On the Hip Hop Politics Page...
Hip Hop Artist Respond to
Aids Crisis in South Africa
Source: U.S. Embassy in South Africa, Public Affairs
Office
Pretoria. They are young and hip and have an important message to share
with young South Africans. “The Playoffs” are a talented group
who believe in driving home the message of Aids awareness and Prevention
through Hip Hop to the youth of South Africa.
As part of the US Embassy’s “livLIVE”
campaign on Aids awareness, “The Playoffs”, along with B-Boy
dancers “The Kung Fools”, will be touring schools in South
Africa from February 28 to March 15.
The “livLIVE” project is an initiative of the U.S. Embassy
to communicate the ideals of healthy living, making good choices and
understanding HIV/AIDS among school going young people in South Africa.
Through the medium of Hip Hop, “livLIVE” hopes to reach and
educate young South Africans at a level they understand and can relate
to. They aim to highlight the importance of remaining HIV negative but
having a positive lifestyle.
The tour will include 20 performances at high schools
in four provinces. The Playoffs’ first round of performances began
in Bloemfontein on Monday, February 28. They had school children shouting
for more and teachers impressed with the relevant message in their music.
At the end of each session the Playoffs asked students about the messages
in their songs and a correct answer came back every time.. The students
enjoyed the music and also understood the HIV/AIDS awareness message
in the songs.
Pietermaritzburg will see The Playoffs on March 2 and
Durban will host them on March 3, 4 and 5.
The “livLIVE”campaign’s last stop will
be in the Cape where The Playoffs will mesmerize the youngsters of Grahamstown
on March 7, before making their move to the Western Cape from March
8 to 15 to end their tour.
The Playoffs’ single “Platinum Gold”,
which was produced for the “livLIVE” tour, is currently enjoying
extensive airplay on Gauteng’s YFM and nationally on Metro FM.
Their songs embrace the ideals of healthy living, making good choices
and HIV/AIDS awareness.
|
 |
Cornel West Preaches Poetic and Prophetic Progressive
Rap
By Kamau Austin
Ivy League professor Cornel West isn't the kind of person
you usually would associate with taking hip hop seriously. Nevertherless,
the intellectual professor groomed by way of Yale, Princeton, and Harvard
has a deep appreciation of Black culture in all its various forms. Plus
West really understands the rarely tapped potential of hip hop to give
voice to the opposed working poor of all cultures.
West a Christian minister, professor of religion, and
prolific writer has always tried to be an organic participant in the
struggle for social justice. He draws inspiration from the Biblical
prophets who often preached righteousness and justice to those in power.
Although an educator in the Ivy league Cornel avoids making pronouncements
from the Ivy tower.
It is rumored that West took a good deal of heat as a
professor at Harvard University for some of his forays into creating
a rap collection to reach the hip hop generation. Dr. West in some hip
hop circles may not be accepted as a genuine rap voice, however I find
his voice and creativity as authentic as the other diverse voices in
hip hop today.
If you would like to experience the poetic and prophetic
rap of a sage social commentator and true progressive voice appropriating
hip hop visit his site at: Cornel
West.com
|
"G"
|
|
