Gay Hip-Hop Festival

hopefully I'll have time to head down and check this out, we need a lot more of this.

Homo Hop Flow: Gay Rappers Bring Pride to Hip Hop’s Birthplace

Homo Hop Flow:
Gay Rappers Bring Pride to Hip Hop’s Birthplace

After attracting over 600 fans and artists at its inauguration in July 2004, the Peace Out East LGBT Hip Hop Festival enters its sophomore year with concerts and screenings that showcase the pioneering work of Homo Hop artists in hip-hop's birthplace, New York City. The Festival represents the growing work of a thriving Homo Hop community, whose very presence challenges the notion of hip hop as an anti-gay art form.

LGBT rappers, hip hop artists and fans from localities throughout the East Coast and the country, converge in NYC from Friday, July 15th, through Sunday, July 17th. Peace Out East empowers local artists and fans through increasing viable artistic, professional and networking opportunities for both established and emerging Homo Hop artists.

“Hip-hop itself is not homophobic,” notes Paradigm, B.Q.E. member and co-producer of Peace OUT East. “Music is a tool; it can be used to build or destroy,” she continues, “Some people use hip-hop to be homophobic. We use it to build up our people, affirm our heritage as queers, as people of color, and as artists.”

Peace Out East opens on Friday, July 15th, at the Bowery Poetry Club at 10:00pm.

Schedule

WORD/LIFE: Emcees and Poets in the Life
Friday, July 15, 2005; 10:00 pm
Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery @ Bleecker
Live music and spoken word featuring Baron, Dewayne Dickerson, Buttaflysoul, Tim’m, Claudia Alick, Yvie E., DJ Daryl Raymond & DJ Rollz Royce; hosted by Exodus

Homo Hop Showcase
Saturday, July 16, 2005; 10:00 pm
Galapagos Art Space
70 N. 6th Street @ Wythe Avenue
Live performances by Soce the Elemental Wizard, El-Don, Da Lyrical, Aggracyst, Shayvonna, Hip-hop dancer Pino; DJ Dutchboy & DJ Fucci.

Screening: "The Straight Black Folks' Guide to Gay Black Folks" and "Incursions in Chunk"
Saturday, July 16, 2005; 1:00 pm
International Action Center, 39 West 14th St. #206

Peace Out East Final Concert
Sunday, July 17, 2005; 9:00 pm
Nuyorican Poets Café
236 E. 3rd Street @ Ave B
Featuring BQE, Shorty Roc, KIN, JB RAP, Brick Citizenz, Ricoshade & God-Des featuring Tina G.

Interviews and photos available upon request.

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See also:
http://www.peaceouteast.com