Hip Hop for Social Change

Under the aegis of the Synaptic Scholars Program and in collaboration with Sol Productions, Nomadic Wax Productions, and more than fifteen Tufts groups and organizations, Ikenna Acholonu, Erin Baldassari, and Breese McIlvaine coordinated a full-day event revolving around the theme of “Hip Hop for Social Change”. The event began with a panel discussion on the evolution of hip hop and its historical, social, and global impacts. Students were given the chance to engage in an informal discussion with artists, activists, professors, and members of the music industry. Panelists included: Kevin Johnson, Multicultural Educator and Director of Office of Cultural Diversity at Berklee College of Music; Wyatt Jackson, Founder of 4Peace, a group of MCs working against gang violence in Boston; Marc Sommers, Associate Professor of Humanitarian Studies at the Fletcher School, researching the role of popular culture in the lives of war-affected youth; and Ben Herson, Founder and Director of Nomadic Wax, a global hip hop recording and production company. Topics included the role of hip hop as a tool for social and political action, along with its global influence. Following this discussion was a movie screening of the documentary, "Democracy in Dakar" (produced by Sol Productions and Nomadic Wax) that centers on the emergence of a socially conscious hip hop culture in Dakar, Senegal. The documentary was followed by a panel discussion where artists from the movie along with the creators explained the emerging hip hop culture in Senegal and its influence over the Senegalese youth and politics. Panelists included Moussa Sall, a Senegalese MC; Magee McIlvaine, co-founder of Sol Productions, and Ben Herson, founder of Nomadic Wax. The event culminated in an evening performance featuring international and local artists as well as Tufts groups, representing different countries, genders, and religions. The performers included Afro DZ Ak (NJ/Boston), Blitz the Ambassador (Ghana), Bocafloja (Mexico), DJ Boo (Philippines/NYC), Eternia (Canada), Flex Matthews (DC/South Dakota), Moussa Sall (Senegal), and the Tufts student percussion group, BEATS. Artists served as distinct examples of socially conscience hip hop emerging from various global environments. Students interacted with the artists in an intimate fashion as artists initiated call and response, encouraged members of the crowd to participate in the performance, and communicated with audience members following the performance.