Hip Hop's Historic Summit

By Jeff Chang, AlterNet. Posted June 20, 2001.

It was, in some respects, just what you would expect from hip-hop.

Nothing started on time. The rappers weren't where they were supposed to be. Neither were their managers or the industry execs, off in some corner backslapping and exchanging cards. Volumes and volumes of words were spilled. And NYPD sweated everyone in sight.

In other respects, it was just what you wouldn't expect from hip-hop.

A high-level gathering, put together by Russell Simmons from Tuesday through Thursday last week, to discuss improving hip-hop and the world -- which drew massive media interest despite the fact that the media was barred from most of the important meetings.

A hip-hop conference in which not a single fight broke out, and some beefs even ended up on the mend. A lineup of speakers that more often had rappers silently rapt, rather than shooting the gift or heading for the bar. Sessions that actually resulted in tangible outcomes and real programs.

In short, the hip-hop summit lived up to its billing as an historic event.

"We've accomplished everything we wanted to accomplish," said a beaming Russell, "and more."

It was, in fact, the third hip-hop summit in eight months, a sure sign that hip-hop's elite are keen on pushing some of their wealth toward establishing political clout.

The first, convened by The Source last year at the Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network headquarters in Harlem, gathered community leaders, rappers and executives. By many accounts, the affair was better intentioned than organized, with many complaining that there were lots of answers proferred but little agreement about the problems.

Shortly afterward, Minister Conrad Muhammad, leader of A Movement for CHHANGE (Conscious Hip Hop Activism Necessary for Global Empowerment), called for another summit to discuss providing better images for young people, and supporting hip-hop leaders for political office. It was held in May as an ugly public beef developed between Minister Conrad and Russell. Russell called Minister Conrad a critic in the mold of a C. Delores Tucker or Bob Dole who did not have hip-hop's best interests at heart. Muhammad accused Russell of "contributing mightily to the degradation" his summit was trying to address.

Russell promised that his own summit would bring together hip-hop leaders with black politicians, civil rights activists, and intelligentsia to work out a specific agenda of action.

A long list of hip-hop celebrities showed up, whether officially invited or not, including pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and DJ Hollywood; "golden age" heroes like Chuck D, Will Smith, Eric B, Queen Latifah, Naughty by Nature, Luther Campbell, and LL Cool J; and the nineties crowd, including Wyclef Jean, Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, Keith Murray, Redman, Krayzie Bone (with daughter on arm), Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Fat Joe, and Black Ice. They joined executives like Bad Boy's Sean "P-Diddy" Combs, So So Def's Jermaine Dupri, Def Jam's Kevin Liles, and University/Motown's Haqq Islam.

The summit also attracted Nation of Islam head, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, and a host of black congressional leaders, civil rights activists, and public intellectuals, including the NAACP's Kweisi Mfume, Rap The Vote's Mario Velasquez, and the SCLC's Martin Luther King III; Professors Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, and Manning Marable; Congressman Earl Hilliard and Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. The summit was presided over by Minister Benjamin Muhammad.

(While many of the pioneers were not given invitations, they were escorted in by conference staff when they arrived on Wednesday. In one closed session, however, Zulu King and Rock Steady Crew member Fabel made the point from the floor: "If you're gonna call it a hip-hop summit, you need to be inclusive of graffiti writers and b-boys." Minister Ben Muhammad respectfully noted, "We would not be here if it were not for the Zulu Nation.")

Perhaps the lasting impact of the summit will be that it brought together generations and sectors of the black community -- some of which have, until recently, sparred viciously and in public -- to reason and build behind closed doors.

As the sessions commenced, twentysomething rappers and hip-hop activists often had unkind words for their elders. But the elders took the criticisms to heart, said they were there to listen. West admitted that his generation had somehow dropped the ball. Dyson demonstrated he was paying attention by quoting verses from Nas, Lauryn Hill, and Talib Kweli.

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