WORD: LIFE: An Opinionated Mixtape of Hip Hop Journalism
Get ready for two epic days of unfiltered hip-hop journalism as we dive into the words and stories that shape the culture.
Date and time
Location
Columbia University Pulitzer Hall
2950 Broadway New York, NY 10027Agenda
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
SPOTLIGHT 1: NELSON GEORGE ON HIS 1978 AMSTERDAM NEWS ARTICLE
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
PANEL 1: THE ARCHITECTS: A CONVERSATION BETWEEN EDITORS
Jelani Cobb (Moderator)
Bakari Kitwana
Scott Poulson-Bryant
Kierna Mayo
11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
SPOTLIGHT 2: SHEENA LESTER ON XXL’s GREAT DAY IN HIP HOP
11:50 AM - 12:50 PM
PANEL 2: CODE READ: THE ETHICS OF HIP HOP JOURNALISM
Akiba Solomon
Davey D
Andre Gee
Karen Good-Marable
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
LUNCH
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
SPOTLIGHT 3: MINYA OH ON HER FIVE MIC REVIEW OF NAS’S ILLMATIC
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
PANEL 3: THE CULTURE IS VISUAL: HIP HOP PHOTOGRAPHY
Michelle Willems (Moderator)
Martha Cooper
Sue Kwon
Ernie Paniccioli
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
SPOTLIGHT 4: JASON KING ON HIS NPR ESSAY ABOUT LIL NAS X
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM
PANEL 4: FLYBOY UNBOUND: THE LIFE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF GREG TATE
dream hampton
Nelson George
Joan Morgan
Mark Anthony Neal
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Panel 5: THE CRITIC AND THE STAN
Jouelzy
Rawiya Kameir
Jay Smooth
Jesse Washington
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
RECEPTION
About this event
Over the past year we've seen a number of events recognizing the 50th anniversary of Kool Herc's legendary party which is credited with giving birth to hip hop. This conference, held on February 20-21, 2024, is to recognize a half century of hip hop journalism. Celebrating a media movement largely created by young people of color, Word: Life: An Opinionated Mixtape of Hip Hop Journalism will offer a window into the impact, challenges and evolution of this art form.
The event is a collaboration between Columbia Journalism School, the arts criticism non-profit Critical Minded and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, with support from advisors Syreeta Gates, Shamira Ibrahim, Bakari Kitwana and Danyel Smith. The first day of panels and workshops will take place at the Schomburg and the second day's events will be held at Columbia.
Of course, countless panels and explorations could honor this body of work (many already have). In just a day and a half, we can’t do it all. That’s why we’ve decided on a mixtape-style format that aims to conjure the spirit of hip hop journalism at its most vibrant without trying to cover everything.
We’ve intentionally included both newer practitioners alongside people who defined the genre so this celebration isn’t just about nostalgia. Our goal is to celebrate and investigate the past, the present and the future, and to create opportunities for intergenerational dialogue.
SPACE IS LIMITED SO PLEASE RSVP.