Los Angeles, Calif., / BWP News /---THE
HIP-HOP EDUCATIONAL REVIEW (TM) is exclusively
dedicated to the development of a **dialectical bridge between Educators,
Librarians and the Hip-hop Entertainment Community.
**Dialectical (di e lek‘ ti k‘l) adj-
definition -Webster‘s New World Dictionary:
" The art or practice of examining opinions
or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer. It is based
on the principle that an idea or event (thesis) generates its opposite
(antithesis) leading to a reconciliation of opposites (Synthesis). The
general application of this principle in analysis, criticism, exposition,
etc."
The unique concept of The
HIP-HOP Educational Review for Educators and Librarians (TM)
is the brainchild of Filmmaker Bob Bryan, creator of the Multi-Award
Winning Graffiti Verite’ Documentary Video Series (www.graffitiverite.com).
For Bryan, the fundamental issue at stake here is understanding that the
most important component in communications is the unfettered enthusiastic
ongoing dialogue between parties. To that end, Educators and Librarians
are invited to review selected works by well-known commercially successful
artists, as well as, lesser known up-and-coming underground Hip-hop artists.
In this forum they will be expressing their honest opinions and / or apprehension
on the educational value and relevance of the reviewed material in relation
to their current Educational environment. These invaluable opinions will
be based upon their experiences, Educational Curriculum goals, as well
as, it‘s changing scholastic landscape and target audience.
"We're not looking for a group of intellectual
snobs and Hip-hop haters who'll try
and use this forum as an opportunity to put down what they don't really
understand.
Rather, we're looking for open-minded communicators (educators) who are
eager to involve themselves creatively, emotionally and intellectually
in the complex
human drama that plays out within the
world of Hip-hop. I must add however
that this Review Forum will not be sanctuary
for the thin-skinned Hip-hop true believer.
We will be approaching Hip-hop with the
comprehension of it's entertainment value, as well as,
it's Educational and Communication potential.
In the end, I hope we can have some fun with it,
while exposing some raw talent and daring
to learn something about each other.
This is all about software, programming,
education and change, " shares Bob.
THE HIP-HOP EDUCATIONAL
REVIEW (TM) encourages feedback
from the general public, as well as, the reviewed artists themselves.
We feel that there is great value in discussing the various reference points
of views, intentions and goals of each party’s voice within this dialectical
incubator.
In the past, Educators and
Librarians have had difficulty in assessing the value of most Hip-hop material.
Historically, they’ve discovered that if they were to use the reviews of
the traditional mass media reviewers, the inherent commercial bias and
programming concerns would prevent them from getting a more objective assessment
of the materials in consideration for their specialized needs.
Others have failed to see Hip-hop modality as a Multi-Intelligence
communications paradigm and are unfortunately blind to its potential
as a teaching and learning tool.
By using the talents of other
respected Educators and Librarians to review selected materials,
they will have a more well-informed and trusted source for suggesting the
integration of the Hip-hop Resource Materials
into the school curriculum and libraries around the country. The advantage
to the Hip-hop artist is that they will gain much needed media exposure
and specifically crafted opinion feedback that will give them a gauge by
which to draw upon when or if they decide to target their work to the highly
prized and respected Educational Marketplace .
THE HIP-HOP EDUCATIONAL
REVIEW (TM) will review
all DVD, CD and Interactive Game products that are related to the four
(4) elements of Hip-Hop. These elements include Breakdancing (B-Boy Dancing),
DJing (Turntablism), Graffiti Art (Urban Hieroglyphics) and MC’ing (Rap).
These Sacred Elements of Hip-hop (TM)
may be depicted and expressed within the formats of :
All vendors, Publicists, Marketing
& Promotion Professionals interested in having their Artists reviewed
by T.H.H.E.R.
are requested to please send us a complete Publicity Package which should
include:
Artist’ History and related articles
Distributors Info
Management Info
Photos
Press Release
Pricing
Product to be reviewed
Record Company
The Release date
Where can the item be purchased?
Due to the volume of product being
reviewed, Independent Artists, Distributors, Motion Picture / TV Studios,
Record Companys, Vendors and Publicists should please allow 4-6
weeks for the product review to be published
on the Graffiti Verite’ website upon receipt. There
is no implied guarantee that submitted products will be selected for review.
For information on how to contribute as
an Hip-hop Educational Reviewer, please contact Loida.
We're currently looking for:
Artists
Art teachers
Authors
Community Activists
Dance Instructors
Educational Administrators
Educational Therapists
Fashion Designers
Filmmakers
General Education Teachers
Guidance Counselors
Hip-hop Artists
Librarians
Music Producers
Music Teachers
Poets
Psychologists
Professional Reviewers
Religious Leaders
School Board Members
Social Anthropologists
Sociologists
Student Teachers
General Public (the audience)
Sponsors and Advertisers interested in
supporting this Review
should also contact Loida Mariano.
Educational Review Contributors
"Hello, this is Sage-El.
I am a spiritual hip hop artist now residing in Tampa, Florida. Originally
from the ATL, I was raised by mother hip hop and as an active member of
the hip hop community, am continuing my journey into the new arena of education.
I have an extensive background in journalism
(3-time award winner) as an Editor in Chief, novel and memoir writing,
screenwriting, poetry, and hip hop production.
My website is www.sageel.com
if you require more information.
I am one of the soldiers that will fight for
mother hip hop. During these last days, she has been in the hospital numerous
times, she cannot continue to live on escalade videos and overblown budgets.
She wants her children out in the world, spreading
the gospel of hip hop.
Today, I am choosing to join Bob's team as
a disciple for her.
Sincerely yours,
Sage-El
"Thank you for the opportunity, Bob!
I love the GV films. Our library has
the first two volumes!" --Scott Woods
SCOTT WOODS is the author and editor of
over nine volumes of poetry (Can You Hear Me Now? and Freedom
to Speak: The 2002 National Poetry Slam most recently), Scott Woods
has performed in a number of venues and with an assortment of accompaniments.
His work has been used in creative writing and historical literature classes
at numerous universities and high schools, and was recently featured multiple
times on National Public Radio. He has published articles,
reviews and other prose work in a variety of publications in print and
multi-media platforms. He is currently vice-president of the Executive
Council of Poetry Slam Inc., which oversees the annual National
Poetry Slam; MCs a weekly open mic series in Columbus, Ohio; and is
the founder of the Greatest Slow Jam Ever website.
http://www.greatestslowjamever.com http://www.blackair.org
"I was very interested to the formulation
of The Hip Hop Educational Review.
It sounds very interesting and I would love to contribute. I am an educator
in the New York Public School System and a freelance journalist. My resume
is attached for your review, but below is a brief description of some of
my work.
I have a Liberal Arts degree from Hampshire
College in Amherst, Massachusetts. I was fortunate enough to attend an
institution that encouraged me to develop my own curriculum and to focus
on work that fosters my passion for youth and education. For my undergraduate
thesis project I completed three chapters of a book entitled Change
The Beat, which explores the ways in which Hip Hop music and culture
can be used to inspire and mobilize Black youth in America.
Author Todd Boyd calls Hip Hop
culture The New H.N.I.C. replacing the impact and success
of The Civil Rights Movement as the dominant ethos among the Hip Hop generation.
Although the values of the culture are deeply entrenched with violence,
sexism, homophobia and hyper-materialism, I believe that Hip Hop has the
capability to motivate and educate people towards fighting against injustices
such as the war in Iraq, racial profiling, the prison industrial complex,
and other issues that are ignored by mainstream media. I am still working
through many of the ideas and contradictions that arise from my position,
such as the positive and negative affects of commercialization on the culture,
artist responsibility and coded academic language versus accessible informal
writing in Hip Hop journalism. The book is a work in progress that I will
seek to publish once completed."
Thank you for your time and attention.Best,
--Orisanmi
"Bob, What a fantastic and stimulating conversation
we had today! I am surely looking forward to viewing GV5
so I can get more insight into how your hip hop material is guiding the
development of curriculum with educators. I truly hope that i can speak
with individuals that you may know so I can look more closely at the positive
impact of hip hop on young people. As I stated to you in our conversation, I
am bringing together a cadre of researchers and academicians to apply for
a Center's for Disease Control (CDC)
grant related to violence prevention. I am specifically interested
in identifying organizations/programs which use hip hop as their primary
contextual backdrop for programming in order to determine their effectiveness
in reducing violence and self destructive behavior among adolescents. As
you know, there is limited empirical research regarding the effective use
of hip hop as an empowering tool for developing young people. Most of the
emerging research today centers on the negative attitudinal and behavioral
effects of rap on young people. Progammatically, I will be proposing the development
of a small consortium of organizations/programs (6-8 total) which serve
young people and have a major thematic emphasis on various aspects of hip
hop. The organizations would represent a diverse set of approaches
in using hip hop. Some would focus on production, others might focus on
grafitti art, while others may emphasize media literacy. A research
model would be implemented which would follow these programs for three
years and analyze data regarding violence reduction and aspects of successful
implementation of hip hop strategies. The group would meet once per year
as a consortium to share strategies and receive technical assistance in
further program development. Bob, if you know of other organizations/programs
which might be compatible with our research, I would love for you to share
those individuals with me. Thanks again for your time and consideration." Sincerely,
--Jimmy Cunningham, Family and Community Violence Prevention (FCVP)
Program www.fcvp.org " Hi Loida, I am a school teacher who is interested
in more information about the Hip-Hop
Review....I would love to be a part of this. Actually, when I was
awarded a week at the Florida Center for Teachers, they had several topics
to choose from that we would spend the week learning about and the one
I chose was called "Hip-Hop,
Hoops, and Homies."
It was my first real exposure into the history
of it all and the masterful thinking that goes into it. Through many field
trips, speakers and performances, I got to the know different genres, and
realized that there is so much more talent out there besides the stuff
we hear on public radio. Let me know what I need to do next. Thanks." --Lisa Hronjak
"Dear Loida or Bob Bryan, I am applying to
be a Reviewer for HIP-HOP
Educational Review for Educators and Librarians. My experience in
these areas are extensive. As an educator/teacher (elementary / middle
school and ESL in Veracruz,MX) community activist, former library employee,
writer / poet, promotor / manager / lecturer of hip hop / urban Music,
arts volunteer, literacy volunteer. My perspective is unique for I am an
Elder / senior African-American female with a deep appreciation of HIP-HOP.
Please advise on the next step. Thank you." --Frances Faye Worthy
"I love this. I am so happy to see this existing.
This site is what young people and the elders in the community need to
build new bridges. I'm excited to be a part of this team." --Adisa
"The Bishop of Hip- Hop" Banjoko "Hello. My name is Jonathan. I'm one of the
founders of The Ave Magazine (check our website: www.theavemagazine.com),
and I'm also a teacher at a small, public highschool in Brooklyn, NY. I
have a lot of experience with hiphop journalism, education, and the combination
of the two.
This project
you're launching sounds interesting to me, and I'd like to be involved.
I could provide ideas for articles, and would be interested in doing some
writing for you as well.. I would like to get a little further clarification
on what type / length of articles you're looking for.
Please let me know where we can go from here.
Thanks a lot." --Jonathan Osler
"I'm a librarian. Maybe not the hippest, but
definitely, definitely not the most conventional and definitely interested
in contributing--both professionally and personally. Current work includes
an NSF funded grant to develop Web site content for middle school kids
(particularly under-represented populations), presenting them with non-traditional
career choices (ok, some of them are "traditional" but not for the population
we are targeting).
Let me know what, if anything, I can do!" --Audrey Borus
"Hey, when I read this posting, I was so excited.
I am a multicultural studies teacher with K-6 and there is so much lack
of resources to choose diverse, interesting, applicable material.
So, I am pleased to be a part of this. Also, I have worked to publish
articles with different publications. I look forward to working with
you!" --Danette "I recently read an email looking for teachers
to become HIP-HOP REVIEWERS. I am a school
teacher for grades k-12 and although I see the validity in incorporating
HIP-HOP; I believe that other teachers will not unless they are 'convinced'
by other educators. Therefore, I would be interested in becoming
a reviewer in order to spread the good word and have other students succeed
like mine have in the past. Thanks" --Cristina Melendez "I am an Arts teacher interested in Hip Hop
as a way of intergrating the visual and performing arts. I teach
an intermedia class which uses dance, theatre, music, painting and technology
to give students a voice about their world and their culture. Today's
students require multi-sensory experiences to make their learning meaningful.
Hip Hop brings all the arts together in a synthesis of sight and sound.
"Hip-hop is music, theater, poetry, dance –
it’s a style, it’s an attitude, a way of life. Most importantly,
it gives youth avoice, a way to express
themselves.
Hip-hop is a positive influence. It is
a celebration of the human spirit. Listen to the music, and your
body begins to move. Spoken words follow the beat, meeting in rhyme.
Wild style letters in vibrant colors appear in the mist of aerosol on a
public wall. Hip-hop music, poetry, movement and color– a language
rich in the urban culture of today. Hip-hop has become an art form
by the people and for the people. It has taken art out of the gallery
and onto the street.
Arts Education
is only relevant if it takes into account the cultural context in which
it exists. Our students want their life experiences to be relevant.
They want to be creators and not emulators. Our students and schools
are the barometers of our changing culture. As educators, we need
to help students understand the complexity and diversity of the world they
live in and the positive contributions they can make. This makes
a strong case for integration of this cultural phenomenon into the regular
curriculum...(continued)" --Breaking
it Down in the Middle: Pop and Hip-hop in Iowa --Jim Jacobmeyer, Art Teacher at Metro High
School, Cedar Rapids Iowa
"Peace Loida, My name is Jennifer Calderon
(j-Love) and I am an educator and hip-hop activist. I am interested in
submitting to the Hip-Hop Educational
Review. I have worked as an organizer and activist with youth and
in the Hip-Hop community for the last 13 years. I have taught several classes
on Hip-Hop and politics for high school students as well as how to use
hip-hop in education and hip-hop to move political agendas forward.
As a white woman engaged in hip-hop culture
I also work with the issues of white privilege in Hip-Hop and beyond, and
most recently presented at Harvard for the Colorlines Conference." --J-Love, White
Like Me (Essay)
" Hi This project sounds fantastic and I would
love to be involved. l'm a music journalist, youth worker (l deliver music
industry related courses in youth centre's across UK), a promoter and a
freelance artist relations rep for PUMA. How do i go about becoming involved
or at least writing for this project? I look forward to hearing from you." --Sarah Bentley, UK "Those who doubt the power of using Hip-Hop
in the realm of education to advance literacy, empower youths to make wiser
choices and encourage students to reach for their innermost best are not
recognizing the significant opportunities we, as teachers, have right now
sitting at our feet. Our nation's youth needs intelligent, respectable,
savvy voices to stand up and validate the undeniable literary merit of
these new artists so that relevance and accessibility once again become
part of the contemporary academic curriculum." --Alan Sitomer, Educator " Hip Hop problems? Who’s responsible?
Do we continue to point the figure? After twenty five years of broadcasting
for the nation’s finest Radio and TV outlets the answers have hit me. I
am responsible for the allowing the lack of balance in entertainment. That’s
right, I tuned out while the corporate dollar slowly closed the door. The
variety the messages are few but the mediums for the messages constantly
grow. The days of AM or the lonely Black FM are long gone. MTV then
BET you can’t count the outlets that dominate broadcast media but you are
well aware of the messages.
The constant barrage of bling, sex and
drugs are prevalent. Many blame big business and the corporate take over.
I don’t because I made the choice to turn while our children listen intently.
We wonder why the messages have groomed today’s youth to their current
state of mess. I lost my mind while collecting six digit salaries for NBC
and BET. My bling turned into a house, luxury ride and a occasional mind
altering package. I escaped unlike many of today’s young hip hop generation
because I was blessed by balanced. I understood the difference in music
and reality. Balance is hearing songs of struggle mixed with uplifting
reality.
Unfortunately we hear only one voice now the
usual where we came from but never where we are at. Head bobbing, brainwashing,
bitch slapping lyrics and videos. Have you complained or simply changed
the channel? The sad thing is I have realized the next generation
is locked in living it daily. Blunt smoking forty ounce drinking radio
and TV is the only option for many of today’s Urban youth. Yes I
am well aware that the masses create the platinum artist but statistics
prove that income and education provides values. How do we change
the message from the messenger?(continued) --Paul Porter
"I am a middle-aged, middle-class, white Southerner,
who, for almost thirty years has studied and been moved by the creative
and powerful output of African-American writers and artists.
I specifically followed the explosion of Hip Hop music, dance, graffiti
and rap since its early days. My main interest is underground Hip
Hop, that more honest, gritty, incisive language of the street, where the
audience is clearly the African-American community from which it springs.
I've tried to articulate the true message of that non-commercial, clear-eyed
and honest commentary and why it is important for a larger audience to
reflect on that message." --John Alexander, Manager of Instructional
Technology, ITC "My name is Tammara Williams. I am an educator,
currently teaching at the University of Oklahoma. I teach both African
American Studies and teacher education courses. I am also a certified high
school teacher (social studies and English) who continues to work with
middle school and high school students, though I am currently not teaching
in the public high school classroom.
I would like to volunteer as an Educational
Reviewer in my capacity as a General Education Teacher. If you would
like a copy of my vita in order to better review my qualifications, please
let me know." --Tammara
D. Williams
"Dear Mr. Bryan, It was fabulous speaking
with you yesterday. I was delighted to read about the launch of your
Hip-Hop Educational Review, and I hope
to contribute in any way possible. I work in the conflict resolution
and diversity education fields, and have trained, facilitated and participated
in cross-cultural, intergenerational, and interfaith dialogues and workshops,
as means of promoting open, honest and sometimes difficult discussions
with the goal of increasing understanding amongst people.
As a narrative and conflict analyst, I feel
that people's words, lyrics, stories, metaphors, etc. provide excellent
sociological snapshots, and can be a great way to help people understand
each others' realities (which is one of my great missions in life).
I have been a fan of Hip-hop since I was a kid, and have always thought
that more people should actually "listen" to what is being said, rather
than making assumptions based on what the mainstream media tells us. I
am very excited about the expansion of Hip-hop in the educational realm,
as there is so much for so many people to learn from it.
I would be honoured to review any materials
that you would like to pass along. Thanks again for your consideration,
and I look forward to continuing the conversation! All the best, --Jennifer R. Narod
"I see Hiphop as the expression of creative
intelligence and in the words of KRS as victory over the streets for youth.
As a Hiphop head since before it was called Hiphop I'm interested in a
positive exchange between artists and the academic community to create
a better understanding on both sides and to promote the positive aspects
of the culture and continue to improve areas needing work." --Akil, the hiphopscholar @ www.hiphopscholar.org "I am interested in keeping informed about
this review. I have read a little about the discourse of Hip Hop, but haven't
studied it much. However, I know that there are important things
being said and perspectives being shared. I am about to graduate with a
masters in Elementary Ed and my undergrad degree, many years ago, was in
music. I often use rap in my lessons." -Anthony Morano, MSEd Candidate "Please add me to your contact list for the
Hip-hop Educational Review. I think
this would be a great way of following intelligent discourse about the
music, something that doesn't often occur.
Daniel Garrett is a graduate of the
New School for Social Research. His work has been published in The
African, AIM/America’s Intercultural Magazine, AltRap.com, American Book
Review, Art & Antiques, The Audubon Activist, Black American Literature
Forum, Changing Men, The City Sun, Frictionmagazine.com, The Humanist,
Hyphen, Illuminations, Muse-Apprentice-Guild.com, Option, The Quarterly
Black Review of Books, Rain Taxi, Red River Review, The Review of Contemporary
Fiction, The St. Mark’s Poetry Project Newsletter, 24FramesPerSecond.com,
UnlikelyStories.org, World Literature Today, and a few small book anthologies. --Daniel Garrett, Journalist
" I have been a high school literature and
composition teacher for 9 years and am now teaching pre-service teachers
in English Education at UNM and writing my dissertation. I am interested
in examining how marginalized cultures acquire literacies that are often
counter to mainstream society and then work with my student teachers to
help them recognize that what may not be deemed as a form of literacy,
i.e., SLAM poetry, hip-hop, rap, video gaming...are in fact the most effective
avenues for creating bridges between institutional norms and cultural norms. Count me in- I am so excited." --Stacy Miller, Doctoral Candidate, The University
of New Mexico, Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural
Studies "Hello Bob Bryan, my name is Glenn Towery
and I am an independent filmmaker and director for both motion picture,
television and stage. I have a degree as a filmmaker and have completed
several projects one of which has won awards at several film festivals.
(Respect The Sacrifices of Your Ancestors Don’t Use The “N” Word”).
I think the work that you are doing as it regards the “Hip-Hop
Educational Review” is exceptional and that is the reason I would
like to be a part of it. This is cutting edge stuff with the potential
to lead directly to the shaping of the minds of the children who
embrace this way of life and who will become the adults who will run this
awesome planet some day.
I would also like to submit one of my
most recent projects for review by your reviewers entitled “The
Frequency”. ”The
Frequency” is a dramatic fictionalized telling of the story of a
man who discovers that he is a Five- Percenter. It is quite possibly
the only fictionalized dramatic film in existence that deals with the subject
matter of “The Five-Percenters” in this manner.
So I look forward to sharing with the rest
of the reviewers and to adding my energies, insights and awareness into
this wonderful project. I know as a middle aged African American male I
will learn much and grow to understand better the world of our youth
today."
You may view a trailer for “The Frequency”
by visiting: www.thefrequencytrailer.com --Glenn Towery, Filmmaker
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San
Francisco State University Students Essays "Subject:
Graffiti Art or Vandalism?"
The
GRAFFITI VERITE' DOCUMENTARIES SeriesVolumes 1 - 5
are NOW AVAILABLE
for immediate NETFLIX
ONLINE RENTAL (Worldwide rental distribution - DVD's delivered
directly to your home)