SPECIAL REPORT: Hip Hop and Race - A NY Hip Hop Report Talk Show Town Hall

Hip hop music and culture were born due to an incredibly unique real-world atmosphere, and since its inception, has always documented real life issues, often serving as a raw, unfiltered look at urban America through the eyes of those with a perspective like few others. Once dubbed the "CNN of the streets," hip hop has suffered something of an imposed identity crisis in recent years, being forced into a formulaic box by profit-seeking media conglomerates, seemingly more eager to produce cookie cutter music and prop up a certain sub-genre of rap superstar, at the expense of the huge range that exists in the overall music and culture.

As always, New York plays a huge part of this issue, but while NYC is still the Mecca, the issues facing hip hop that deal with race, have become a national -- even international -- issue worth discussing on its own. Add to this, the current turbulent relations between many Americans and the institutions supposedly designed "to serve and protect" them, based largely on the unequal treatment served to certain segments of the population.

In this special episode of The NY Hip Hop Report, we'll discuss both of these intriguing landscapes, both individually and how they coincide. Well discuss instances of real and perceived "cultural misappropriation" in the hip hop music business, how the industry muscled out pro-Black and "conscious" hip hop music over the years, as well as how current hip hop artists and organizations are at the forefront of the new civil rights movement, yet, rarely receive recognition or assistance, even from hip hop's most powerful figures.

If there is any episode that we need your input, it's this one. We'll be taking calls all night from listeners and a couple of special call-in guests. Join us, and join the conversation!