Kevin Powell Announces There will be No More Hip Hop Speaks

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Despite a large turnout and two riveting panels that included everyone from Professor X of X-Clan, Afrika Bambaataa, Sway of MTV, Popmaster Fabel of the Rocksteady Crew. DJ Kuttin Kandi and a host of activists, hip hop pioneers, b-boys and b-girls, Kevin Powell announced that there will be no more Hip Hop Speak Events.

The announcement which came just moments before Saturday's [June 7th] second panel at Riverside Church shocked everyone. Powell passionately explained that he and his crew had been dilegently putting on the Hip Hop Speaks Townhall events for over two years and that they have drawn huge crowds and a who's who in Hip Hop, however, he had grown tired of the having to beg and fight for support.

Powell pointed out that he has come across all sorts of entities that publicly state they want to reach and help uplift the youth and that they truly believe in Hip Hop culture, howver when it comes time to helping support events like Hip Hop Speaks even in mininal ways, the words don't match the actions.

Powell explained to the audience the difficulty he has had in the past in getting rooms and venues to host the events. He pointed out that we would not believe how ugly it can get behind the scenes when it comes to people stepping up. He explained how there were numerous cultural centers that wanted to charge top dollars and would show very little support.

He thanked Riverside Church for being one of the few venues that opened its doors. He also pointed out how record labels, artists and other outlets would be quick to spend all sorts of money promoting events and artists that are destructive to our community and corrupt the young people's minds in the community, but when it came to even getting free CDs to pass out to the scores of young peoiple who show up to Hip Hop Speaks there would be no luck..

Powell even pointed out some of the last minute drama he went through in putting together this past weekend's Hip Hop Speaks. He noted how he was railroaded when one panelist decided to take a gig in Chicago at the 11th hour while another participant insisted on having a first class plane ticket in order to come to the event.. He declined to name names, but the audienced noted that DJ Kay Slay and choreographer Fatima were not present...

Powell concluded that lots of folks have stepped to him to make suggestions and offer critics of Hip Hop Speaks and at this point in time it was best for him to step aside and pass the mantel... Needless to say the news came as a shocker because Hip Hop Speaks definitely filled a huge void in terms of exposing the tremendous wisdom, politicism and vibrancy this culture has to offer...

As for this past weeks panel discussions-it was incredible especially when sister Camille Yarborough spoke.. She left the crowd mesmerized as did Afrika Bambaataa and Professor X who was alast minute addition... All soerts of topics ranging from the impact of Homeland Security and the Patriotic Act to the role gangs have historically played in the development of Hip Hop culture were touched upon..

Elizabeth Mendes Berry brought the crowd to tears when we touched upon the topic of mysogony and she revealed that she had been raped... Her sobering comments reminded the audience just how close to home all the drama that women in the industry are experiencing.

Sway spoke about his successes as well as the challenges he's been facing since he's been filling in for Star over at Hot 97. He told the audience that folks have been coming up to him on the streets and saying he's too positive and that he's giving up too much game when he talks about some of the political happening sof the city. He relaized that we have an entire generation of people who have been conditioned to stay away and reject things that could be ebenficial and uplifting for us as a community..

He also talked about what it was like to be booed by 50 thousand people at Hot 97's Summer Jam. He said he expected that to happene and that it was an indication of where many of us are at.. He took it as a challenge to turn things around and win people over...

We will add more deatils to this panel discussion later on...