CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Illinoize mixtape by Vancouver-based producer Tor

LINK:http://www.tormusic.net/downloads/illinoize/
check it its phat i'm diggin it like a squirrel trying to hide his peanut at CSUN hahahahahahhahahah

Warsaw Challenge USA

Yooo whats good all, i will be updating the site with b-boy event reviews and other hip hop events. The first event will be the Warsaw Challenge USA that took place at Chuco's Justice Center in Inglewood on Feb 27th 2011. The battle format was six person crew and the winners will be flown to battle in Warsaw, Poland. It was a big turnout and crews came from a variety of places such as Vegas, San Diego, LA, and the bay area. The crew that won the whole event was Killafornia and the event was headlined by an exihibition battle between Nasty Ray-Boogie Brats, The Squadron vs Neguin Tsunami All Stars. Jay Talactac, a CSUN film student, took event coverage of the exibition battle.


best battle of the Competition: Killafornia vs Battle Born (Las Vegas)


overall Great event, ill Djs, dope circles, and great energy

Hip Hop Think Tank Conference

Yooooo, whats good everyone. The Hip Hop Think Tank(HHTT) organization at CSUN will be throwing a event next fall and we need volunteers to help the club stay in the right direction.

What is Culture?

Interesting topic of conversation today during class.

Hip-hop the world over is thought to be a culture. What defines a culture?

The Merriam-Webster Dictory defines culture as the following:

... "the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education [...] expert care and training [...] enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training b : acquaintance with and taste in fine arts, humanities, and broad aspects of science as distinguished from vocational and technical skills [...] the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations" ...

When applied to hip-hop, it would seem that the definition would aptly apply. Of course we like to dissect both sides of an argument, so here we go: what about, for instance, bicycle culture? Residents of the city of Los Angeles are currently working hard to fight for recognition of the biking community, to make streets more bike-friendly for those who utilize bicycles as part of their daily lives, whether for fun or for function. But is bicycle culture a culture, or rather is it a dimension of an already-established culture that allows its participants to express themselves in a non-threatening environment?

What about hip-hop?

Think, and discuss.

Confederate History Month

It is by no means news at this point, but it still needs to be said: Governor Robert F. McDonnell of Virginia has declared the month of April as Confederate History Month.

The first thought that came to this writer's mind was "hard to swallow, tougher to digest", but I digress. Some parts of the nation are outraged at the idea as much as other parts are accepting of it. Where on the spectrum do you lie? Is it on either end? Is it in the middle?

One side of the argument, naturally, is as follows: how can we as a nation support the recognition of a number of slave states that intended to declare their secession from the union if we are in fact, united in this twenty-first century? How does that upbuild and move us continually forward out of what were considered by many (and is still considered as such) to be dark times? A revolt? A rebellion? A move that was considered by the government in 1861 to be illegal? A move that was never recognized as real and permanent, but unofficial and - despite any so-called efforts - null and void?

theGrio.com - African American Breaking News and Opinion - sheds light on the subject, suggesting ways Confederate History Month can be acknowledged and recognized, if not willfully observed or, interestingly, celebrated:

[...] we must apply what political scientists call the "politics of re-articulation" to the Confederate History Month.

Re-articulation is simply giving a political act or symbol a new meaning based on one's own interests. Progressives can easily achieve this end by staging a remembrance ceremony in Richmond (and other state capitals where there are Confederate History Months) to honor the slaves whose toil provided the foundation for America's rise to global supremacy.

Instead of the normal histrionics that accompany most modern political rallies in America, these ceremonies should be solemn affairs akin to the NAACP's protests against lynching in the early twentieth century. Moreover, instead of speeches, these ceremonies should simply feature the testimonies provided to the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s by African-Americans who lived through the horrors of slavery. Imagine the moral and spiritual clarity that would fill Richmond as Americans of all races--rich, poor, famous, and unknown--took turns at the microphone reading the lived experiences of these survivors. Could men like Governor McDonnell or Governor Barbour deny the importance of slavery in the face of this testimony? Would they even continue to issue these proclamations if progressives showed up at the beginning or end of Confederate History Month to wreck their fantasies with the power of truth? The answer to both of these questions is likely a resounding no.

Sure, April is almost over, but in the meantime it is up to everyone of varied ethnicity, background, gender and orientation to get together collectively where it counts - if only in spirit, and not in body. Let not the wounds of slavery be torn open by what might be interpreted to be thoughtful attempts to break down the human spirit, otherwise they will never heal. What we can do every day is to honor any and all affected directly by slavery, not just during the month of April. And fortunately for all of us, honor and respect doesn't require a special month.

Back to Business

Welcome back from Spring Break, CSUN students, staff, and faculty. And to everyone else, good morning to you.

We are still working steadily on this year's annual Hip Hop Think Tank Journal, and as previously mentioned, are excited about the contributors and what their pondering, analytical minds have brought to the table.

One of the topics of discussion in the world of hip hop - from its formation to the present day - is one of culture vs. genre vs. state of mind, and all other such variants. While some may consider it an academic atrocity to quote Wikipedia, for definition's sake we'll be referring to it briefly here, on the topic of culture:

"Culture [...] is a term that has different meanings. [...] However, the word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses:

-Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture
-An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning
-The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group

With the definition available, it would seem that hip hop is a culture, live and breathing, kicking and screaming, krumping and grooving. Whether it is the punctuation mark or as sentence, or even a whole paragraph is the question. As a neutral topic of conversation, we invite your opinion - what is hip hop to you? If it is indeed a culture, what makes it so (according to 'scientific' definition or personal experience)? Is it a genre seperate from its presumed cousins R&B, rap, soul, groove, and/or funkadelia? Is it solely musical or is it a way of life? What is it to you?

Don't be shy... when it comes to personal stance, we have all the time in the world.