Def Jam represents in Dallas

Rivers of young adults made their way to the Adolphus Hotel Oct. 11, and it had nothing to do with Texas/OU weekend.

This year the football frenzy between longtime rivals University of Texas and University of Oklahoma had to share the spotlight with hip hoppers from all over the country.

The Hip Hop Summit Action Network chose Dallas as host for its third annual convention.

Rap trailblazer and Dallas native, the D.O.C., attended the summit last year in Los Angeles. He was so inspired by the event that he worked to bring it to Dallas this year.

Minister Benjamin Muhammad, CEO and president of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, was joined by Russell Simmons, chairman of Def Jam Records, Reverend Run of the pioneer rap group Run DMC and recording star and Dallas native Erykah Badu.

Local radio personalities, record industry representatives and local elected officials were also on hand.

The summit lasted two days with Friday’s session invitation only. Radio station 97.9 The Beat gave out passes.

Simmons said over 65 independent record labels from Dallas alone registered to participate. Guests from as far as Michigan, California and Georgia were a part of the national event. The theme for the summit was “Taking Back Responsibility: Empowering Our Youth.”

Speakers focused on public responsibility and ways in which entertainers should contribute to their communities.

Def Jam’s literacy campaign joined forces with the Dallas Urban League, a civic organization, to found the Urban Leaguer Def Jam Reader program for children.

Dr. Beverly Brooks-Mitchell, president of the Dallas Urban League, stressed the importance of early literacy, which she called “substance.”

“Future rappers won’t be able to read and understand their contracts without substance,” Brooks-Mitchell said.

The D.O.C. discussed the financial role of rap in the recording industry. He said rap is a $20 billion per year business, but some artists aren’t informed enough to take advantage of the industry.

“By refusing to change with the game, we continue to get screwed by this business,” he said.

Senator Royce West explained the importance of politics in the lives of young adults.

He discussed the power of the vote, and encouraged young adults not only to register, but also to get out to the polls and make sure their voices are heard.

Each speaker received a warm welcome from the audience, but none was greater than that for Erykah Badu.

Before she took the stage, she showed off her hooded sweatshirt that read “native” across the back, symbolizing her Dallas roots. She spoke about the importance of being a role model in the public eye.

Though she advised artists to be true to themselves in their music, she also challenged them to include at least one socially conscious song on their demos.

“Everyone has the responsibility to say the right thing,” Badu said.

She also spoke passionately about the roles of leadership. She told a story of a leader having to leave his followers to become more enlightened and become a better leader to his people.

This story sparked a fiery outburst by a spectator who only identified himself as Mic Dog. The room was still and she listened intently as the Latino male told his own story of being an outcast leader.

When he finished, Badu expressed her empathy. The audience was then shown her new video, “Love of My Life,” in which Badu personifies hip hop as her first love.

The first segment ended with a brief intermission. The ballroom was so packed that hotel management wouldn’t allow guests of the summit to exit unless they weren’t returning, and no new participants were allowed to enter the hotel.

The second half of the summit included a presentation on “Hip Hop Economic Development” from a wealth management specialist at Merrill Lynch.

Several local officials also spoke about “Hip Hop Political Empowerment.”

Toward the end of the event, the floor was opened for questions to the panel.

Many artists wanted to know how to take their independent ventures to the next level.

The D.O.C. took this opportunity to show that Silverback Records would make itself available to serious artists.

Another standout was a 17-year-old black male named Lil Smooth. He asked the panel how his rap could be taken seriously if he was encouraging people to go vote.

He initially received preachy responses but was later embraced by members of the panel for his honesty and bravery in his question.

Local community organizations closed the Friday session making themselves available to anyone interested in their services.

Minister Muhammad convened the summit and encouraged everyone to join him the following day at the Texas Black Academy of Arts and Letters where personalities from 97.9 The Beat, local civic organizations and Texas Democratic U.S. Senatorial Candidate Ron Kirk spoke to participants about political responsibility and community service.

The event was broadcast live on 97.9 The Beat, one of the event’s biggest sponsors