The Jackson Advocate
Hip Hop is more than music
JANS – The Mississippi Learning Institute partnered with FAITH, Inc. and Metro Youth Initiative to host Rap Session’s Hip Hop Activism. Led by a distinguished panel of scholars, journalists and activists, this provocative, town-hall style gathering challenged students to examine the ways the Obama Era has impacted discussions of race and gender in America.
It was held at the Jackson State University, New Student Center on February 17, 2012.
The event was moderated by Bakari Kitwana, a journalist, activist and political analyst who has appeared on numerous Television News Programs. He is CEO of Rap Sessions and Senior Media Fellow at the Harvard Law based Think Tank, The Jamestown Project. His most recent book is titled Hip Hop Activism in the Obama Era.
The featured panelist was Talib Kweli who emerged on the national hip-hop scene as part of the rap group Black Star, along with Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tec.
Talib became known as one of the most politically informed and lyrically talented MCs in the business. He has released four solo albums since then, including Quality in 2002, The Beautiful Struggle in 2004 and the bested selling in 2007 Eardrum. His most recent CD is 2011′s Guitar Rainbows.