CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University will host a Hip-Hop Festival, including an academic symposium and concert showcasing hip-hop music and culture, on Friday, Oct. 17, on the OSU campus in Corvallis.

Events will include a daylong symposium highlighting the role of hip-hop in international culture and history, featuring a conversation with pioneering female rapper MC Lyte, the first woman to release a solo rap album; and a presentation from Mare, a Zapotec hip-hop artist from Oaxaca, Mexico. An evening concert will feature artists Lil Flip, a rapper from Houston, Texas; and Portland-based rapper Illmaculate.

"Music isn't just something we love - it affects how we experience and see culture as well as ourselves," said Dana Reason, director of popular music studies and festival director. "We want to demonstrate how truly interdisciplinary hip-hop culture is and how it transcends boundaries."

The festival is the first collaboration to stem from a new affiliate partnership between Oregon State's College of Liberal Arts and the Los Angeles-based GRAMMY Museum. Museum executive director Bob Santelli will conduct an on-stage interview and conversation with MC Lyte during the symposium.  

"The hip-hop festival and symposium is an opportunity to celebrate our new partnership with the GRAMMY Museum, and will give students a window into the cultural significance of hip-hop on an international scale," said Larry Rodgers, executive dean of the division of arts and sciences. "The speakers and performers we have lined up exemplify the genre's importance as an art form and as social and political commentary."

The symposium will run from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Loren Kajikawa, of the department of musicology and ethnomusicology at the University of Oregon, will give a keynote address at 9 a.m. Two panel discussions featuring academic scholars discussing aspects of hip-hop's impact on culture will also be held.

Symposium attendees also will have a chance to participate in workshops on beat-making; music technology, led by OSU music instructors; and graffiti, led by graffiti artists KujoRock and KangoKid.

The symposium is free and open to the public, but those interested in attending are encouraged to register in advance online because space is limited and some sessions may reach capacity. Register online at http://bit.ly/1DRD1eh.

The concert, which also will feature Los Angeles-based hip-hop producer Mike Gao and a performance from the Oregon State and University of Oregon B-Boys hip-hop dancers, will run from 7:15 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Concert tickets are free for students, faculty and staff with an OSU identification card; $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Tickets are available online at http://bit.ly/1DRD1eh. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to reserve tickets online; the fee will be waived with a valid ID number.

Performances and presentations will be held in Reser Stadium on the club and loge levels, with additional events and exhibits in the plaza outside the stadium. The full schedule of events is available online at http://bit.ly/1rkVgSV.

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Dana Reason, [email protected]

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