By Kiarra Solomon
Philadelphia has played a major part in some of the great musical movements in history including Jazz, R&B and of course Hip-Hop. However, far too many youth have no knowledge of that rich history, an ignorance that is not completely their fault, yet no less disheartening since it is the contributions that have paved ways and opened doors for some of today’s “Hip-Hop Greats”.
In an attempt to begin to bridge the gap and educate young people on the rich musical history of Philadelphia’s Hip-Hop scene Jr. Music Executives in partnership with Philadelphia Young Artists, SCH CAPA, Inc., and a few other local business went to work to document the history of Hip Hop in Philadelphia in film.
The 18 minute long documentary, Philly Hip-Hop Legacy (PHL) Project will premiere on at a free event on Tuesday June 26th at 6pm. The screening will take place at The Arts Garage, which has also partnered with Jr. Music Executives on the PHL Project. The documentary was produced by Raynold D Fabre-Jeune, a recent graduate of The Art Institute of Philadelphia. “The film will educate those who don’t know and give lovers of Hip-Hop a trip down memory lane. It’s something for everyone”, says Raynold.
Over 20 students from the region participated in the creation of the PHL Project. “We have a lot of students in our program who are aspiring rap artists or want to get into the industry in other ways, but they have no idea who Lady B is. They only know DJ Jazzy Jeff as an actor,” says Aisha Winfield, Program Director of Jr. Music Executives.
In addition to screening the film on Tuesday, guests will also be invited to listen to a soundtrack and view a timeline created by the students, both of which also document the Hip-Hop history of Philadelphia. “The growth that I’ve seen in the students is amazing. They have really developed a real pride for Philadelphia, and their already talking about what they are going to do next,” says Winfield. There are also plans to have the timeline that the students will unveil on Tuesday installed in one of the rooms at The Arts Garage later this year.
Jr. Music Executives is a boot-camp style training program for high school and college students interested in the business behind the entertainment industry. In addition to workshops and networking opportunities, the program provides internships and scholarships for underserved and at-risk minority youths in Philadelphia. The screening of the PHL Project is on Tuesday June 26th at The Arts Garage (1533 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA 1930) from 6-9pm. The event is FREE.
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