Get the scoop on Montreal’s first Hip Hop Week

Hip hop has been a mainstream force for years now, but never seems to earn the sort of cultural or academic accolades that other long-established genres receive. With that in mind, four McGill friends have put together Hip Hop Week Montreal, an event that aims to bring about a deeper understanding of the various voices within hip hop, while also throwing a killer party.

Hip Hop Week Montreal will be offering up a number of guest speakers at McGill, kicking off with an Opening Keynote by Dr. Jeffrey Ogbar (Hip Hop Revolution), as well as a selection of free panels including “Big Booty Ho’s,” a discussion of gender and sexuality in hip hop. The week will be capped off by a set of concerts and lectures by Jean Grae (Friday), and none other than the legendary Rakim (AKA The God MC) on Saturday night. Grae and Rakim will each participate in a moderated discussion at Concordia in the afternoon, followed by their respective headlining shows at Le Belmont later each night. We sat down with Sta Kuzviwanza, one of Hip Hop Week’s founders, to talk about the inspiration behind the event, and what fans can look forward to in the days ahead.

How did Hip Hop Week come together? 

Hip Hop Week came together as the result of an intense discussion between four friends about the state of hip hop, cultural appropriation and the desire for more educational and community-oriented events.

How did you settle on the panel topics?

Lots of debate! We are all very opinionated and stubborn. If we all had it our way, there would probably be five panels by now.

What are your thoughts on Montreal’s hip hop scene? Is it as inclusive as it could be? 

Montreal is full of incredibly talented artists from diverse backgrounds, and they are at the heart of what makes Montreal so vibrant and unique. You get to see all these different identities and styles in one big melting pot when you go to local Montreal hip hop shows. While there are (thankfully!) some really inclusive spaces you find in the local scene, we have also witnessed an exclusivity that has entered certain spaces. Exclusivity is obviously a huge factor in what makes certain artists and scenes popular and successful, but we have had discussions about how these shifts to exclusivity can make music and art less accessible to those that can’t afford the $20 cover, or feel comfortable amongst the young, rich and hip crowds in Montreal.

You’ve got some great headliners, including the legendary Rakim and Jean Grae – how do they tie in to Hip Hop Week‘s mission?

We are incredibly excited to welcome Jean Grae and Rakim to Hip Hop Week. Rakim is a given – he’s a living legend and testament to hip hop’s staying power. Rakim was there from the beginning – he is a trendsetter that brought lyricism to the forefront and inspired an entire generation of rappers such as the Nas’s, the Mos Def’s, the Talib’s, and more. He’s your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper’s favourite rapper. Jean Grae is a boss – she’s an old school femcee that has transcended into a multi-genre, multi-media artist with incredible staying power. In an industry where female presence is often short-lived and disposable, she has stayed true to her art and broken boundaries. She’s got mad wisdom to tell the children – and we’re here to listen. Both Jean and Rakim are significant parts of hip hop history and by bringing them to speak in these notable academic spaces, we are asserting Hip Hop’s position as a complex socio-cultural giant that must be contended with and not over-simplified. Their insight into the development of hip hop, its beginnings and its current state will be an important aspect of Hip Hop Week’s mission to educate.

Hip Hop Week also fundraises for No Bad Sound Studio – can you explain the importance of the studio? 

No Bad Sound Studio has become a corner stone for Montreal’s younger class of upcoming Hip Hop artists. The studio offers something special – a space for young artists to develop and get support and mentorship from more seasoned artists. No Bad Sound has long been doing what Hip Hop Week is now attempting to do – bring art, community and education into one space.

What do you want people to take away from Hip Hop Week?

That hip hop is not a single story. Hip hop is literally a culture and a rapidly growing global movement that has encompassed aspects such as rap, b-boying, graffiti, scratching, street fashion, beatboxing and more. And not only is it culture; it is history and politics in movement. We hope people will come away from Hip Hop Week with a deeper understanding of the underlying generational, racial, class, and gender tensions within hip hop. More importantly, we hope people discover some new music, network and have a good time.

For tickets and the full week’s schedule, visit Hip Hop Weekly’s website.