Hip Hop Can Save America

LIVE at 1pm EST every Monday through Thursday in the month of September, join Manny Faces in exploring innovative, inspiring, and sometimes surprising ways that Hip-Hop music & culture are uplifting and improving humanity -- in areas such as education, science & technology, health & wellness, social justice, the fine arts, and much more.Today's guest is Lori Rose Benson, CEO and Executive Director of Hip Hop Public Health, a nonprofit that is "building health equity through the transformative power of music, art, and science."Special guests daily, and your comments/questions welcome during the show!Never miss an episode (plus get special Friday BONUS episodes) by subscribing to the Hip-Hop Can Save America! podcast on your favorite podcast or streaming audio app: https://link.chtbl.com/hhcsaVisit us on the web for more information at www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com/liveSupport this work at www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

News Beat blends high-level social justice journalism, including interviews with academics, activists, and directly to those affected by injustice, lays it all down over a mood-setting musical bed, and often interspersing original lyrical contributions from independent Hip-Hop artists.This compelling podcast was awarded Best Journalism Podcast at the 2018 New York Press Club Journalism Awards, as well as the 2019 and 2020 Society of Professional Journalists/PCLI Awards.This episode is part of the September 2020 LIVE episode series of "Hip-Hop Can Save America!"LIVE at 1pm EST every Monday through Thursday in the month of September, join Manny Faces in exploring innovative, inspiring, and sometimes surprising ways that Hip-Hop music & culture are uplifting and improving humanity -- in areas such as education, science & technology, health & wellness, social justice, the fine arts, and much more.Special guests daily, and your comments/questions welcome during the show!Never miss an episode (plus get special Friday BONUS episodes) by subscribing to the Hip-Hop Can Save America! podcast on your favorite podcast or streaming audio app: https://link.chtbl.com/hhcsaVisit us on the web for more information at www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com/liveSupport this work at www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

LIVE at 1pm EST every Monday through Thursday in the month of September, join Manny Faces in exploring innovative, inspiring, and sometimes surprising ways that Hip-Hop music & culture are uplifting and improving humanity -- in areas such as education, science & technology, health & wellness, social justice, the fine arts, and much more.Special guests daily, and your comments/questions welcome during the show!Today's guest, Mikal Amin, has worked with institutions, organizations, often with youth, in many countries throughout the world, and is an artist, teacher, and Hip-Hop pedagogy advocate.Never miss an episode (plus get special Friday BONUS episodes) by subscribing to the Hip-Hop Can Save America! podcast on your favorite podcast or streaming audio app: https://link.chtbl.com/hhcsaVisit us on the web for more information at www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com/liveSupport this work at www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

Today's guest, acclaimed Hip-Hop photographer and author Ernie Paniccioli ("Hip-Hop At The End of The World: The Photography of Brother Ernie"), whose work is featured by the Cornell University Hip-Hop Collection archive, and has recently been made available for free, public online access. LIVE at 1pm EST every Monday through Thursday in the month of September, join Manny Faces in exploring innovative, inspiring, and sometimes surprising ways that Hip-Hop music & culture are uplifting and improving humanity -- in areas such as education, science & technology, health & wellness, social justice, the fine arts, and much more.Special guests daily, and your comments/questions welcome during the show!Never miss an episode (plus get special Friday BONUS episodes) by subscribing to the Hip-Hop Can Save America! podcast on your favorite podcast or streaming audio app: https://link.chtbl.com/hhcsaVisit us on the web for more information at www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com/liveSupport this work at www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

LIVE at 1pm EST every Monday through Thursday in the month of September, join Manny Faces in exploring innovative, inspiring, and sometimes surprising ways that Hip-Hop music & culture are uplifting and improving humanity -- in areas such as education, science & technology, health & wellness, social justice, the fine arts, and much more.Special guests daily, and your comments/questions welcome during the show!Never miss an episode (plus get special Friday BONUS episodes) by subscribing to the Hip-Hop Can Save America! podcast on your favorite podcast or streaming audio app: https://link.chtbl.com/hhcsaVisit us on the web for more information at www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com/liveSupport this work at www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

If there was an activity that anyone could participate in, young to old, corporate to entrepreneurial, creative types to analytical types, high school educated up to PHds, and that this activity could help enhance their communication skills, their ability to think on their feet, to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, to become a better talker, a better listener, a better learner, a better teacher, a better collaborator, a better human…Would that sound amazing?What if, at the same time, it sounded amazing?Freestyle (as in impromptu, made-up-on-the-spot) rap practitioner and instructor David “BS” Bradshaw has not only excelled at this incredibly creative and exciting subset of rap, but has developed an astounding assortment of initiatives that take this artform and its associated skillsets to the next level.

LIVE at 1pm EST every Monday through Thursday in the month of September, join Manny Faces in exploring innovative, inspiring, and sometimes surprising ways that Hip-Hop music & culture are uplifting and improving humanity -- in areas such as education, science & technology, health & wellness, social justice, the fine arts, and much more.Special guests daily, and your comments/questions welcome during the show!Today's guest, Adum7 (fka Ravage, fka MechaGodzilla), a multi-faceted artist/producer with a storied career in independent Hip-Hop spanning the world, speaking about music making, healthy eating, and evolving artistry over time. Never miss an episode (plus get special Friday BONUS episodes) by subscribing to the Hip-Hop Can Save America! podcast on your favorite podcast or streaming audio app: https://link.chtbl.com/hhcsaVisit us on the web for more information at www.hiphopcansaveamerica.comSupport this work at www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

LIVE at 1pm EST every Monday through Thursday in the month of September, join Manny Faces in exploring innovative, inspiring, and sometimes surprising ways that Hip-Hop music & culture are uplifting and improving humanity -- in areas such as education, science & technology, health & wellness, social justice, the fine arts, and much more.Special guests daily, and your comments/questions welcome during the show!On today's episode, MC, educator, podcaster, and multi-faceted artist Dyalekt speaks about his latest project, The Museum of Dead Words, as well as Hip-Hop theater in general, exploring the use of language & etymology through a Hip-Hop lens, and his work with financial literacy organization, Pockets Change. Never miss an episode (plus get special Friday BONUS episodes) by subscribing to the Hip-Hop Can Save America! podcast on your favorite podcast or streaming audio app: https://link.chtbl.com/hhcsaVisit us on the web for more information at www.hiphopcansaveamerica.comSupport this work at www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

Silent Knight is an acclaimed independent Hip-Hop artist, artist-in-residence for the award-winning social justice podcast, News Beat, and an Innocence Project artist ambassador, and frontman for the fusion group, The Band Called FUSE. LIVE at 1pm EST every Monday through Thursday in the month of September, join Manny Faces in exploring innovative, inspiring, and sometimes surprising ways that Hip-Hop music & culture are uplifting and improving humanity -- in areas such as education, science & technology, health & wellness, social justice, the fine arts, and much more.Special guests daily, and your comments/questions welcome during the show!Our scheduled guest on this inaugural episode, award-winning News Beat podcast artist in residence, Innocence Project ambassador, frontman for the incredible Band Called FUSE, and all-around cool cat, SILENT KNIGHT!Never miss an episode (plus get special Friday BONUS episodes) by subscribing to the Hip-Hop Can Save America! podcast on your favorite podcast or streaming audio app: https://link.chtbl.com/hhcsaVisit us on the web for more information at www.hiphopcansaveamerica.comSupport this work at www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

Hip-Hop just might be the most malleable of musical genres -- it is built off of the foundations of so many other genres, and is itself perhaps the most mashiest up of all musical mashups -- so by its very nature, blending in other genres -- from jazz to Latin to classical have often proven to be often surprisingly fluidAnd if you are the type to consider its literary qualities, the same could be said about its immense spectrum of subject matter. Indeed, Hip-Hop easily rivals most traditional literary movements in its ability to encapsulate so much of the human condition within its linguistic art.When done right, these artistic conglomerates can be creative, inventive, inspiring, and help build intellectual and musical bridges. Think Hamilton’s merging of Hip-Hop and traditional American musical. Or Guru’s Jazzamatazz series. With all of this though, there are still certain combinations that, to many, are simply too much oil and water. Too incompatible. You won’t hear a lot of Polka Rap after all.Country music was once considered this sort of Hip-Hop antithesis. Musically it’s not impossible -- generally a 4/4 style of music, more influenced by pop these days -- it COULD be done… Perhaps the perceived divides -- both in musical taste and often, ideology-- between the demographics of the fans of each of these respective genre made the idea less tolerable than say, rap and rock.Also, attempts at mashing up rap and rock have, for a variety of reasons, been traditionally well-received. Rap and country, not so much.Credit is due, of course, to Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus for re-opening this door, and though seen to many as a bit gimmicky, the effect on the zeitgeist was unquestionable.Still, in such a polarized world, can there exist a true merging of Hip-Hop and Country -- or even its more traditional subgenre, Bluegrass. One that doesn’t try to sugarcoat those ideological differences between fanbases. One that is unafraid to forcefully address even the most sensitive social justice issues, as Hip-Hop is wont to do, uncompromising even in the face of potentially unwelcoming audiences.But one that does so with the kind of musical authenticity that will influence fans of the genre to open their ears to those messages, and arms to those messengers.Gangstagrass says hell yea, and an enthusiastic fanbase on both sides of the musical aisle, agree. This fusion band is masterminded by singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Rench, features banjo playing by Dan “Danjo” Whitener, fiddle playing by Brian “B” Farrow, and lyrical prowess from two MCs, R-Son and Dolio The Sleuth.On the eve of their new single release “Ain’t No Crime,” and a month ahead of their new album, “No Time For Enemies, I spoke at length with B Farrow, R-Son and Dolio to discuss the way their formula for tackling this fabled combination of style and substance can, and should, be taken seriously, perhaps now more than ever.My name is Manny Faces. This is my conversation with Gangstagrass.