Hip-hop conscious
Stefan Christoff
This month, the world marks the 30th anniversary of hip-hop's emergence from the streets of New York City - back in Oct. 1979, Sugarhill Gang's rap song Rapper's Delight first hit the charts.Ever since, hip-hop culture has developed as a global phenomenon - in sometimes unexpected ways. This weekend in Montreal, progressive hip-hop artists from around the world will converge at Concordia University to mark the occasion with the fifth Montreal Hip-Hop Symposium.
"[We'll look at] key issues that are pertinent to hip-hop culture, from hip-hop as a tool for social change to the role that hip-hop plays in social work for at-risk communities," says Diegal Leger, a co-ordinator for the symposium and an MC for Nomadic Massive. "The symposium will also address how hip-hop culture is being applied and interpreted in different communities and contexts around the globe."
Montreal's Hip-hop Symposium takes place at Concordia University between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2 and includes workshops, presentations and performances. Conference sessions include a panel on hip-hop in Havana, which looks at how the culture has been incorporated into Cubanismo, while another session focuses on the Creole rap movement and is hosted by MC Vox Sambou from Nomadic Massive.
The Montreal Hip-Hop Symposium will be a key space for reflection on rap today, from its modest origins in the disenfranchised
districts of New York City to the huge impact hip-hop continues to have on youth cultures around the world today. "Hip-hop has worked to bridge different communities and experiences of struggle from around the world," says Leger.For a full schedule of events, visit www.montrealhiphopsymposium.com.
