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n Hip Hop Congress’ usual fashion, the group’s members can be found barely able to contain themselves to their chairs with excitement. As their weekly Wednesday meetings begin, the members discuss hip hop’s newest sounds. Hip hop originated approximately thirty years ago as the artistic expression of communities in New York’s inner city. Hip hop draws elements from all of its musical ancestors including the African drum, slave spirituals, rock and roll, blues, and jazz. From artistic expression to a musical genre, hip hop can be separated into four main elements: disc jockeying, graffiti, emceeing, and break dancing. Those elements are the core of hip hop culture. Adolescents growing up in the early ‘70s and ‘80s would use these methods and art forms to help cope and fight against the systematic oppression of society. Because of its inner city base and its misconstrued messages, hip hop is often erroneously identified as a forum for gangsters, drugs, misogyny, and other negative associations. Hip Hop Congress strives to combat those stereotypes by creating exposure to shed light on the positive attributions of the hip hop culture. These attributes are used to inspire young people to get involved through social action, civic service, and cultural creativity. Hip Hop Congress merges artists and students with music and community. The organization provides a path for highly creative and often disenfranchised youth. With the help of mentors, they can channel their energy into a strong and organized force aimed at improving their community. “Hip Hop Congress is all about social action through hip hop. It's about raising awareness of the many different perspectives in hip hop culture while assisting to the needs of the community,” Olivia Busby, the group’s vice president, said. During the school year, Hip Hop Congress intends to raise awareness on the issue of po90 | THREAD