I. President and Executive Director: Shamako Noble
shamako@hiphopcongress.com
Shamako is a co-founder and current President of Hip Hop Congress. He is also the Director of the H2Ed program for the Hip Hop Association which uses education, media and leadership to preserve and develop Hip Hop culture. Before moving into those two positions, Shamako worked as a Community Outreach and Development Director for a youth center in Menlo Park. As an artist, Shamako has been performing since a very young age. At this time he has performed or organized over 200 events since starting his career. In 2004, he released his first solo album, “The Return of the Coming of the Aftermath.” Shamako, who was once known as the “Kevin Bacon of South Bay Hip Hop” is now moving into a similar role nationally. Within the Hip Hop realm, Shamako is involved in culture, industry, education and politics. Locally he also operates with an organization called R.E.F.U.G.E. (Real Education for Urban Growth Enterprises) which specializes in using the Urban Arts to teach life skills, leadership and culture. This organization also gets involved in campaigns as a consultant and advocate working with communities in San Jose, Oakland and the Peninsula (East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Redwood City). This group has collaborated with City Year, Conservation Corp, Public Allies, San Jose State, De Anza College and many other organizations around the Bay Area
II. PR Chair/Executive Assistant: Aaron Berkowitz
berkowitz@hiphopcongress.com
Aaron Berkowitz is an up and coming leader in Hip Hop culture. Inspired by the power of Hip Hop and the loss of a high school friend, Aaron stepped right into the activist fire at age 19 by organizing a benefit MC Battle for the University City Public Schools. It was evident from the start that Aaron’s communication and organizational skills were far above the curve. The following year he was elected chapter head of the Hip Hop Congress chapter at Indiana University. He quickly raised the bar in the chapter’s presence on campus and in the media. His events attracted thousands of students and several publications. This propelled him to being the youngest member of the Hip Hop Congress National Board in 2005. In addition to his Hip Hop Congress duties, Aaron is the Director of Marketing for F5 Records.
III. California State Director/Artist Program Co-Director: Dlabrie
rondavouxrecords@yahoo.com
DLabrie aka DLabrozia is a Hip Hop artist and community activist from East Oakland, CA, influenced by political legends like Malcolm X and the Black Panthers (his mother is a former Panther). He’s been invovled in several different organizations including City Year, where he was a recruitment director and the conservation corp where he was the recruitment director. He established his own record label (RonDavoux Records) named after his son Davoux, and co-founded The A.L.L.I.A.N.C. With No E (Aggressive Leaders Living in A Neglected Community with No Escape). In addition to his artist development work for Hip Hop Congress, DLabrie is also the Community Outreach Director and key organizer for R.E.F.U.G.E.
IV. Artist Program Co-Director: Brandon Greene
prolyphek@aol.com
V. California State Chief Operations Officer: Rahman Jamaal
Hiphoppa13@aol.com
rjamaal@hiphopcongress.com
Rahman Jamaal is a freelance emcee/educator and National Board member for Hip Hop Congress. He currently teaches at the Academy of Hip Hop at The Riekes Center for Human Enhancement (riekes.org) and can be seen in the Sundance feature film “The Beat”, available on DVD at Blockbuster, Netflicks, and Hollywood Video, for which he starred and wrote the music. He is currently studying Hip Hop metaphysics in the Bay Area of Northern California. He is a recent graduate of USC.
VI. Northwest Regional Coordinator/Washington State Director: Julie Chang Schulman
juliec.206@gmail.com
Julie is an emcee, Northwest Regional Coordinator of Hip Hop Congress, co-director of Reclaim the Media, and assistant chapter-head of 206 Zulu. She is a freelance writer and journalist whose work has been featured on Seaspot.com, Daveyd.com, as well as the TWOMP newsletter. She has also worked as a teaching Hip Hop artist with El Centro de La Raza’s Hope for Youth Program and Seattle Debate Foundation. As an H2ed Education Committee member, her curriculum was published in the first ever Hip Hop in Education Guidebook, and she is editor of the new B-Girl Bench E-Zine. She received her B.A in Liberal Arts with a concentration in social change and emancipatory education from Antioch University in 2006.
VII. Alyssa Macy: Politcal Director
Alyssa Dawamana Macy is of the Wasco/Navajo/Hopi descent and a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon. Alyssa was raised on her reservation and left at the age of 18 to pursue higher education. She obtained a B.S. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University in 2000. Following graduation, she worked as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives. During her time in D.C., she worked on Native American, judicial, and immigration issues. Currently, she is completing a Master of Public Policy program at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Her area of specialization is international economic policy and development with a focus on Indigenous Peoples’. In addition to her academic experience, she also brings a variety of skills and experiences to CCP. She served as the Co-Author and Senior Researcher for the national post election analysis of the Native Vote 2004 project and has over 9 years experience in conducting social sciences research. She also has worked extensively in youth leadership development with organizations such as United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Youth Commission, and the Miss NCAI Scholarship Pageant. Finally, she is a lead trainer for the CCP training, “Building Political Power in Communities of Color” which has trained more than 100 youth of color nationally. In 2004, Alyssa worked as the Organizing Director for Native American Voters at National Voice where she led a national voter mobilization campaign throughout Indian Country in coordination with Native Vote. Currently, she serves as the Political Director at the Center for Civic Participation where her primary responsibility is to help develop, support, and coordinate statewide coalitions of nonprofits working to increase civic participation. Alyssa recently joined the board of the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations.
VIII. Midwest Regional Coordinator: Asad Jafri
asad@hiphopcongress.com
Hop Congress, FEW, Zulu Nation
Asad Jafri, aka DJ Man-O-Wax, has been active in the elements of Hip Hop Culture since 1994. In high school, he decided to start looking into DJing and turntablism after realizing he was the person the rest of his crew would turn to for the newest music. Influenced by turntablists such as The Beat Junkies, DJ Revolution, and Q-Bert, Man-o-Wax was finally able to afford his first set of turntables in college and he hasn’t looked back since. Years later, he has been able to share the stage and receive recognition from pioneers Kool DJ Herc and Afrika Bambaataa. Armed with Technique 1200’s his Rane Mixer and an arsenal of hot vinyl Man-o-Wax travels nationwide bringing people his soulful tastes and collection of music in various genres.
Currently residing in Chicago, Man-O-Wax represents the crew Fifth Element Warriors (FEW) and the Universal Zulu Nation. He is still heavily involved in all aspects of Hip Hop Culture. Outside of DJing, Asad also organizes the Hip Hop Community in his role as regional director for the Hip Hop Congress, a 501c3 non-profit organization and international grassroots network whose mission is to unite, educate, and empower individuals. Hip Hop Congress uses the Culture to inspire civic action, social change, and cultural creativity in the community. Among all these various activities, Asad still finds time to educate and mentor youth and has recently taken the position of Youth Programs Coordinator with the Inner-city Muslim Action Network.
IX. Englewood Chapter Head/Chicago Regional Coordinator: J.R. Fleming
iamhiphopchicago@gmail.com
Willie “J.R.” Fleming is a Cabrini Green resident/organizer/documentarian/ website designer and researcher with the Coalition to Protect Public Housing, and presented testimony before the U.N. Office of the High Commission on Human Rights this year. He also led the March for the Right to Return with public housing residents and leaders in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina one-year memorial. He filmed and edited a gospelmentary titled “Voice of the Voiceless” along with several other short videos on housing that can be found at housingisahumanright.com. Before joining the Coalition to Protect Public Housing, Fleming was the director of a gang intervention music program for young men in Cabrini Green, and is currently the Chairman for the Hip Hop Congress Community Chapter in Chicago which deals with issues of social and economic injustice using music as a platform to unite the people. This year Fleming protested the U.S. Olympic Committee in Chicago by noting that the Olympics can cause poor people to be evicted from their communities and homes. He also took part in training housing and homelessness advoates on how to utilize housing as a human rights mechanism in the United States and educating their communities in fighting for housing as a human right.
X. Southern Regional Coordinator/Mississippi : Brad “Kamikaze” Franklin
Kamikaze601@hotmail.com
Kamikaze AKA The Franchise, is formerly one-half of the critically
acclaimed Mississippi hip-hop group CROOKED LETTAZ with David Banner. With Banner he released the heralded 1999 album Grey Skies on Tommy Boy
records. In 2001 he formed his own OurGlass Entertainment label and released his first solo record AKA Mr. Sho-Nuff which sold 7,500 records independently.
In 2004 he released “2 Broke 2 Ball” which sold 10,000 copies regionally.
Currently, he is preparing to release his third solo effort “The Franchise”. Over the years, Kamikaze has won numerous awards for his achievements in the entertainment industry and as a community activist. He won the first Patiently Waiting Mississippi at the 2006 Ozone Magazine Awards televised worldwide on MTV2. He won Best Mixtape Host in 2005 at the Southern Entertainment Awards, Best Hip-Hop Artist in 2002 and 2004 at the Jackson Music Awards. And most recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the community at the 2007 Martin Luther King Awards Banquet. While not on the mic, Kamikaze also is known as a founding member of the (M.A.P.) Mississippi Artist and Producers Coalition. He serves as the group’s president. He also writes a bi-weekly column for the Jackson Free Press. His social commentaries have filled up pages of e-mails and blogs and has gotten him banned from both a local college and a talk radio show that he co-hosted for his statements about the current presidential administration.
XI. Southeast Regional Coordinator/National Tour Coordinator: Jamale “Quanstar” Harris
Co-founding member and front man of the Atlanta-based hip hop band First Team, unleashed on the world and taking no prisoners!!!! From Compton, Ca, Quanstar was originally exposed to hip hop at the age of 7 with his first cassette tape, “Radio” by LL Cool J, and instantly became a certified head. Seven years later he began honing his skills battling everyone and anyone who thought they were an emcee. Quanstar is a trip to the early ‘90’s, the Golden Age of Hip Hop. He paints vivid pictures with conscious, heartfelt lyrics which is a feat that few can achieve in the current hip hop arena that is now saturated with ”bling and booty”. Quanstar’s approach is to bring hip hop back to where it used to be…about the people.
first_of_one@hotmail.com
XII. Northeast Regional Director: Maurice “Soulfighter” Taylor
director@nehhc.com
Maurice “Soulfighter”Taylor had his first performance when he was 16 at Williams College in 1990 rap music and poetry has been a means of expression. In fact some his school were passed by expressing his understanding in poetic form. While others sought church “Soulfighter” sought poetry for refuge. Maurice “Soulfighter” Taylor went on to help develop the first ever HipHop Class in Springfield Mass at Springfield Community Music School in 2000, have done speaking engagements at various colleges, prison, and high school. Performanes include the World famous Bowery Cafe, Nuyorican poets cafe, United Nations. Organization networks include the economic human rights campaign, luv4self, Tent State University, Community Against Hate. With a history of dealing with different types of Oppression Soulfighter went to become a member of Afro Am Club at Springfield Technical Community College in 1998 where he later founded African American Cultural Society to focus on cultural and socio-political issues in our communities. He founder The Beat Goes On which became and annual event that has made it’s way to several colleges in the area such as Hampshire and Umass-Amherst. Beat Goes on later became a child of Community Against Hate a socially conscious network developed by Community Against Hate which as been seeping it’s cultural claws into our local community. We have sponsor many local events such as Voices For the Voiceless which features famous poets such as Louis Reyes Rivera, Queen Sheba, and many other Def Jam poetry artists. Through his experiences Soulfighter has worked to lead a socially conscious cultural movement and Community Against Hate has allow him to do that, in a place plagued with cultural and racial injustice, through projects like developing Artist in Residence Programs for Mass Fair Housing, or developing video, audio, and performance programs for students in low income communities for AmeriCorps hope has been rebirth in his place of residence.
Khalid el-Hakim - Regional Director for Michigan
Khalid el-Hakim is the founder and curator of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum.(www.myspace.com/blackhistory101) A committed educator with over 10 years of classroom experience in Detroit Public Schools. He received his Bachelors of Science in Social Studies and Business Education at Ferris State University. As a music exec he has managed various artists including 2006 Grammy award nominee Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets, platinum award-winning artist Proof of D12, Taja Sevelle, and Versiz. Khalid is also Vice President and co-owner of Iron Fist Records. Other noteworthy accomplishments include: Segment Producer for QD3’s Beef IV and key negotiator for The Last Poets feature on Common’s “The Corner”.
Board of Directors
Amer Ahmed: Co-Chair
Amer Ahmed is an individual with an eclectic personal and professional experience. As a Hip Hop activist, spoken word poet (www.myspace.com/dawahpoetmusic), Diversity consultant (www.oneummahconsulting.com) and college administrator, he channels his diverse experiences into work geared towards effective change serving to create mutual benefit for all. His education, global experience and role in Hip Hop Congress supports his efforts to address issues of social justice that continue to face traditionally marginalized communities. He is also engaged in the field of Intercultural Communication drawing from the work of Dr. Milton J. Bennett and others who focus on a developmental approach to Intercultural competency. Such approaches have been useful in his work in Organizational Assessment and Development, Workshop facilitation, Public Speaking, Leadership Development and Student Support. Amer currently serves as Associate Director of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (www.mesa.umich.edu) at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
Bakari Kitwana-Co Chair
Bakari Kitwana is co-founder of the first ever National Hip-Hop Political Convention and the author of The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture (Basic Books, 2002). The former executive editor of The Source, Kitwana has been acknowledged as an expert on hip-hop politics by the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, The O’Reilly Factor and other leading news outlets, his writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Savoy, The Nation, the Village Voice, Black Book and other publications. Kitwana also writes a column on hip-hop and youth culture called “Do the Knowledge” for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and is a consultant on hip-hop for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The author of The Rap on Gangsta Rap (Third World Press, 1994), he’s been a visiting scholar in the political science department at Kent State University and has lectured on hip-hop at colleges and universities across the country for the last decade, including Harvard University, New York University, Columbia University and Standford University. His new book Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes and the New Reality of Race in America (Basic Books, June 2005) is about race and hip-hop culture. Kitwana holds Masters degrees in English and Education from the University of Rochester.
Jansett Belovodia-Treasurer
Jansett Belovodia began her career as a professional actress after obtaining a BFA in Theatre Arts but soon determined that her calling was to transcend personal ambition and embrace the needs of the world around her. She has worked as a registered interpreter for the deaf in Delaware, D.C., and Watts. She has served as a healer, minister, certified yoga instructor, and animal communicator, but she has also worked as a waitress, legislative aide on Capitol Hill and associate secretary of the board of trustees at Stanford University. Throughout, she has vigorously engaged in volunteer work including Project Appalachia, the Winnebago reservation in Nebraska, the International Medical Corps (medical relief effort for the children of Afghanistan) and the Lokenath Mission of Calcutta (medical and educational assistance to people from the slums and villages of Bengal). She produced a CD for the Tibetan Drepung Gomang Monks in 1999, which enables them to continue to raise funds around the world. She has edited several publications, including Adisa Banjoko’s Lyrical Swords I: Hip Hop and Politics in the Mix and Lyrical Swords II: Westside Rebellion. She served for over eight years as associate director and board member for a nonprofit youth center in Menlo Park, California, and on the board of the Abhidyan Yoga Institute for two years.
Jordan Bromley-Secretary
Prior to his legal career, Jordan Bromley co-founded the Hip Hop Congress, an international non-profit organization that uses hip hop music and culture to inspire social and civic action among young people. With 40 chapters, it is the nation’s largest hip hop organization. He created Golden Mean Management, an artist management company and record label based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Before beginning his own label, he worked for a national record labels and music publishing house.
Anasa Troutman
Anasa Troutman has spent her life growing into an artist, producer, strategist and activist-organizer, developing her personal mission to use arts, entertainment and mass media for issue awareness, social change and personal transformation. She began her career working with soul music singers, writers and musicians in Atlanta. Among her first group of clients was an unknown singer/songwriter named India Arie, whose simple combination of voice and guitar was meant for personal healing and social change. Anasa’s work with India led to a platinum-selling album and an international concert tour, proving to Anasa that her vision of using art and mass media to create global and personal change was real. In the years that followed, Anasa has served as a member of the National Coordinating Committee for the National Hip Hop Political Convention, as a member organizer for the Institute for Policy Study’s Cities for Progress Program, as the Urban Marketing Strategist for the Dennis Kucinich campaign for the 2004 Democratic Presidential nomination, as Consulting Producer for the Young Peoples Project’s “Finding Our Folk” Tour, and as an organizer with the Progressive Majority’s Racial Justice Campaign. In all her work, Anasa uses arts and culture to create justice, opportunity and compassion.
Ron Gubitz
Ron Gubitz co-founded the Hip Hop Congress while a sophomore at USC. After transferring to Indiana University, he helped establish a chapter there. Graduating in 2002, he moved to St. Louis teaching high school English through the Teach For America program. After teaching for four years, Ron joined Teach For America’s staff as a Recruitment Director before transitioning into the Managing Director of Program role in the St. Louis region.
Ron has completed two marathons, cultivated vegetable gardens, and plays the guitar with minimal success. His first three albums could be considered commercial failures but did establish the genre of Funhop. He is also co-Founder of the Tuba Respect Society, Insubordinatetothefunk.com and gordongoodtimes.com.
Kristine M. Wright
Tina Wright is an educator/sociologist with areas of specialization that include African American studies, social stratification (race, class, gender), urban education, media and popular culture. Wright received her doctorate in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and now teaches various courses for the African American Studies program at UCI including the course she first created in 2001: “Black Culture as Protest - Examining Hip Hop”. Wright authors commentaries on hip hop issues published on various web sites under the title: Rise Up Hip Hop Nation, and administers a blog with same title (http://riseuphiphopnation.blogspot.com/). In terms of her personal passion for hip hop, Wright states, “Although I grew up with hip hop (literally), my interest in hip hop today is not so much in its artistic forms of expression, but in its people and their social and political freedom from oppression. For me hip hop has and always will be foremost about the people it represents and our struggles.”
