Hip-Hop Week has officially started at Spelman College. From October 31st to November 4th, MC Lyte will be hosting discussions at the historically black women's college about the images of Black women in music.
Students at Spelman have a history of taking note of female representations in Hip-Hop culture. Back in 2004, Nelly canceled a charity event at Spelman after learning that students, spearheaded by then senior Asha Jennings, who was president of Spelman's Student Government Association, and Moya Bailey, who was president of the college's Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, were planning a protest over images in the BET: Uncut version of his video for "Tip Drill". His record label, Universal Records, said it was unfair that Nelly should be singled out.
Jennings, who is now a law student at New York University, said she was motivated by watching Nelly swipe a credit card through a woman's backside in a video.
Last spring, the college teamed with Essence Magazine as part of the magazine's Take Back The Music campaign, with Spelman hosting a hip-hop town hall meeting and Essence dedicating two issues to the image of the black woman in hip-hop. The town hall meeting drew an audience of over 500, with the majority of students lashing out against officials from BET and TVT Records.
As for the need for another series of discussions, Jennings told the Associated Press, "We started a conversation, but it really didn't change things enough."
This year the college is hoping to keep things on an upbeat note. Advertisements for Hip-Hop Week on the Spelman website encourages students to: "Come and explore the positive impact of hip hop music on American culture, and engage in dynamic discussions about images of Black women in music."
In addition to MC Lyte, rappers Cheryl "Salt" James and Da Brat and actor Darryl "Chill" Mitchell will join scholars for Hip-Hop Week discussions this week.
http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/7766
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