The Ohio University Hip-Hop Congress is on a mission to bring hip-hop to Halloween.
The group, which was first formed last year and recognized by the university spring quarter, is trying to promote hip-hop culture and political activism in the Athens area and re-educate people about hip-hop's history and true meaning.
In some cases it's misrepresented
and in some cases it's misunderstood as violent and negative, congress member Detrick Rhodes said.
Member Stu Pflaum has been petitioning the city to add a stage to the annual Halloween block party on Court Street. This stage would serve as a venue for local hip-hop artists of all types - Pflaum said.
Now the group is collecting signatures to present to the city as evidence that Athens is open to a hip-hop stage. The petition drive continues from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. today at College Gate. Since the petition drive began last Thursday, congress members have gathered more than 600 signatures from faculty, students and area residents, a number they find incredible Pflaum said.
We're not trying to take anything away from the guy who runs (Halloween) now
congress member Daniel Martino said. But I think that starting something else would be nice.
The group is confident about the future of hip-hop culture in Athens. Hip-hop has a firm hold on American popular culture. Pflaum said for the first time, all top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week are by hip-hop artists.
Rhodes said some of the music events hip-hop congress members have been involved in, such as the weekly MC Battles at Casa Nueva (Pflaum is the event's DJ, and congress member Maurice Williams is the emcee), have been well received by those in attendance. He said history will show the positive nature toward hip-hop in Athens.
We've been in venues where there's been negative perception
and everything has been positive and peaceful
Rhodes said.
The OU Hip-Hop Congress meets weekly in the multi-purpose room of Lindley Cultural Center at 8 p.m. This Thursday the group also is sponsoring a panel discussion from 6 to 8 p.m. entitled The Ever-Lasting Problem of Sexism in the Media
also in Lindley Cultural Center.
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