URSULA RUCKER, RICH MEDINA, SUBTLE GROUND AND ILL VIBE COLLECTIVE SET FOR "HOLD ON, SLOW DOWN," A BENEFIT FOR BRANDYWINE PEACE COMMUNITY

A cadre of progressive artists from Philadelphia's acclaimed music and spoken word circles have committed to loan their mighty talents to "Hold On, Slow Down: A Benefit for Peace & Understanding," slated for Thursday, March 13th, at North By Northwest in Germantown. Renowned wordsmiths Ursula Rucker and Rich Medina will join local band Subtle Ground and other special guests, with Daniel "Gravy" Thomas as host, VJ Kevlar's mind-bending visuals and DJ unit Ill Vibe Collective providing the musical backdrop for what promises to be an amazing night of entertainment and fellowship.

Sponsored by ropeadope records, "Hold On, Slow Down" � which takes its title from a line from Rucker's track, "Keep Falling," on Jazzanova's In Between � will raise funds for the Brandywine Peace Community, a faith-based activist group with a 25-year history of organizing nonviolent resistance campaigns and challenging the weapons industry in the Delaware Valley.

"We are at a crazy crossroads in the world. People need to become aware of what our government is doing, shake the dust off of those brains, and get informed," says ropedope's David "Words" Wurtzel the passionate force behind "Hold On, Slow Down "If you don't like what is going on, do something about it. Brandywine Peace Community has been doing just that for years, and we are psyched to get behind such dope humans."

Brandywine Peace Community is the regional coordinator of the Iraq Pledge of Resistance, a campaign of nationally coordinated nonviolent civil disobedience to oppose war in Iraq, sponsored by over a dozen major U.S. peace groups. Initiated in October of 2002, there are now local groups and coalitions in over 50 cities actively organizing around the pledge, for which hundreds of thousands of Americans have vowed to actively protest the war via planned nonviolent resistance at selected government buildings across the country, the day after military action begins.

BPC's courage and commitment, Words claims, is an inspiration to the entire ropeadope family. "Our mantra at ropeadope is "Stand Strong' " stand up for what you believe. Have the courage and the guts to do so, even if it is not the popular opinion," he says. "A war with Iraq would be wrong in our opinion, and we're not alone. We are fortunate enough to have friends like Ursula, Rich, Kufi, Gravy and the Ill Vibe guys who feel the same way. We are just trying to do our part and, hopefully, persuade others to do the same."

Admission to "Hold On, Slow Down" is $8.00, and each donation ticket enters its holder into a raffle for prizes that include two Numark turntables and a Numark mixer, ropeadope t-shirts, jackets and CD's, plus other treats. Doors open at 9 p.m., and North By Northwest is located at 7165 Germantown Ave., in Germantown, Philadelphia.

For more information on "Hold On, Slow Down" or its participants, please contact Sheena Lester at (215) 829-1794 and [email removed] or visit the following websites:

www.geocities.com/brandywinepeace
www.ropeadope.com
www.ursula-rucker.com
www.recordkingdom.com/richmedina
www.illvibe.net
www.peacepledge.org/resist
www.nxnwphl.com