & the Internets Celebrities), Jason Reynolds (OkayPlayer), Frank William Miller Junior (FWMJ of rappersiknow.com) and Chris Rabb (Afro-Netizen) talking about why they do what they do and what they’re looking for to create compelling content. These dedicated champions of hip-hop will address questions like: “How do I get attention for my project?” “What should I be thinking about in terms of web presence?” “What kinds technologies exist to help me do all this?”
Following these discussions, Future of Music Coalition will talk about how policy shapes what the hip-hop community does, where it goes and what it says on the online. FMC will also present information that bloggers, artists, and fans can use to protect their right to free speech and entrepreneurship via the open Internet.
A question and answer/peer learning session will also take place immediately after, during which attendees will be able to network with peers, panelists and presenters.
About Words Beats & Life
Founded in 2002, Words Beats & Life transforms individual lives and whole communities through the training in and presentation of the elements of hip-hop culture. We believe that hip-hop can serve as the necessary filter between hope and despair for DC youth and families. WBL accomplishes its goals through two main program areas—The DC Urban Arts Academy and The Cipher. The Academy is a pre-vocational arts program for youth, ages 5-23, in the District of Columbia and The Cipher is an international capacity building resource for hip-hop based organizations. Visit www.wblinc.org for more information or e-mail simone [at] wblinc [dot] org.
Future of Music Coalition is a national non-profit education, research and advocacy organization that seeks a bright future for creators and listeners. FMC works towards this goal through continuous interaction with its primary constituency — musicians — and in collaboration with other creator/public interest groups. More