Hustler's Convention

Sunday, July 19th, 6:30pm
Summer of Music: Hustlers Convention
Presented by Maysles Cinema, the National Black Programming Consortium, the People’s Film Festival and Reel Harlem: The Historic Harlem Parks Film Festival
@ St. Nicholas Park
135th St. Plaza & St. Nicholas Ave
Lawn Chairs Permitted

100% Free

Rain Location:
The Maysles Cinema
(343 Lenox Ave/Malcolm X Blvd)

(6:30pm)
Diggin in the Crates: Godfathers of Rap
with DJ Chuck Chillout

(Just Added!)
Hustlers Convention will be introduced by Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, AKA Lightnin’ Rod, the creator of the album “Hustlers Convention” and the subject of the documentary, and Quenell Jones, producer and cinematographer of Hustlers Convention.

(8:30pm)
Hustlers Convention
Mike Todd, 2015, 91 min
While largely unknown, the 1973 album “Hustlers Convention” is regarded as a cornerstone in the evolution of Hip Hop. It’s creator, Lightnin’ Rod, aka Jalal Nuriddin of The Last Poets, is affectionately known in some circles as ‘The Grandfather of Rap’ for his contribution to the genre. The film includes interviews with some of the key figures connected to the story, including the late Amiri Baraka, Ice T, Melle Mel, KRS One, MC Lyte, executive producer Chuck D and many more – intercut with archive footage and stills as well as specially commissioned animation to help bring the album to life.

Hip Hop Culture Across the Middle Passage

The Universal Zulu Nation and A New Black Arts Movement Present

From Mother Afrika To NYC: Hip Hop Culture Across The Middle Passage

Reception (with Food)

7:30pm

Mama C: Urban Warrior in the African Bush

Joanne Hershfield, 2012, 54 min.

The film explores Charlotte O'Neal's, aka Mama C's, decade's long project of coming to terms with who she is an African American raised in Kansas City, KS, the "jazz-capital of the world," who has lived most of her life in Africa, the place from where her ancestors were forced to make the "middle-passage." When she first arrived in Tanzania she tried as hard as she could to "fit in," wearing khangas, carrying my babies on my back, basket on my head, chewing sugar cane sticks." As she writes in one of her published poems, "In my freshly-landed, just-got-off-the-boat enthusiasm of living in Africa, I tried to blend, to melt, homogenize, disappear, erase, the essence of what made me who I am, an African, who grew up in and was molded by the 'hoods' of America, and I almost lost myself, self."

Q&A with Charlotte O'Neal, aka Mama C, followed a spoken word poetry performance from Mama C, Mahina Movement, LC The Poet and Intikana.

Music By The Zulu Nation's Own:

DJ Dr. Shaka Zulu

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs5xAjNilmM

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1413625

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1564711873787968/