New York & Havana:
BLACK AUGUST 1999

NEW YORK CITY
at The Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street
Doors open at 7PM, Tickets: $15  (21 & older)

FEATURED:        COMMON (MCA RECORDS); MOS DEF (RAWKUS RECORDS);

PERFORMERS:   REFLECTION ETERNAL - TALIB KWELI & DJ HI-TEK (RAWKUS RECORDS)
                             BAHAMADIA (GROOVE ATTACK)
                             THE COUP (DOGDAY RECORDS)
                             DEAD PREZ (LOUD RECORDS)
                            special guests GIL SCOTT-HERON and MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO.

MUSIC BY:         DJ TONY TOUCH (TOMMY BOY RECORDS)

SPONSORED BY: 

For the second year, the Black August Benefit Concert will feature some of hip hop’s most respected artists in an all-star, two city jam that will raise funds for the creation of a hip-hop library and studio in Havana, Cuba and an emergency fund for political prisoners in the United States. While these concepts may seem disparate, Black August holds these elements -- hip hop, U.S. political prisoners and Cuba -- together with the common theme of revolution: hip hop was and is a revolutionary cultural art form, Cuba, with all its faults and attributes, is defined by its revolutionary history, and U.S. political prisoners and exiles, many of whom have been given political asylum in Cuba, are products of revolutionary movements within the United States. This year’s performances, in New York City and Havana, will be radio broadcast [details to follow].

The Black August Benefit Concert will raise money for the purchase of microphones, turntables, tape decks, samplers, and other unavailable music and text resources towards the creation of a public hip hop library/studio in Havana, Cuba. These gifts of cultural good will be augmented by the exchange that will take place at this year’s 5^th Annual Cuban Rap Festival, August 27th to 29th, where hip hop artists from the United States will perform along side of Cuban artists as well as participate in the Festival’s colloquia series on the history and impact of hip hop.

The Black August Benefit Concert will also raise money for the legal and educational campaigns underway on behalf of the estimated 100 men and women currently incarcerated within the United States or living in exile because of their political beliefs. Black August puts forth the idea that it is important for the hip hop community to have exposure to these men and women, and that we all recognize the link between the rights of political dissidents -- whether living in the United States or in Cuba -- to express their political beliefs and our own rights to be free from censorship, police harassment, and government control.

The arrival of the first Africans as slaves in America was in August, 1619, the Nat Turner Rebellion was in August, 1831, the Underground Railroad began in August, 1850, and the birth of Marcus Garvey was in August, 1887. The March on Washington and the death of W.E.B. Dubois was in August, 1963, the Watts rebellions were in August, 1965 and the assassination of George Jackson was in August, 1971. On August 8th, 1999 the Black August Benefit Concert will honor this tradition of resistance for the second year by linking the hip hop generation -- in the U.S. and Cuba -- with the generation of community activists -- now political prisoners-- that preceded it.

NEW YORK CITY
at The Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street
Doors open at 7PM, Tickets: $15, 21 & older