Chi Town Stand Up! Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month 2007
Each July, Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Chicago's hip-hop artists, dancers, musicians, filmmakers, writers, activists, and community at large. Thus those who may be familiar with Kanyé West, Common, Twista, Rhymefest, No ID, Bump J, Da Brat, Malik Yusef, and Lupe Fiasco, will also discover and rediscover Ang 13, The Opus, Primeridian, Psychodrama, Elements of Nature, Chi Rock, DJ’s 3rd Rail and Jesse de la Peña; sets at Lower Links, Li Ex, Blue Groove Lounge and Freedom Rag events at Bop Shop; The edutainment of Kuumba Lynx; The tireless work of Hip-Hop Congress, University of Hip-Hop, Universal Zulu Nation and Chicago Hip-Hop PAC; Reading Caught in the Middle magazine, Flypaper, and Upski's Bomb The Suburbs.
Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month was adopted by the Jul. 9, 2003, Chicago City Council resolution introduced by 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr., at the request of co-founder Amina Norman-Hawkins, (then primarily emcee/poet, and director of the urban music network, Chicago Urban Mines). The ordinance was drafted by writer/filmmaker Mark F. Armstrong, supporter and contributor to Chicago Urban Mines. "We were initially thinking of celebrating for a day, or a week, but then I figured why NOT go for a month. Why not have a whole month to celebrate Chicago hip-hop. I celebrate it everyday!" says Amina Norman-Hawkins, Executive Director of Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative. Approval of the resolution proclaiming Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month as an official city observance led to the incorporation of the Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative in early September 2003, which established C.H.I. was chartered and established as a non-for-profit hip-hop community development organization promoting the development, growth, and preservation of hip-hop culture in Chicago.
C.H.I. now organizes and partners with local organizations and individuals throughout the month of July to create events, platforms, and arenas, to explore, experience, and appreciate the cultural importance of hip-hop, and implement effective tools for using hip-hop to positively affect social change. Among events set for Hip-Hop Heritage Month 2007 are artists showcases, workshops, art exhibitions, youth empowerment events, film screenings. For complete listing and details visit www.chihiphop.org, “There’s an identity crisis going on in the hip-hop community right now. It’s time to restore the art of authentically practicing the culture, through the elements, and using that energy to build the communities in which we live.” says Amina Norman-Hawkins, president of Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative. “It’s time to reclaim our youth, our communities, and our voice... hip-hop is the perfect vehicle.”
