A Shout Out from The Faculty Lounge

Yesterday, on The Faculty Lounge blog, Bridget Crawford wrote that “Hip Hop and the Law” would be a great course. She was inspired by a Washington Post story concerning Dr. Michael Eric Dyson’s Georgetown University undergraduate course on “Sociology of Hip Hop – Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z.” As another source of inspiration, she pointed to our blog, HipHopLaw.com. We want to thank Bridget for the shout out and return the favor. I, for one, am a fan of The Faculty Lounge. It is a useful source of intellectual conversation and thoughtful information, especially about the legal academy.

Let me also offer another example of teaching at the intersection of hip hop and the law: Professor Donald Tibbs of The Earl Mack School of Law of Drexel University received a grant this past spring to start a course on Hip Hop and the American Constitution. His distinguished group of guest lecturers includes Paul Butler, Imani Perry and HipHopLaw.com bloggers Pamela D. Bridgewater, andré douglas pond cummings, and Akilah Folami. The lectures will culminate in a book to be edited by Tibbs and cummings.

We look forward to hearing more about this project as it progresses.

--Atiba Ellis

Roots & Reality Check, Part 1: Nuthin’ is Free

All I need is one mic... yeah, yeah yeah yeah

All I need is one mic... that's all I ever needed in this world, fuck cash


All I need is one mic... fuck the cars, the jewelry


All I need is one mic... to spread my voice to the whole world

-- Nas, One Mic

On April 13, American University Washington College of Law (WCL) sponsored Roots and Reality II: Hip Hop, Law, and Social Justice Organizing. RRII is the second installment of the Roots and Reality Social Justice Project—a collective of activists, lawyers, artists, and others committed to public interest law, and the “public” they serve—envisioned and co-organized by hiphoplaw.com contributor, Professor Pamela Bridgewater. I was humbled to serve as a student co-organizer for the event this year.

RRII turned out to be a dope event, featuring hiphoplaw.com co-founders, andré douglas pond cummings and Nick J. Sciullo, among other leading legal minds, activists, artists, and young people, who shared the space in community and conversation for two days. This post is first of two RRII afterthoughts prompted from the event.

Our first roundtable, Law(lessness), (In)Justice and Legacy of Hip Hop Music and Culture, centered on a “hot” question, “which degrees of free speech does the law guarantee for artists and activists resisting the powers that be?” You can watch the impassioned exchange between Rosa Clemente (activist, former Green Party VP candidate) and Mora Namdar (activist, WCL third-year student) where Mora explains her view that dissident speech is better protected in the US (than in Iran), and where Rosa fiercely challenges her. It was sort of like a freestyle battle, but rather with a spit-beat, it pulsed on a heart-beat.

I felt an unfolding of reactions as I watched it live, but in hindsight, I settled on some perspective: Mora is a law student, artist, and activist; she was threatened with arrest for her paintings in the US while in college; and who is engaged with artists/activists in Iran (the homeland of her parents who left after the Iranian Revolution). These Iranian activists’ messages are violently silenced by the state (from sudden disappearances to street murders) forcing them to use technology and the underground. Rosa is a PhD student, hip hop artist, and activist; a native New Yorker who is well-known for her radical organizing and writing; and who like many people faced military intimidation while bearing witness to Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath. The resistance of radical activists’ with whom she engages has been targeted by the state through overt and covert police action (from warrantless wiretaps to the FBI’s COINTELPRO programs).

Both activists described self-proclaimed democracies which have a history of violent suppression of dissident speech, often squash meaningful legal interventions, and especially don’t want to hear criticism from strugglin’ folk through hip hop. So although Rosa and Mora disagreed on the degree of speech guarantees, as the audience member who commented at the end, neither approximates free speech—both regimes circumvent their own laws for “national” interests. All in all—whether it is the savage terrorist violence oppressing Iran’s Green Wave or brutal police assassination of young vocal leaders, such Fred Hampton in Chicago—it’s insidious, inhumane stuff.

Breaking it down, in my mind, the crucial point from the back-and-forth was the reality that our role as lawyers and activists, here or elsewhere, is as effective as our ability to work as creative resistors to hypocritical systems. Where a constitutional claim or protest might not reach, a hip hop track might move, even if the music is censored, or artist’s life destroyed. In that way, art forms like hip hop, is a freedom that no law can ever guarantee, but no law can ever fully contain.

-- Richael Faithful

Live from the Washington College of Law at American University

It's the start of the Roots and Reality II conference at the Washington College of Law at American University. Last night was stellar. There were so many powerful artists with such strong messages. I observed people come alive on the stage. It was quite remarkable to see so many great young leaders rising to the occasion.

Now as I sit in a 6th Floor classroom at WCL, I'm heartened to see so many outstanding law students, community members and scholars awaiting the panelists and performances. As I speak, Pam Bridgewater has begun her opening remarks and the conference is almost underway.

live blogging from busboys and poets; kickoff for Roots and Reality

live and direct... great crowd here so far... really good vibe... pam bridgewater puts on a great event... looking forward to some great performances... come out and enjoy... several great artists will be here and will really help set the atmosphere for thirty six hours of great commentrary on law, social change, hip hop, and possibilities for an exciting and more inclusive tomorrow... more to come...

nick j. sciullo

Conference (April 13): Roots and Reality II: Hip Hop, Law, and Social Justice Organizing at Washington College of Law at American University

There's a great conference being put on at the Washington College of Law at American UNiversity this month. The conference brings together great minds from law, hip-hop, organizing, and social justice. The conference can be found at http://www.wcl.american.edu/secle/founders/2011/20110413.cfm.

If you live in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia metro area), you should certainly think about attending.

April 13, 2011

9:30-9:55 Registration

10:00-10:05 WCL Founders' Celebration and RRII Welcome RRII Student Planning Committee Member

10:10-10:20 Opening Address

andré douglas pond cummings

Professor of Law, West Virginia University College of Law

Editor, Evolution of Street Knowledge: Hip Hop Law Anthology

Co-Creator, HipHopLaw.com

10:25-10:45 Presentations 'All of the Lights': Life and Law in the DMV Slam! Winners *

Presenter: Dennis Williams, H.B.O. Corporate Responsibility and Slam! MC,

Skim, hip hop artist, Def Poetry Jam poet, activist and artist

10:45-11:40 Town Hall Meeting: Law(lessness) and (In)Justice in Hip Hop Music and the Hip Hop Nation

Moderator: Rosa Clemente, Hip Hop Activist, Former Candidate for Vice President (GP 08).

11:45-11:50 Performance – 'All of the Lights': Life and Law in the DMV Slam! 3rd Place Winner*

11:55-12:20 Address and Presentation

Paul Butler, Dean and Professor of Law, George Washington Law

Author, Let’s Get Free: A Hip Hop Theory of Justice

12:25-1:55 Lunch

Film Screening and Discussion

Beyond Beats and Rhymes

2:00-2:05 Performance – 'All of the Lights': Life and Law in the DMV Slam! 2nd Place Winner*

2:20-3:30 Hip Hop Legal Theory Panel: Hip Hop Nation in the Law School Classroom

Camille Nelson, Dean, Suffolk University Law School

Anthony Farley, James Campbell Matthews Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence, Albany Law School

Nick J. Sciullo, J.D., West Virginia University College of Law, moderator and resident blogger for HipHopLaw.com

3:35-3:40 Performance 'All of the Lights' 1st Place Winner*

3:45-5:00 “On to the Next” Roundtable

Topic: Hip Hop in the Grassroots: Art, Politics Organizing and Activism

Rosa Clemente, Hip Hop Activist Former Vice Presidential Candidate (Invited)

Mazi Mutafa, Executive Director, Words Beats and Life 'All of the Lights': Life and Law in the DMV 1st place winner*

Skim, hip hop/spoken word artist, activist

Head Roc, hip hop artist, activist, advocate for DC Statehood/Green Party and DC City Paper Columnist

Part III Symposium Dinner and Keynote Address

5:10-6:30 Roots and Reality II Symposium Dinner: Social Justice Organizing and Mentoring in the Juvenile Justice System

R. Dwayne Betts, Keynote Address

National Spokesperson for Campaign for Youth

2010 Soros Justice Fellow

Cave Canem Fellow

2010 Winner of NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Debut for his memoir, A Question of Freedom

T.I.’s Road to Redemption: A Success Story or the Same Old Story?

In many ways, it was a grey day in Atlanta. It was foggy and dark. People were visibly tired of the intermittent rain that stopped just enough to fool you into walking your dog.

It was also a grey day in Atlanta because one of its native sons, TI (a/k/a TIP a/k/a Clifford Harris, Jr.) was sentenced in federal court to a year and one day in jail. There was more to his sentence – a great deal more (DNA testing, forfeiture of property, a $100,000 fine, community service, drug testing, financial audits, three years probation, drug testing) - but that one year and one day is what had many of the folks on the street in Atlanta a little bit depressed. In addition to the Grady Memorial Ambulance blasting “Dead and Gone” (his cut with Justin Timberlake), I saw that the people most affected by the news of the sentence were black working class folks. Some were saying that a year and a day sentence for federal weapons charges is damn near nothing. Others were saying that any time in jail is too much time. Everyone I overheard talking about it seemed to feel this particular pain well. Whether it’s because they’ve been in the shoes of T.I.’s partner, Tameka Cottle, or his six children, or they know first hand what lies ahead for T.I. when he begins his 366 day journey into darkness - I can’t be sure. My guess is that being a working class black person in America, especially in the south, means you know a little something about jail.

There is an upside to all this. It seems as thought T.I. has remained the ‘stand up’ guy with the sweet smile and mischievous twinkle we have come to love. He seems to have sobered and blossomed over the year and a half since his bodyguard (turned informant) tried to sell him weapons in a Walgreens parking lot. He does not seem to be the same implosive/explosive young man accused or capable of assaulting a female security guard at a mall in Tampa. He seems to genuinely care about the community service activities he is forced to do by the court.

We will have to wait to see what happens once Atlanta’s native son hits the bricks next year sometime. Will he still have that smile and twinkle when he returns from jail hell? Will he return to the world as whole as one can be after prison and continue his good works not solely because the court told him he had to? Or .... I’m not even gonna speak it. Let’s just wait and watch and keep the brother in our hearts.

- Pamela D. Bridgewater

(Photo by Reuters)

Are GOP Politics and Hip Hop Sensibilities Compatible?

(Note: Every Friday, hiphoplaw.com contributors will respond to a hot-button issue related to the intersection of hip hop, law and culture.)

Pamela D. Bridgewater:

"First off, the question is based on the false premise that the hip hop nation is closely associated with any mainstream political party, including the Democratic party. This last election was a phenomena, and we all know why. If the hip hop nation was a Democratic party we would have had a different result in 2004. And if the GOP had any idea as to how to draw in the hip hop kids – they would have done so in 2008! Now, to be sure, the hip hop nation, the Demoractic and Republican parties have a lot in common – like capitalism, hyper consumerism, anti-queer sentiment, anti-reproductive freedom, and the failure to adequately work toward eliminating the root causes of poverty and oppression. But, since many rappers grew up with a picture of either MLK or JFK (often both) on their nana’s walls, they are more familiar with, and thus lumped in, with the Dems. But in order to understand the schism between hip hop and mainstream political parties, one has to look back to 1995-97 and pick out two words: COP KILLER.

Like Mumia Abu Jamal and Assata Shakur, the hip hop nation will forever (forever ever forever ever!) be inconsistent with the mainstream political parties because of its fear and loathing of the police. And further, the GOP takes particular pride in hyping up the fear part of that relationship. Yet, members of both parties cringed when ICE T dropped Body Count in the Rodney King era and was forced to choose to pull it from the album. Since then we can track several of rap’s reconciliations. Yet, of all the contested relationships between rap and the larger society and within rap itself – the tumultuous relationship between rap’s artists (and their constituencies) and the police have never been reconciled. As long as ICE-T and others (except Warner Brothers) stand by the following lyrics:

Fuck the police, yeah!
Fuck the police, for darryl gates.
Fuck the police, for rodney king.
Fuck the police, for my dead homies.
Fuck the police, for your freedom.
Fuck the police, don’t be a pussy.
Fuck the police, have some muthafuckin courage.
Fuck the police, sing along.
Cop killer!
Cop killer!
Cop killer!
Cop killer!”

The major political parties’ pro police, pro enhanced crime enforcement, pro prisons message will always seem diametrically opposed to hip hop and rap and gangsta rap. Michael Steele and President Obama have their work cut out for them."

D. Aaron Lacy:

"The GOP and the hip hop movement will never be compatible. In many areas, the GOP’s stance is the complete opposite to what the hip hop generation believes in. If the GOP wants to reach out to the hip hop generation, it must change its fundamental beliefs that are the bedrock of the Republican Party. Any effort by the GOP to reach out to the hip hop generation must be more than mere dressing up of the same conservative message. If all the GOP does is use hip hop slang in an attempt to make it seem like it relates to the hip hop generation, it will do nothing more than alienate more of the voters that they seek to win. In addition, that attempt will more than likely alienate many of the voters they currently have.

Hip hop culture is more than just words. It’s an attitude and it’s a way of life. Recently, Michael Steele urged the GOP to acknowledge their mistakes and commented “Tell America: We know the past, we know we did wrong – my bad.” A Minnesota Congresswoman followed Steele by proclaiming “You be da man!” It’s this type of superficial banter that I speak of above. Behaving like this will do nothing but give late night talk show hosts things to make fun of the GOP. Watching Michael Steele act this way is like watching Steve Martin “act black” in the movie Bringing Down the House.

In order for the GOP to be compatible with the hip hop movement, it would have to remake itself completely to give the people what they really want (not slang). That is just not something that I see happening anytime soon, if ever."

Nick J. Sciullo:

"Hip-hop is not bi-partisan, but that does not mean that there is no room for conservative politics. Music should open up space where multiple actors can engage in the creative process. There are no bars to participation, save a modicum of talent. If we deny conservatives the ability to participate in hip-hop, then we force hip-hop to lose its focus. Does this mean that conservative hip-hop will shortly replace emo-rap as the newest fad? No. Hip-hop is still the domain of liberal activism, but as with any musical genre or culture, it should be open to new participants.

Hip-hop has traditionally been rebel music, but now the rebellion seems to have died down. How revolutionary is hip-hop today? Was Nas correct when he asserted that hip-hop was dead? To argue that hip-hop is not as liberal as it might wish to be is a persuasive argument. The politics of major corporations, White-record label ownership, and manipulative disc jockeys remind us that hip-hop is indeed a business and not a naïve liberal revolution. To claim, self-righteously, that hip-hop will exist forever or that hip-hop has no room to progress would be a horrible blow to hip-hop’s potential. Hip-hop must move forward. Artists must do new things, songs must sound different, recording machinery must be improved, and so on.

Michael Steele’s recent call for a union of hip-hop and conservativism rings hollow. It sounded desperate, with no context. Steele has not sufficiently explained how he plans to achieve this hip-hop makeover, nor does he give the impression that he has the tremendous knowledge of hip-hop needed to change Republican politics as usual. I don’t know how the Republican Party Remix of 2009 will go, but my guess is not well."

(Image courtesy of nyc.indymedia.org)