There's nothing I love more than representing the youth of today through intelligent Hip-Hop. So often what passes for mainstream rap is a complete misrepresentation. That's why I love forums that allow young people to speak for themselves, so I'm extremely excited to be headed to Portland, Oregon for the 5th annual Youth Summit at Portland State University.
Imani Muhammad was inspired to start the Youth Summit when one of her students, 14-year-old Devonte Lightfoot, was shot and killed in 2007. According to the Oregonian Imani said, "I woke up one night and said, 'Why don't I pull the youth together and have them express how they're feeling, have them speak their minds and have the adults and the rest of us just listen?" Just a few moths later Imani and her students put together youth panels, spoken word performances and workshops. Five years later the Youth Summit has continued to grow in number and influence.
This year I'll be hosting the Kick Off Jam and Youth Talent Showcase at Portland State University on Friday at 6:00pm. Young People will be participating in categories that include EMCEES, Spoken Word, Vocal, and Dance. On Saturday, the Summit starts at 11:30am at Portland State with workshops by myself, Mic Crenshaw, Karanja Crews, Blacque Butterfly and Dluxthelight. My workshop is entitled "How to Succeed in Hip-Hop Without Selling Your Soul". I'll also be performing both days alongside Hip-Hop group Black Market. This will be my first time in Portland so I'm really looking forward to it!
For updates on Portland's 5th Annual Y.O.U.th Summit go to http://youthsummit09.blogspot.com/