Hip Hop Congress

BY: Carrie Gebel
Original Post Found Here

The Auraria campus: it’s very beautiful, very inclusive and very downtown. As an urban campus, we have both the pain and the privilege of dealing with urban life, an urban life that includes hip-hop culture. Now many people have a preconceived notion that hip-hop is bad, but not all people feel this way. Some students here on campus are striving to change that perception and prove that hip-hop is much more then its image would suggest.

About a month and a half ago a new club, called the hip-hop congress, was formed to provide a positive outlet for the creative urban mind through break dancing, DJing, rapping and graffiti art. They also want to improve hip-hop’s name and image. Group members emphasize that their type of hip-hop is not what you will find on MTV; this is a much more introspective and positive type of urban expression. They are striving for all the coolness of hip-hop without the violence or negativity.

To accentuate all that they stand for and to showcase local rap talent, the hip-hop congress is hosting a show called Elements. This event will be held in the Turnhalle on the Auraria campus on Dec. 5 from 6 to 11 p.m. This show will exhibit local break-dancers, graffiti artists and rappers. They are also bringing guest speaker, PAAS, to talk about the role of hip-hop in today’s society. Several clothing designers will be there as well to showcase their clothes and to do some free giveaways.

Students in this club are passionate about their form of self-expression, and they are deeply concerned with improving its image, but they are also concerned with the world that we all live in. These students take particular notice of the Denver homeless population, and it’s something that particularly touches them. Therefore, this show is also a canned food drive to support local homeless shelters. So with a can of food, the cost is only three dollars. Without a can, it’s five.

This show is all about promoting a new, unique and more positive type of hip-hop that is different from the mainstream radio play. Come change all your stereotypes about hip-hop and just check out the difference.

If you are interested in joining the hip-hop congress, they meet at four o’clock on Thursdays, and you can contact them at HHCUCD@yahoo.com for information on what they do and where they will be meeting. This club is open to anyone. If you would like more details on the Dec. 5 show, this same e-mail will be your best bet.