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Organizing Committee
Adisa Banjoko
Adisa Banjoko, named one of the top 20 under 40 by California's most prestigious magazine, has been a respected journalist for over 15 years and has appeared in The Source, The Harvard Hip Hop Archive, San Francisco Chronicle, XXL, Vibe, Grappling, Yoga Journal, Daveyd.com, Rapstation.com, Pacific News Service, and Allhiphop.com. Under the pen name “The Bishop of Hip Hop”, he has entertained many with his work on Hip Hop culture, eastern philosophy, martial arts, Islamic culture, African American and youth social issues. He also hosts the One Mic Radio show, which is downloadable at www.iciclenetworks.com.
Brandon Bickerstaff
Brandon Bickerstaff is a native of Los Angeles, Hurricane Katrina survivor, and graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he earned a B.A. in Print Journalism. As a member of the (Biloxi) Sun Herald's staff, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Community Service for his coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He has also contributed to several publications including the Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News and ESPN.com. After two years living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, he currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kevin L. Clark
Kevin L. Clark is a third-year student at Kent State University. With a major in Journalism and Mass Communication, Clark has been able to parlay his love of writing into a burgeoning career both on and off-campus. He is currently a staff writer for HipHopDX.com, IndustryPlug.com, NobodySmiling.com, and blogs at his own site – Real Recognize Real (http://realrecognizereal.wordpress.com). Kevin is also the Editor-in-Chief of UHURU Magazine – Kent State University’s leading black publication, as well as a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater.
Brian Coleman
Brian Coleman is 34 years old and has been mesmerized and energized by hip-hop music since Run-DMC, Public Enemy, DJ Red Alert and Yo! MTV Raps messed with his teenage mind in the otherwise forgettable 1980s. In the past decade he has written hundreds of reviews and features about the hip-hop artform for national magazines and newspapers such as XXL (“Classic Material” columnist, 1999 – present; “Ill Techniques” columnist 2001 – 2003), Scratch (Editor-At-Large, 2004-present, “Pioneer DJ” and “Indie 500” columnist), Complex, CMJ Weekly (Hip-Hop columnist and editor, 1997 and 2001) and CMJ Monthly (Hip-Hop columnist 1997 – 2001), URB, Boston Herald, Boston Phoenix, Blaze and NY Press. Since 1995 he has hosted an old-school hip-hop and funk radio show on WZBC 90.3 FM in Newton/Boston, MA. He resides in Cambridge, MA, surrounded by 10,000 pieces of vinyl, stacked in various heights around his bedroom, hallway and kitchen.
Melanie Cornish
After a fourteen year hiatus from journalism, NYC adopted, London educated and English county raised Melanie J Cornish has thrown herself into Hip-Hop journalism with passion and conviction. Living by the rule "We all have a story to tell,' she converses with everyone using the same direct approach confident in asking the questions many others often shy away from. Having interviewed the rising to the risen, her love for Hip -Hop and its leading cast constantly deepens. Having made Amercia her home she resides blissfully in the Bronx with her three year old daughter Jaya and their goldfish Blue.
Alexander Fruchter
Alexander Fruchter is a Southside of Chicago native, and graduate of Indiana University. After finishing school in 2004, Fruchter joined Teach For America and taught 2nd and 5th grade in Chicago over the last two years. Aside from teaching, Fruchter is currently the features editor for www.SoundSlam.com, a national board member of the Hip Hop Congress, and also a DJ.
Andreas Hale
Andreas Hale is currently the Editor-In-Chief of HipHopDX.com as well as Assistant Editor of Hiphopsite.com. His journalistic experience covers everything from sports, fashion, music and movie reviews as well as interviewing artists, actors and politicians for various publications. As a community activist, Andreas also holds the post of Local Chairman of the Las Vegas Local Organizing Committee of the National Hip Hop Political Convention.
Jimi Izrael
Jimi Izrael is an opinion writer and journalist from East Cleveland, Ohio. His work appears in the Los Angeles Times, Salon.com, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Chicago Tribune, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the American Spectator, Cleveland's Plain Dealer and many other newspapers and popular media. izrael was nominated for religious news-writing and editing awards as a staff writer for the United Church of Christ, one of the largest mainline Protestant denominations in the world. izrael won awards for investigative and consumer journalism as a staff writer for New Times' Cleveland Scene. He's a sought-after pundit and culture critic appearing on talk radio and television news panels internationally and from coast to coast, including Fox's Hannity and Colmes, The O'Reilly Factor and National Public Radio. Currently, he is a commentator for NPR's Day to Day and writes What It Iz, a regular column as well as other commentary and features for AOL BlackVoices.com.
Jeff Ryce
Jeff Ryce is the Music Editor and Marketing Director at HipHopDX.com. He has been writing exclusively for DX since 1999 while earning his Honors Bachelor of Commerce degree at McMaster University near Toronto, Canada. Jeff has been obsessing over hip-hop and forcing his tastes on his friends, family and unsuspecting public since 1988. In addition to writing about your favorite rapper, Jeff has written several screenplays and far too many love letters.
AJ Woodson
AJ (AJ ROK) Woodson, a former emcee of seminal rap group JVC Force, now a professional journalist and fulltime Hip-Hop Junkie has appeared in The Source, Vibe, Blaze, King, URB, The Village Voice, Upscale, DJ Times, On The Go, Sonicnet.com, Hookt.com, and AtlantaUrbanMix.com. He was written for too many underground mags to name, and his resume also includes producer/writer/host of Street Vibes Video Show, college/internet and underground radio promotions, and radio show host, Off The Top Radio. The NY native now resides in Atlanta and is the owner and Editor-In-Chief of Heavy Rotation Mag (dot) com- the total urban experience. |