On Saturday, March 15th, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center proudly presents "Hip Hop, Back To Its Roots - Stop the Violence: Reclaiming Culture in our Communities", an in-depth look at the intersection of cultures in the Hip Hop movement and the recent acts of violence in our Seattle community. The event will fuse the elements of spoken word, breakdancing, poetry, modern dance and music combined with interactive workshops, artist-led discussion, live performance, and a reception immediately following the performance. This is an event for the entire family! 

By looking at the growing problem of violence through an artistic lens, Langston Hughes hopes to create a greater understanding of the root causes of violence and build a shared intelligence on its effect and prevention. This positive hip hop movement emphasizes positive values and the empowerment of urban youth that reflects their experiences and concerns in a style relevant to their culture. "It is not enough for Hip Hop to be seen as a mere form of creative expression; the tools in this art form can help us investigate and explore our collective nature and shape it for a more positive future”, said director, Melissa Noelle Green. Green's vision will bring some of the northwest's most talented artists to the stage and feature these artists in an intimate dialogue with the audience through workshops that will address the art and power of the Hip Hop culture. The impact of spoken word, dance, hip hop and urban culture has greatly influenced the younger generations to reach unbelievable heights of self expression. Music has a profound way of uniting people and bringing about change on an artistic and humanity level. Furthermore, academically, the arts have greatly enhanced test scores and reached students in a capacity that other core subjects are not able to do. "Hip-Hop, Back To Its Roots" is a wonderful theatrical platform, that will allow people to see another side of hip hop that has rarely been seen or shared. Many of us have seen positive and negative aspects of the history of rap and hip hop culture. Everyone has a perspective about it, however, no matter how you view it, it is an amazing entity.

The daylong event begins at 1PM with workshops and discussion circles featuring Portland’s Amplified Techniques and nationally renown academic and public health practitioner Dr. Mike Weaver and author of the book and documentary, "The Roots Cried Out: Hurricane Katrina One Year Later." Other workshops include Hip Hop Activisim, Women in Hip Hop, and the 5 elements of hip hop culture.

The 8:00PM performance will feature Pop Master Fabel, whose Rock Steady Crew, a New York based break dancing and hip hop group is described by the NYTimes as "the foremost break dancing group in the world today", along with the dynamic Pacific NW lineup including Massive Monkees, Youth Speaks, MCs Sharp Skills and Rubio, poet and activist Laura "Piece" Kelley-Jahn, modern dancer Vania Bynum, and poet and educator Melissa Noelle Green. This performance will lead its audience through the vibrant art forms of this energetic youth driven movement.

Workshops 1-5PM (Free with a $5 Suggested Donation)
1:00-2:00PM The 5 Elements of Hip Hop Culture - An interactive demonstration presented by Amplified Techniques and Pop Master Fabel
2:30-3:30PM Women in Hip Hop presented by Amanda "Beloved One" Cumbow, Laura "Piece" Kelley Jahn, and Melissa Noelle Green
4:00-5:00PM Hip Hop Activism - "Stop the violence:  How to use Hip Hop as a tool to end the violence" presented by Pop Master Fabel and Dr. Mike Weaver

Main Show 8pm ($10 Adult | $5 Youth)

Please purchase tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/28610 or call Brown Paper Tickets box office 1.800.838.3006 or LHPAC box office 206.386.1177.

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Artist Biography

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Pop Master Fabel	JORGE "POP MASTER FABEL" PABON was born and raised in Spanish Harlem, NYC where, at an early age, he developed his dance and choreography career at Hip Hop jams and clubs throughout the city. His pioneering individuality has been showcased internationally since 1982. Fabel is Senior Vice President of the Rock Steady Crew and also co-founder of GhettOriginal Productions, Inc. With GhettOriginal, Fabel co-authored, co-directed, and co-choreographed the first two Hip Hop musicals ever, "So! What Happens Now?" and "Jam on the Groove" (first official Off-Broadway Hip Hop musical). Along with fellow members of the Rhythm Technicians and The Rock Steady Crew, he won the 1991 Bessie Award for choreography. Fabel also gained world renown as a featured dancer in the Hip Hop cult classic movie, "Beat Street." Along with senior members of Rock Steady Crew, Fabel was an honoree at VH1's 1st Hip Hop Honors. He is currently a principle dancer and one of the artistic directors in Rennie Harris's theatrical production, "Legends Of Hip Hop". Fabel gives lectures, demonstrations, master classes, and participates in outreach programs and conferences internationally. He is a historian of and activist within Hip Hop culture. His other forms of expression include "graffiti" art, DJ'ing and digital arts.
Melissa Noelle Green	Melissa Noelle Green is an educator, actress, poet, and the 2006 Director of "Hip-Hop, Back To Its Roots". She is also the author of "My Soul Says Yes" and the soon to be released "My Pen My Art My Soul". With a B.A. degree in Education from Antioch University Seattle, Melissa Noelle Green is recognized as one of the northwest's outstanding spoken word artists. Art lovers who have seen this extraordinary artist in action, are often in awe with her range of creativity, movement and vocals. Her powerhouse of a voice and commanding presence, encapsulates the stories of her soul stirring rhymes, poems and lyrics. She is the 2004 Champion of the Umoja Fest Poetry in the Park, the 2005 Seattle Mayor's award recipient for excellence in Spoken Word and the 2006 Poetry Slam Champion for the Pacific Lutheran University Invitational Poetry Slam. Melissa has performed in several theatrical productions including the Seattle and New York MAAFA, The First Black Science -Fiction Festival, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl and Hamlet X. She has made appearances at Bumbershoot, The Folklife Festival, Langston Hughes, The Intiman, and several literary events in New York, and California.
Laura "Piece" Kelley Jahn	Laura "Piece" Kelley Jahn is a nationally recognized spoken word poet, hip-hop artist and arts educator. Piece has been writing poetry and performing her work publicly since the beginning of Seattle's slam poetry movement. In 2000 and 2001 she earned a place on the Seattle Poetry Slam Team to compete in the National Poetry Slam competition, and she was crowned the Seattle Grand Slam Champion for 2004-2005. Her unique delivery and lyrical content is integrated with vintage soul and Hip Hop to create a vehicle for social change. She has been featured on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and the documentary Underground Poets Railroad. In 2004 she released her self-titled debut album. Her contribution to Seattle's richly diverse musical scene has earned her a permanent place in the archives of Seattle's Experience Music Project museum. Piece is a member of the Seattle Arts Commission, serving on the Education Committee. She is Executive Director of the Think Big Foundation, which supports learning in the areas of athletics, arts, and academics, and co-founder of Aim for Peace, which creates writing and music workshops for youth using hip-hop to express the realities of growing up in today's society. She has developed progressive curriculum around the culture of Hip Hop and Spoken Word for hands-on intensive camps where students create, perform and record their own work. Piece has released three full length compilations featuring young artists. In addition to mentoring students' creative abilities she has designed workshops in media literacy and community activism to encourage examination of the messages in music.
Vania C. Bynum	Vania C. Bynum is a computer engineer whose exposure to the arts led her to pursue a BFA in Dance. A graduate of Cornish College of the Arts, Vania dances & choreographs throughout greater Seattle, and has worked with distinguished teachers and choreographers such as Donald Byrd, Sonia Dawkins, Kari Lee Florentine, Wade Madsen, Duane George, Edna Daigre, Michele Miller & Deborah Wolf. Vania has performed Modern, Jazz, Salsa, Swing, Hip Hop, Afro-Caribbean, and Liturgical dance. Venues include the Paramount & Moore Theaters, Intiman, Benaroya Hall, Meydenbauer Center, Seattle Center, Renton Ikea Performing Arts Center and local churches. In 2005, Vania founded Arts for the Greater Good, an organization dedicated to using dance to benefit the community. Her first benefit raised $13,000 for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Vania Bynum aspires to make dance more accessible to everyone and inspire others through movement as she walks in her purpose to share the passion of dance. Her belief is that Dance is Life!!
Sharp Skills	If one word could be used to define Sharp Skills, it would be "determined". In today's current hip hop climate, successful artists are as rare as a black pearl. It takes something truly unique to set one's self apart from his peers who are pursuing rap music as a career. Sharp Skills is just that artist with that special and coveted "IT" factor. He has garnered respect in his new found home of Seattle by winning emcee battles, multiple Inside the Music awards, performing at over 350 different venues, and breaking into mainstream radio. He has earned respect abroad by independently releasing one solo album, three critically acclaimed mixtapes, and making numerous album guest appearances. Sharp seems to have found the secret of maintaining the perfect balance of staying true to his Christian roots, while at the same time remaining relevant to the masses regardless of their religious, political, or societal views. Sharp Skills is indeed one of a kind. He is now set to drop his second studio effort entitled "The Campaign" on his new label, The R.E.B.E.L. Firm Music Division. This album displays Sharp Skills growth as an artist as he speaks on a wide array of topics affecting today's hip hop culture. The self proclaimed "Kobe Bryant of Rhyming" is set to prove that he is Seattle's finest and perhaps one of Hip Hop's greatest emcees.
Rubio	Born Dec. 22 , 1985 in El Paso, Tx. Now resides in Seattle, Wa and attends Seattle Pacific University. He has been involved in music since age 11 but has only been in the seattle hip hop scene for almost a year. However, despite his rookie status he has managed to create a healthy buzz and gain respect from some of seattle's most credible emcees. He has shared the stage with local acts such as Sharp Skills, Grynch, Neema of Unexpected Arrival and D. Black. Major label artist he has shared the stage with include Nas, Joe Budden and Bubba Sparks. He has put out one mixtape intitled "Go Getta V.1" and is currently working on his next project.

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