Thursday morning, Nov. 29^th, 7 a.m. As usual, I am up browsing the net, researching random news, hip-hop updates and promoting the latest and greatest from my label: TrueBless, Mission ISpossible. I get an email from a friend, “Check out this garbage!” It’s an editorial by Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star about the death of Sean Taylor. According to Whitlock, guess who killed him: hip-hop. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: November 26, 2007
  Website: Dumhi Website
  Label: Dumhi Production

Dumhi “3 Seats From Heaven” Album Review
November – for some, this month is the beginning of holiday spirit where family, friends and those who have much in common come together to enjoy each other’s company. Simply put, this is the season when we connect with those we relate to.

On Dumhi’s 3 Seats From Heaven, through creative beats and distinctive lyrics, this group of emcees relate well to each other and present an album with much chemistry. (more…)

The J.A.M. Awards are the first awards in the hip-hop community to recognize social responsibility. The awards will honor the late Jam Master Jay’s life and legacy and his efforts to promote social Justice, Arts and Music (”J.A.M.”) worldwide.

One honoree will be selected every year from each of the fields of social Justice, the Arts and Music, based on the impact they have made and their record of helping others. The inaugural J.A.M. Awards will be launched at a star-studded tribute concert held in honor of Jam Master Jay and hosted by his wife. (more…)

When Tsubasa Okitsu was growing up in northern Japan, he was ashamed of his heritage as an Ainu, an indigenous ethnic group that has long suffered discrimination in a country where many take pride in cultural homogeneity. “In the past, I rejected myself as an Ainu,” he said, recalling on how his classmates teased him for looking different.

Now the 27-year-old Okitsu has come to terms with his identity as a member of a group of young Ainu musicians and dancers who blend traditional strains and modern hip-hop in hopes of boosting broader awareness of their rich culture. (more…)

MANSFIELD, OH - Casey Barwick wants to offer something positive for Mansfield. In that vein, he’s planned a benefit hip-hop concert for the Mansfield Domestic Violence Shelter from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday at CD Jungle.

“I want to give back in any way I can. It’s nice to give back to the less fortunate,” said Barwick, who also goes by the hip-hop alias “Confidence.” Barwick, 23, defines himself as an inspirational rapper, who tells stories about everyday life. “I don’t talk about the negative things,” he said. (more…)

The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation is making the holiday season a little more comfortable for the less fortunate, with its second annual winter coat and can food drive.

The effort, which kicked off Nov. 15, will run through Dec. 15. The Foundation is encouraging the public to donate “slightly worn or new winter coats” and canned food items to the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, GA. (more…)

On a damp, dark Gaza City street, not far from a Hamas checkpoint on the edge of the looted beachside compound that was once the southern headquarters for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a small group of young Palestinian rappers is tenuously trying to keep its musical culture alive.

It has been more than two years since these hip-hop artists performed on this stage and, in that time, the Palestinian landscape has again shifted. The last time the rappers came here, Israel had just cleared out of the Gaza Strip after nearly 40 years of military occupation, and there was a renewed sense of optimism. (more…)

St. Louis rapper Chingy is giving back to his St. Louis community through his non-profit organization Chingy for Change. The Chingy for Change Foundation supports children that are less fortunate, through scholarships, mentoring programs and other communal activities.

“On Thanksgiving and Christmas we go out and give turkeys and food to the families that can’t afford to have nice Thanksgiving dinners, and on Christmas we go around and give a certain amount of toys to the less fortunate families that probably wont be able to shop and afford to trade gifts,” Chingy told AllHipHop.com. (more…)

Stic.Man, of the underground hip hop duo Dead Prez is releasing his highly anticipated solo album ‘Manhood’ on November 30th; following in the footsteps of his hip hop companion M1 (the other member of Dead Prez) who released his solo album ‘Confidential’ in April of ’06.

Alongside hip hop rappers Khujo Goodie, Dead Prez’ M1, Young Noble (of Tupac’s (2Pac) Outlawz, and vocalist Crystal Johnson and others, Manhood blends rapping, soulful singing, diverse hard core beats, live instrumentation, style and substance. (more…)

The 15 teenage hip-hop dancers break into a sweat as the demands of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” take their toll. Despite the air conditioning in the sparkling new cultural center, the 125-degree heat finds its way inside. Dance teacher Michael Parks Masterson takes the students to task over a fumbled step. “You guys are awesome, but you must concentrate,” he shouts.

There are only seven more days to prepare for the Unity Performing Arts Academy gala show. Hip-hop, one of America’s newer cultural exports, is about to make a debut in northern Iraq. (more…)