Mayor of Detroit Honors Hiphop Appreciation Week 2007

Peace and much love.

As the Temple Of Hiphop, a Hiphop Preservation Society, it is our duty to further advance the promotion, protection and preservation of Hip Hop, Hip Hop Kulture, its elements and expressions. For a few years now, a small organized assembly of "true" Hiphoppas who advocate, under the direction of MalikONE the Temple of Hiphop's Global Advocate, have advanced Hiphop's movement in cities where the productive Hiphop lifestyle is still in great demand! These advocates have worked to develop tangible, productive relationships and measurable results with members of the business/finance, governmental and city officials to properly educate society at large about Hiphop and eventually influence public policy.

The most recent development directs our attention to Detroit Michigan. Inundated with crime and the long term effects of hatred, ignorance and poverty, Detroit has long been singled out for its structurally violent communities, producing victims with ties to Hiphop culture. Detroit has not only seen a dramatic decline in socio-economic promise or enterprise; but the decline of hope, inspiration and guidance has only corroded what opportunity does still exist. Just after the Hiphop Declaration of Peace was established, it has been the goal of organizations like Zulu Nation, the Hiphop Association, the Universal Federation for the Preservation of Hiphop and the Temple of Hiphop, to bring balance to the air waves and communities at large as stated by Afrika Bambataa this past November during Hiphop History Month.

One such victory secured by Hiphop Kulture itself, can be witnessed by the presentation of a Proclamation from the Mayor's Office on behalf of the City of Detroit. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick acknowledged and honored every 3rd week in May as
Hiphop Appreciation Week and "a time to focus on the core principles of peace, love, unity and safely having fun." This was just one example of the hard work of Hiphop's kultural specialists to further sustain Hiphop's historic preservation and the public documentation of it. It is also reported that after conferences with the Global Advocate, Councilman Kwame Kinatta has organized Town Hall meetings to further advance the dialog and participation. These efforts were prompted by a large demand of Hiphoppas, businesses and concerned citizens in the city of Detroit who wanted a more conscious responsible presentation of Hiphop.

When presenting and initiating the strategies and processes to furthering Hiphop's movement I often say “We are developing Hip Hop as a productive lifestyle capable of raising families and producing peace in the world. Hip Hop is capable of being lived and not just performed. As a sustainable lifestyle, and not as just a form of entertainment, the “ I am Hip Hop” philosophy confirms the strength of an international, unified Hiphop voice – a voice that is politically aware, spiritually minded and socially active. This “conscious” Hiphop community consists of those who acknowledge and participate in Hip Hop beyond entertainment.

Everywhere you turn, the media's open assult on "rap music" has Hiphop culture re adjusting and reconsidering their positions on responsibility and accountability. This is why the Temple of Hiphop's message of peace, love, unity and safely having fun is the response to any of Hiphop's critics or admirers. Our movement has been well documented to preserve Hiphop culture, by decriminalizing Hiphop's public image. As culture, we as Hiphoppas must not be "ONLY" viewed and/or portrayed as pimps, whores, thugs and criminals. We are also parents, teachers, ministers and city officials. So we advocate and demand a more balanced approach to the way Hiphop is marketed, promoted and presented in the world community.

We not only take responsibility for how Hiphop looks and acts in society but, if we are serious about the restoration and the enhancement of OUR present quality of life, the preservation of OUR artistic elements and freedom from negative corporate exploitation, and a Hiphop way of life rooted in peace and prosperity; if these are the goals, we are going to have to think more of ourselves as a group than as simply a music genre. Academicians are going to have to take Hip Hop more seriously and adopt and practice Hip Hop’s elements more completely in order to write about any part of Hiphop’s cultural expressions. We have to take our group just a little more seriously.

As adult Hiphoppas with adult responsibilities we have an opportunity to live a better quality of life than that which we may have been born into. With our Hiphop activity in the world we have an opportunity to cause world peace through our internationally shared alternative behaviors and elements. Today, with our assortment of entertainment products worth over 10.5 billion dollars annually, our overwhelming influence upon many of the world’s institutions, and our rebellious popularity around the world, “Hip Hop” has become more of a worldwide movement toward better living than simply a form of entertainment. Today, “Hip Hop” is more of a lifestyle, an alternative behavior, a collective consciousness than simply a music genre. Yes, we have our birth in the Arts and in the entertainment industry but our success in both of those fields have clearly grown our group beyond the confinement of those fields.

Since 2001 Temple of Hiphop has been promoting the Hiphop Declaration of Peace and teaching its principles to all interested Hiphoppas. The Temple of Hiphop inspires Hiphoppas to reach for their higher selves by exploring Hip Hop not just as a rhyme, dance and/or art skill, but as a life skill capable of raising one’s own self-worth. The real question is do you have the courage to be you? Do you have the skill to actualize the YOU that is in your dreams? Even more than your own failure; you may be even more afraid of your own success?” In closing, our work is cut out for us in every city in and outside of this Union. Our goals are to continue to develop and cultivate these relationships to raise the overall quality of the collective Hiphop lifestyle. For those interested in more information, supporting, volunteering or participating in your local areas to preserve Hiphop contact MalikONE at the Temple Of Hiphop.

There it is.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z214/templedetroit/PROCDet1.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z214/templedetroit/PROCDet2.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z214/templedetroit/PROCDet3.jpg

MalikONE
Global Advocate
Temple Of Hiphop
www.malikone@templeofhiphop.org