Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Berklee International Hip-Hop Symposium Spotlights Local Artists, Entrepreneurs

24/02/2024

Berklee International Hip-Hop Symposium Spotlights Local Artists, Entrepreneurs SAMMUS, DJ Troy Frost, and DJ WhySham are among featured guest speakers for the third annual event.

By

Daniel Pesquera

February 23, 2024

Black feminist rapper and producer SAMMUS headlines the keynote event at the International Hip-Hop Symposium.

Jos Ginarte

Berklee will host the third annual International Hip-Hop Symposium, an event that gathers globally recognized hip-hop artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs to connect students with industry innovators and celebrate the cultural impact of hip-hop across the globe. The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Thursday, March 7, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at David Friend Recital Hall in Boston.

Headlining this year's program is a keynote conversation with Black feminist rapper, producer, and scholar Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo, known by her stage name SAMMUS. Lumumba-Kasongo is currently the David S. Josephson Assistant Professor of Music at the Brown Arts Institute and has produced three full-length albums, including her most recent release, Pieces in Space, which charted on Billboard. She also serves as the director of audio at Glow Up Games, the first women-of-color-led video game studio, and is a member of the KEEPERS, an archival project mapping the international contributions of women and girls across hip-hop's 50-year history. Lumumba-Kasongo will discuss her work as an acclaimed independent artist within a myriad of hip-hop spaces, her vision of incorporating science and technology into her projects, and her philosophies on advancing hip-hop curricula.

We always strive to make valuable contributions to and learn from hip-hop culture. The lineup for the third annual running of the symposium is reflective of the significant ways we are seeing the hip-hop landscape continue to evolve, elevating the artistry of changemakers from multiple backgrounds, said event founder Toki Wright, chair of the Professional Music Department. Our goal with this event is to offer students a chance to engage individuals at the center of this change who have a unique perspective on what it means to create and sustain success in this industry. We are honored and ecstatic to host this impressive cohort of hip-hop artists and connectors.

The symposium will also convene a diverse panel of local DJs and hip-hop entrepreneurs for a discussion about how hip-hop has continued to evolve on both the creative and business side of the industry. Featured speakers include Boston native DJ WhySham, who is a DJ for the Boston Celtics and a recent Recording Academy inductee; Roxbury native, artist, educator, and event curator DJ Troy Frost, who founded the hip-hop and wellness event series Purple Produce; and DJ and event curator Brandy Channel, who is the founder and gallery director of NOSA (Nubian Open Studios for the Arts), a community arts initiative in Nubian Square.

In addition to the guest artists, student Kammeron Frost will perform a short set of original works. The Berklee Hip-Hop Club will then host a beat battle, with student producers and DJs facing off head-to-head in a friendly competition judged by peers, faculty members, and special guests.

With our event positioned right after Black History Month and at the early part of Women's History Month, we are proud to have a symposium that features both female- and queer-identifying artists, each of them positive disruptors making a real change, said event producer Najwa Aswad. As a DJ myself, I owe so much of my inspiration to hip-hop. It is reaffirming to see so many unique identities stepping up as leaders within the space and spearheading many of the most innovative movements within the genre. I am excited to learn from these talented artists alongside our students.

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

Laufey '21

Gemma Warren

Berklee Alumni and Faculty Win at the 2024 Grammy Awards Laufey, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Miguel Zen n, and Carla Patullo were among the winners of music's most coveted award.

Latest

Shivaraj Natraj

Image by Mason Davis

Student Spotlight: Shivaraj Natraj The vocalist, konnakol beatboxer, and percussionist reflects on his musical journey from Oman to India and beyond, and how he's working to bridge Western and South Asian musical styles.

40 Years Later, Thriller's Grammy Sweep Still Resonates Professors Lil John Roberts and Mimi Jones, part of the team leading the upcoming Michael Jackson Ensemble concert, share their thoughts on the most successful album of all time.

Black feminist rapper and producer SAMMUS headlines the keynote event at the International Hip-Hop Symposium.

Jos Ginarte

Berklee International Hip-Hop Symposium Spotlights Local Artists, Entrepreneurs SAMMUS, DJ Troy Frost, and DJ WhySham are among featured guest speakers for the third annual event.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/berklee-international-hip-hop...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

09/11/2025

Dalet Unveils Agentic AI Media Workflows at IBC2025

Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

17/09/2025

Fox TV Stations Join Madhive's Local Live Sports Marketplace

NEW YORK Madhive has announced that the Fox Television Stations have joined its Live Sports Marketplace....

17/09/2025

Sony Electronics Partners with Newhouse School at Syracuse University

SYRACUSE, N.Y. Sony Electronics has announced that it is partnering with the Newhouse School at Syracuse University to provide state-of-the-art equipment, hands...

17/09/2025

Roku's First TV Smart Projector Now Available in the U.S.

SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has announced that the first smart projector using its Roku TV operating system, the Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector D1R Cube, is now avail...

16/09/2025

SVG All-Stars: Leigh Michaud, Manager, Remote Operations, ESPN

SVG All-Stars: Leigh Michaud, Manager, Remote Operations, ESPNThe UConn grad rose from ESPN's mailroom to become one of its most valuable ops leadersBy Bran...

16/09/2025

Live From IBC 2025: Friday's Latest From Halls 1-4, Outdoor Exhibits in Amsterdam

Live From IBC 2025: Friday's Latest From Halls 1-4, Outdoor Exhibits in Amst...

16/09/2025

Live From IBC 2025: Saturday's Latest From Halls 5-7 in Amsterdam

Live From IBC 2025: Saturday's Latest From Halls 5-7 in Amsterdam By SVG Staff Friday, September 12, 2025 - 17:00 Print This Story The SVG Europe and ...

16/09/2025

Live From IBC 2025: Sunday's Latest From Halls 8-10 in Amsterdam

Live From IBC 2025: Sunday's Latest From Halls 8-10 in Amsterdam By SVG Staff Saturday, September 13, 2025 - 17:00 Print This Story The SVG Europe and...

16/09/2025

Live From IBC 2025: Monday's Latest From Halls 11-14 in Amsterdam

Live From IBC 2025: Monday's Latest From Halls 11-14 in Amsterdam By SVG Staff Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 17:00 Print This Story The SVG Europe and ...

16/09/2025

Amazon Prime Video Picks Up Four Hours of Early-Round Masters Coverage in 2026

Amazon Prime Video Picks Up Four Hours of Early-Round Masters Coverage in 2026By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 10:15 a...

16/09/2025

VERSANT Inks Deal for League One Volleyball as Women's Sports Rights Slate Grows

VERSANT Inks Deal for League One Volleyball as Women's Sports Rights Slate G...

16/09/2025

ESPN VP, Corporate Communications, Katina Arnold Named SVP, Disney Advertising Communications

ESPN VP, Corporate Communications, Katina Arnold Named SVP, Disney Advertising C...

16/09/2025

IBC 2025 in Review: SVG Europe's Full Collection of Video Interviews From the Show Floor

IBC 2025 in Review: SVG Europe's Full Collection of Video Interviews From th...

16/09/2025

Celebramos 10 aos de Viva Latino en Spotify y el xito global de la msica latina

Hace una d cada, la m sica latina representaba apenas el 8% de las reproducciones globales en Spotify. Hoy, constituye m s de una cuarta parte (27%) de toda la ...

16/09/2025

Celebrating 10 Years of Spotify's Viva Latino Playlist and the Global Rise of Latin Music

A decade ago, Latin music made up just 8% of global Spotify streams. Today, it a...

16/09/2025

Spotify Welcomes Graham Norton and Select VICE Studios Content

Spotify is expanding our video lineup with a new partnership with Zoo 55, part of ITV Studios. For the first time, acclaimed content from ITV Studios is landing...

16/09/2025

One Enterprise, One Mission: Aligning the Supply Chain to the Warfighter

At DSEI 2025, James Dunne of L3Harris Maritime UK chaired a panel on aligning the supply chain to the warfighter, where leaders discussed modernising support fo...

16/09/2025

RTW chooses Calrec as technology partner

Calrec has strengthened its collaboration with audio metering expert RTW by integrating RTW's new TMxCore metering platform across its full range of Argo IP...

16/09/2025

Football and Back-to-School Dynamics Spark First Gains Since April for Traditional TV

College Football Scores Top Telecast in August with 16M+ Viewers on FOX, Followe...

16/09/2025

Index Exchange and Gracenote Team to Enhance Contextual Intelligence in Programmatic Streaming TV

Collaboration marks the first SSP integration of Gracenote IDs, enabling show-le...

16/09/2025

IBC2025 Attracts 43,858 Visitors

AMSTERDAM The organizers of IBC2025 are reporting that 43,858 visitors from more than 170 countries attended the event, which had more than 1,300 exhibitors and...

16/09/2025

Wooden Camera Releases Accessory Collection for FUJIFILMs...

Wooden Camera announces the release of its new Accessory Collection for the FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55. The highlights of this collection include vital power soluti...

16/09/2025

AntonBauer Launches Free Cloud Platform for Smarter Batte...

Anton/Bauer, a leading manufacturer of mobile power solutions for broadcast and cinematic equipment, has announced the launch of Anton/Bauer Fleet Management, a...

16/09/2025

Teradek Launches Prism Jetpack - A New Era of 5G Video Co...

Teradek, a leading provider of video transmission and live production solutions, today announced the launch of Prism Jetpack, a groundbreaking 5G video contribu...

16/09/2025

Astera Reinvents Practical Lighting with SolaBulb

Astera, the leader in wireless LED lighting solutions, announces the ultra-versatile SolaBulb. Building on the success of the Astera bulb family, SolaBulb intro...

16/09/2025

TED2025 Relies on Clear-Com and NETGEAR to Power Producti...

As the world gathered at TED2025 to explore the provocative theme "Humanity Reimagined", Clear-Com , supported by NETGEAR networking infrastructure, delivered f...

16/09/2025

Bitfocus Wins IABM Impact Award as Pro AV Changemaker

Bitfocus' Buttons platform celebrated as a catalyst for AV and broadcast convergence Bitfocus has been named winner of the IABM Impact Award Pro AV Chan...

16/09/2025

IABM announces winners of the Inaugural IABM Impact Award...

Record entries and outstanding innovation celebrated at IBC2025 as the MediaTech community honors its leading people, projects and organizations IABM announced...

16/09/2025

SKY Perfect Modernizes Playout-to-Delivery with Harmonic

Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SJC), a leading satellite operator and pay-TV provider in Japan, has partnered with H...

16/09/2025

Telestream Congratulates Sky Group on IBC Innovation Awar...

Telestream congratulates Sky Group, which has been awarded the prestigious IBC Innovation Award for Content Distribution for its MediaMesh platform on Sunday, S...

16/09/2025

SES Partners with Cailabs to Test Next-Generation Laser Communication Technology

Leading space solutions company will use optical ground stations to deliver faster, more secure data from space Luxembourg, September 15, 2025 - SES, a leading...

16/09/2025

ENCO Introduces Raptor Cloud-Based Captioning For Live Streaming Video

NOVI, Mich. ENCO has unveiled Raptor, a cloud-based live streaming captioning encoder that injects the speed, power and reliability of real-time AI capabilities...

16/09/2025

Comcast NBCU and NBCU Local Award $2.5 Million to Nonprofits

NEW YORK Comcast NBCUniversal and NBCUniversal Local have announced that a total of $2.5 million has been awarded in 2025 to 69 nonprofit organizations servicin...

16/09/2025

Martin Euredjian Joins Atomos

AMSTERDAM Martin Euredjian has joined Atomos as director of advanced imaging and will lead innovation for advanced display technology....

16/09/2025

Calrec Unveils 48-Fader Argo M

AMSTERDAM Calrec introduced a 48-faced Argo M and showcased its largest Argo software updates at the recently concluded IBC2025....

16/09/2025

Lawo Unveils HOME Audio Shuffler App

AMSTERDAM Lawo introduced its HOME Audio Shuffler app, a replacement for a traditional baseband audio matrix within an IP-based Dynamic Media Facility, during t...

16/09/2025

77th Emmy Awards on CBS Deliver Largest Audience Since 2021

CBS is reporting that the 77TH Emmy Awards hosted by Nate Bargatze on Sunday Sept. 14 was seen by more than 7.42 million viewers on the CBS Television Network a...

16/09/2025

The AI Makers: NVIDIA Partners in UK Advance Physical and Agentic AI, Robotics, Life Sciences and More

The U.K. is driving investments in sovereign AI, using the technology to advance...

16/09/2025

Meet the Adversaries That Will Clash in 'Rulers of Fortune', a Series Premiering October 29 on Netflix

Back to All News Meet the Adversaries That Will Clash in Rulers of Fortune, a S...

16/09/2025

Would You Take 30 Million Baht from a Dead Person's Account? Everybody Loves Me When I'm Dead' Unveils Main Trailer, Key Art

Back to All News Would You Take 30 Million Baht from a Dead Persons Account? E...

16/09/2025

Netflix Unveils the Official Trailer and Poster for 'She Walks in Darkness', by Agustn Daz Yanes

Back to All News Netflix Unveils the Official Trailer and Poster for She Walks ...

16/09/2025

Comscore Unveils The Scoreboard: An Interactive Destination Surfacing Consumer Behaviors and Trends Across Multiple Platforms

Comscore Unveils The Scoreboard: An Interactive Destination Surfacing Consumer B...

15/09/2025

Get to Know This Fall's Filmmakers Through These 27 Sundance Institute-Supported Titles

Steve Zahn, Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Janeane Garofalo star in Ben Stiller&...

15/09/2025

aespa and Spotify Invite Fans to Unlock Their Inner Rich Man' With an Immersive MY VAULT Experience

Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...

15/09/2025

Spotify's Free Experience Is Even Better-Here's How to Make the Most of It

Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...

15/09/2025

Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes (BSCCB) successfully expands production capacity by 50% in Germany and Italy to meet rising demand

After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...

15/09/2025

L3Harris Receives Multi-Year Javelin Solid Rocket Motor Contract

A U.S. Marine launches a Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile during a training exercise. (Photo credit: U.S. Marine Corps)...

15/09/2025

TV Tech Unveils Best of Show Winners at IBC 2025

AMSTERDAM TV Tech has named its Best of Show Awards winners for IBC2025, which wraps up today. Entrants were judged by a panel of industry experts on the criter...

15/09/2025

SES SCORE Surpasses 600,000 of Transmission Hours, Delivering 900 Hours of Major Sports Content Daily

Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...