by SCOTT C

Four years ago, some ambitious and enthusiastic Concordia students decided to take hip hop culture and explore the many nooks and crannies of one of the most important cultural revolutions of our time. Montreal's Students for the Advancement of Hip Hop Culture (SAHC) hatched a conference dedicated to the study and research of all aspects of the culture, from performance to business, history and socioeconomic issues. The original hope was to eventually parlay the annual event into an academic course of study to be offered at Concordia, and four years later, it doesn't look like they've given up yet. I spoke to Mike Lai (DJ Static) and Lou Piensa, two fixtures in the Montreal hip hop scene who have also been involved with the Hip Hop Symposium from its beginnings.

Mirror: So are we any closer to actually being able to minor in hip hop studies at Concordia?

Lou Piensa: I think it was Diegal Leger, one of the founders of this whole thing, who said we're priming the terrain for hip hop in the academic milieu. Knowing that there were already many universities in the States that include various hip hop studies in their curriculum, we hoped for the same here in Montreal. But I think the focus of the event has changed a little, because the atmosphere at the symposium has turned into more of a gathering for discussion and celebration, as well as an opportunity for people here in Montreal to connect with each other and likeminded people from around the world.

Mike Lai: There's been a lot of talk about making the symposium more focused towards youth, rather than an academic push. Not all of the groups involved are tied to the university.

LP: Montreal is a great city to create in. It's got that energy that we all need to be creative, but it's still very difficult for some reason to get a collective movement and get the entire community on the same page. That's why something like this can be really useful for voicing opinions and points of view.

ML: There are many faces to hip hop in Montreal, and it's hard to bring everyone to the same place. There are so many visions and views and approaches.

LP: One thing everyone can agree upon, though, is that we have to connect with something that is greater than Montreal, which is the rest of the world. In a way, inviting groups from Cuba and the U.S. shows that people from outside Montreal are interested in what we do here.

This year, the symposium welcomes Cuban hip hop group Obsesión as well as a quick return to Montreal for Somali-Canadian MC K'naan, the Dustyfoot Philosopher. The event runs Feb. 25–27 at Concordia University, and much more information about panels and accompanying events is available at www.hiphopsymposium.com.

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