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"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct,

or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.

Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions,

and only lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new."

-- Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince, 1513)

THE HIP-HOP EDUCATIONAL REVIEW

Educational Review Contributors

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"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).

Oh --here--my URL http://www.maspalabras.com

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 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 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 a voice, 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 Reviewis 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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GRAFFITI VERITE' READ THE WRITING ON THE WALL  is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV3 A VOYAGE INTO THE ICONOGRAPHY OF GRAFFITI ART is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV4 BASIC TECHNIQUES FOR CREATING GRAFFITI ART ON WALLS & CANVAS is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV7 RANDOM URBAN STATIC is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV8 THE FIFTH ELEMENT: The Art of the Beat-Boxer is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV9 SOULFUL WAYS: The DJ is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV10 HIP-HOP DANCE: Moving in the Moment  is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV11 Don't Believe da Noize! Voices from da Hip-Hop Undaground is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV2 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION? is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.GV6 THE ODYSSEY: Poets, Passion & Poetry is now available on DVD and for Online Downloading.

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