WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONSFor Youth

Breakdance at the Intersections of Language Dance Gymnastics Community Engagement and Physics By LynleyShimat Lys

This presentation will examine breakdance from a cultural and historical perspective while looking at the roots as a form of communication between Black and Nuyorican Indigenous communities in the Bronx Additionally we will explore its connections to a variety of disciplines including dance as language and the physics of breaking This workshop will engage participants in framing breakdance as a form of knowledge and a discipline which touches on a variety of athletic artistic social and scientific fields as well as a joint project between Black and Indigenous communities in an urban space Participants will gain knowledge of the roots of the form and have the opportunity to engage in discussion creative and critical writing related to this topic The workshop will offer a brief lecture a 2-minute film individual reflection guided discussion and QampA debriefing

Calling all Superheroes By Maile and Hano Naehu

This workshop will have participants tapping into their own superhuman strengths as they write from their superhero alter egorsquos perspective Participants will compose lyrics inspired by traditions and stories based on fierce guardianship ancient wisdoms and timeless messages We emphasize the importance of returning to these stories for answers and guidance in modern times Through music these valuable messages of love and virtue are able to create positive change Composition self-exploration and moʻolelo

It was all a DREAM Finding and Sharing Our Stories in Song By Jesus Limon

This workshop will prompt students to see the healing power in Hip Hop When Jay-Z said I cant see them coming down my eyes so I gotta let the song cry he articulated a process of healing music provides In this interactive workshop students will be introduce to FABC (F a book club) a student-created practice that prompts students to create a playlist that capture their life and share out songs that help de1048737ne what truly matters The workshop is valuable because it introduces young people to a practice of reflection and healing that can be re-experienced autonomously - without a so-called expert or teacher Young people can recreate the value of the workshop with their peers in person on a drive or via social media Students will be introduced to a method of reflection community building and healing This practice just as holding circle has for indigenous communities empowers young people with a tool for communal healing through an accessible vehicle music After a brief intro students will take over They will be given time to come up with a playlist that reflects their life (whether the focus is an experience a relationship a time period or their identity) They will be asked to name their playlist share the name of their playlist and one song from the playlist We will listen to them introduce the song and play part of the song

Starting from Scratch The History of Turntablism By Johnny Juice Rosado

To truly understand hip-hop one must fully realize the importance of the DJ as the cornerstone of the culture DJ Johnny Juice a hip-hop DJ legend and pioneer of turntablism techniques takes you through the history of the hip-hop DJ like never before as he reflects on the people and events that have contributed to the dynamic art form of Turntablism He will display the actual scratches and techniques that were developed along the way in a dynamic performance Participants will learn the definitive timeline of the hip-hop DJ and producer and the scratch techniques that can be traced to actual musical rudiments Call and response was the essence of communication between DJMC and the crowd Here students will participate in trivia using call and response (rare giveaways for the correct answer) Finally students will become a part of the beat as they clap stomp and become part of an improvised composition

Know You By Sashily

When you know who you are (culture ancestry family community) there is an authenticity in your artperformance that cannot be diminished It is this sincerity that breaks the ice of indifference of your audience As an artist one of the responsibilities is to be anchored in the present while bridging understanding and knowledge between the past and the future Performance and stage presence can be used as this bridge for they are an undeniable part of the Hip Hop world Thats why one of the best ways to pump up or break through the crowd is to know you and be authentic My workshop will focus on finding the inner MCRapperSpoken Word Artist This will give the artists a stable sense of self and value their worth as a performer To dig into where they are from Who they are now where they see themselves in the future and what changes they hope will come about for themselves and their communities I will inform the students about presence stage performance and attitude That there are differences in performances depending on the media I will ask what they think the differences are and why Then we will focus on performing on stage in front of an audience We will brainstorm on topics and I will have them break into groups and write 4-8 lines (per person) on the topic of their choosing to perform in front of the audience

Fil Ams in Hip Hop By Lorenzo Finau-Cruz aka LoloThis workshop we will explore the narratives of Filipin Americans within Hip Hop In order to do so we will break down what Hip Hop is and how it was created Delving into each element - MCing BBoyBGirl Graffiti DJing and Knowledge - we will learn how each element has helped shape and create what Hip Hop culture is today While looking through each of the elements of Hip Hop we will introduce and talk about different people that identify as both Filipins and Hip Hop artists Some artists that we will be discussing include Ruby Ibarra (MC) DJ Cuttin Candy (DJ) Hueman (Graffiti) and Rascals (BGirls) and more Through these artists we will examine how they incorporate their identity into their art Participants and attendees will have to chance to apply what they have learned Workshop will be led by Lorenzo Finau-Cruz aka Lolo who is an educator from San Francisco California Lolo has participated in multiple RTSB conferences as a participant volunteer and workshop presenter

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONSFor Educators

Place Tribe Competition By Sterling Higa

This presentation provides a way to understand hip-hop culture in terms of human evolutionary needs Examining hip-hop through the lens of place and tribe illuminates the relevance of hip-hop to biology social studies and history instruction beyond the current emphasis on literacy Competition within hip-hop is explained using an evolutionary framework with effort to understand why humans especially males engage in the production of hip-hop music Similarities to indigenous literature are illuminated with emphasis on the deficits of modern society and an explanation of how hip-hop fulfills affiliative needs I will guide participants through my thinking process using a Socratic method of questioning not to steer them but rather to allow us to compare our ways of thinking

Remix Your Education Holistic Living Through Hip Hop By Jonathan Clarke Sypert

Hip Hop Culture is a self-sustaining integrated part of the fabric of society Holistic Living means actualizing a lifestyle of learning and thriving through Hip Hop Arts Hip Hop Culture can be limited to classes concerts and time-killing entertainment This workshop allows participants to connect the dots and realize their own Hip Hop Lifestyles as the primary influence of their ongoing education After a brief overview of Hip Hop History and Current Trends we will collaboratively look at the life choices we make the interests we have and build a framework for influencing our own education and living our best lives as Hip Hop Culture Practitioners The bulk of this workshop will be a round table discussion balanced with student-centered exploration via performing arts concepts and application

Beats Rhymes and Life The Harmony of the Hip-Hop Educator By Jesus Limon

Through this interactive workshop we will reflect on how knowledge and culture are created I learned English from the Notorious BIG a pair of Air Max 93s was a source of capital that helped me adopt to a new American culture and now Hip-Hop gives me the fuel to teach to write to be an activated member in the community unafraid to respond not just speak truth to power There are fountains of knowledge and culture all around us This workshop will survey the results of Hip-Hop Educator communities in Northern California and will prompt participants to move past the safe best practices that only yield mediocre results and take the risks required to reach excellence - to move away from a desire to find balance and to begin experiencing harmony This workshop is important because it validates what folks already know (culture of public education leaves out a wide array of learning and teaching possibilities) - and highlights the positive results attached to the cultivation of that awareness For folks entering education this is particularly important - we are easily coursed into a culture of data-driven deodorized comfort - as opposed to keeping it funky and critically engaging the communities we teach in Participants will gain awareness of a process that calls for reflection of past experiences discovery review of their own authentic self and the activation of a curiosity to access all tools available to reach students Beyond the previously mentioned process participants will also gain awareness of what a community of Hip-Hop Educators can do in a community ndash from hosting small community events and outreach conferences to creating courses cohorts programs and writing research articles After a brief introduction by the facilitator to build context participants will be prompted to reflect on and discuss specific questions around the construction of the ideal educator (as sold to us by institutions) their connection or experiences in Hip-Hop culture and finally the predict ways they could grow and serve as Hip-Hop Educators

Exploring Hip Hop as a Creative Cornerstone to Improving Mental Health By Sam Pak John

Freestyling Cyphering and Writing are cornerstone Hip Hop practices and creative activities These activities also happen to share common elements with certain interventions known to improve mental health such as therapy and counseling This topic helps shed light on the connections between the two and raise awareness on the ability of Hip Hop practice (which is a global powerhouse now widely-accessible and popular) to positively affect the mental health of generations now and in the future This workshop is important because hip-hoprap music and culture is often viewed and portrayed as self-indulgent superficial materialistic etc However this is not the entire picture Hip-hop has the power to heal strengthen empower and build individuals and communities up In addition hip-hop practice as a means of healing is an emerging area with evidence-based data to support and thereby carries with it many potential positive implications As such this understanding and awareness of hip-hop as a means for increasing health and well-being must be promoted and shared Participants will learn What the arts of Freestyling Cyphering and Writing entail The connections between hip-hop practice the individual and mental health The potential health value Freestyling Cyphering and Writing possess An open-forum approach including questions (verbal andor written) and examples of the subject matter (Freestyling Cyphering Writing) employing group participation will be utilized to engage and involve participants in the discussion

Calling all Superheroes By Maile and Hano Naehu

This workshop will have participants tapping into their own superhuman strengths as they write from their superhero alter egorsquos perspective Participants will compose lyrics inspired by traditions and stories based on fierce guardianship ancient wisdoms and timeless messages We emphasize the importance of returning to these stories for answers and guidance in modern times Through music these valuable messages of love and virtue are able to create positive change Composition self-exploration and moʻolelo

KEYNOTEFOUNDER RTSB

Nate Nevado Nate Nevado is a college counselor at Skyline College He also coordinates the Center for Innovative Practices through Hip-Hop Education Research (CIPHER) He founded Rock The School Bells (RTSB) in 2007 which is a Hip-Hop educational conference for youth college students and educators RTSB has expanded to various colleges such as Sacramento City College De Anza College and University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa Nate received his Masterrsquos degree in Counseling from San Francisco State University (SFSU) and is currently an EdD candidate in Educational Leadership at SFSU

CHAIR RTSBHI

Nicole Kealoha Nicole has over 20 yearsrsquo experience in the field of performing arts She has studied several different disciplines including Hula Tahitian Jazz and Hip-Hop The combination of her dance expertise and her extraordinary competence in her ability to lead have taken her to both National and International locations including Japan Samoa and Columbia New York and California In 2008 Nicole founded Diverse ART Center a facility of youth empowerment that offers classes in music art dance and educational support In 2012 Nicole extended her reach by speaking to over 15000 youth with her ldquoYes to Purposerdquo school tour and she continues to do so For the past 9 years her work has included hip-hop community events workshops in the 5 elements of hip-hop and island wide community awareness murals Nicole is also the founder and host of ldquoHonozulu Beastrdquo the island wide annual middle and high school dance competition She has choreographed for Ms Hawaiʻi and other award winning competition pieces and performed for a variety of well known artists such as Kimura Lee Simmons and Carmen to name a few She has recently worked with Mari Koda from Step Up members from two teams from Season 5 Americarsquos Best Dance Crew - Hype 5-0 and Static Noise

CO-CHAIR RTSBHI

Kimberly Corbin M Ed Kim is a full time instructor and field supervisor at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the College of Education Secondary Institute of Teacher Education Kim has 20 years of teaching experience in public schools in Texas Georgia and Hawaiʻi She holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in Special Education from Texas State University a MEd in curriculum studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and looks forward to graduating in Spring 2018 with her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction also from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mā-noa Her research focuses on culturally sustaining pedagogy with a specific interest in hip-hop education She works closely with members of Super Groupers and Soundshop developing curriculum She partnered with Ableton to obtain a donation of beat-making equipment now being used in local classrooms and with Soundshop at Doris Duke Theater Kim also works closely with the Director of Arts in Education at Maui Arts and Cultural Center providing professional development opportunities for teaching artists in the area of differentiated instruction

SCHOLARS

Dr Rod LabradorDr Rod Labrador is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaʻrsquoi at Mānoa He is the co-author of Filipinos in Hawaʻrsquoi (with Theodore Gonzalves) coeditor of Empire of Funk Hip Hop and Representation in Filipina0 America (with Mark Villegas and DJ Kuttinrsquo Kandi) coeditor of Asian American Hip-Hop Musical Autobiographies (with Brian Chung) and author of Building Filipino Hawaiʻi He is currently working on two book projects one on Filipino American hip-hop musical autobiographies and another on the rap scene in Seattle (with Prometheus Brown aka Geo of Blue Scholars and The Bar)

Dr Masahide KatoHailing from Hiroshima Japan Masahide Kato has been on a life long quest for a planetary paradigm of peace which intersected with Hawaiʻi first in his early teens and later in his mid-twenties both as an exchange student During his graduate studies his peace educationactivism background led him to immerse himself in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement where he gained insight into the revolution of consciousness He began his pedagogic work at Leeward Community College Waianae Moku in search for indigenous epistemology that is in harmony with all life forces (ie ldquoponordquo) With his background in literature anthropology and political science he has explored the intersection of culture and politics both in pedagogy and research Besides his academic work he volunteers for Na Kupuna a me Na Kakoʻo O Hālawa protecting sacred sites at Hālawa valley and for Divers Arts Center educating youngsters on the true meaning and function of hip-hop culture Masahide is the author of ldquoFrom Kung Fu to Hip-Hoprdquo

Dr Keith CrossKeith Cross is a veteran Hip-Hop artist singer-songwriter educator and scholar Keith has a PhD from Stanford University Graduate School of Education specializing in Race Inequality and Language in Education and he is currently Assistant professor of Multilingual and Multicultural Education at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa For several years Keith has taught hip-hop lyricism (ie rap) to youth and the elderly as a tool for enhancing mental and social well-being As a scholar he investigates cognition and learning in relation to rap expertise and its development

PRESENTERS amp TEACHING ARTISTS

Zen ChambersZen hails from Compton CA and has been a resident of Oahu for the last decade Zen an androgynous diplomat and Warrior of change and protection has played and performed into the closed and allowed them new vision

Cedric Clinton (GOAT)Born and raised in Honolulu Cedric first discovered hip-hop during the summer of 1999 when he heard ldquoForgot About Drerdquo on the radio This inspired him to enter his 5th grade talent show He did not make the final cut but nonetheless a spark had been lit and at 14 he began freestyling with his friends and crafting his own songs Some of his influences are Nas Bob Marley amp Michael Jackson He released his debut album ArtChiTexture on October 7 2017 Cedric holds Freestyle Friday a pod cast featuring local hip-hop artists and recently celebrated its two-year anniversary with about 20 local MCs and friends who showed up to support and to freestyle Freestyle Friday is held at his successful business Squeeze Play a custom screen-printing company

Sterling HigaSterling is often wrong but always seeks truth He is a debate coach and lecturer in the Department of Communication at Hawailsquoi Pacific University Sterling holds an EdM from the Arts in Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education He is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Hawailsquoi at Mānoa College of Education

Sam ldquoPakrdquo JohnSam is an American-Pakistani independent hip-hoprap artist entrepreneur and registered nurse Raised in Southern Californiarsquos Inland Empire he migrated to Honolulu in 2006 and received a Bachelor of Arts in CommunicationMultimedia from Hawaiʻi Pacific University in 2008 From there he build a following and a name for himself performing and touring the local music scenes of Oahu and the greater Los Angeles area He went on to obtain a Bachelorrsquos of Science in Nursing from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in 2018 A socially conscious rapper and lyricist with 16+ years experience his album releases include ldquoPeaceofmindrdquo(2008) ldquoQuesionrdquo (2009) ldquoStillWundardquo (2009) ldquoRhyme4Reasonrdquo (2011) and ldquoI Will Not Be Chain3drdquo (2018) He also fronts the band Samurai Funktion a unique collective of all freestyleimprovisation musicians which he founded in 2013 and is still active He is a firm advocate for health amp wellness and sustainable development and reform As a nurse his areas of focus are mental health preventative health communitypublic health and holistic and functional health

Sashily KlingSaacuteshily is a 4th generation Puertorican Poet Spoken Word Artist KTUH DJ (DJ Puertorican Princess) and Co-Editor of the Hawaiʻi Review Saacuteshily has been a featured poet in the MIA series and the Dragon Upstairs She was last published by Really System for History of the Hurricane and has more than 6 years of knowledge of radio and television production and has made KTUH her radio home for the past year

Jesus LimonJesus Limon is a Professor of English at Sacramento City College and an English Lecturer at Sacramento State University He holds a Bachelorrsquos of Arts in English Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in English Literature both from Sacramento State University Though he was born in Mexico he grew up in the diverse community of South Sacramento He proudly serves his community by organizing spaces where students can learn about higher education and personal empowerment through art culture and social justice Jesus is also the Director of Rock the School Bells Sacramento

Lynley Shimat LysLynleyShimat Lys is a multiracial poet playwright and activist They serve as Editor-in-Chief of Hawailsquoi Review arts journal and teach at UH Mānoa where they are working on a PhD in Creative Writing Lynley held a Louis Armstrong Residency at Queens College - CUNY and won the Emily Chamberlain Cook poetry prize at UC Berkeley They were featured on the ldquoItrsquos Lit with PhDJrdquo radio show and performed at Bowery Poetry MIA and Hawailsquoi Slam

Hanohano NaehuFor the last 18 years Hanohano Naehu has been a Kiarsquoi Loko a fishpond guardian at Keawanui an 800-year-old Hawaiian Fishpond on Molokai Hawaiʻi As the caretaker of this environment he restores an aspect of Hawaiian Aquaculture a traditional sustainable ocean fishpond that itself presents other opportunities for creativity through the healing Arts Sciences and feeling Spirituality Hano as he is referred to is also a community educator teaching ancient concepts in land stewardship and resource management As an avid activist and artist for Aloha Āina he translates his passions through hip-hop and lyrical messages under his MC name The Paniolo Prince He and his wife Maile coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society

Tanya Maile NaehuTanya Maile Naehu is a Kanaka Maoli Boricua educator performer artist and community organizer on the island of Molokai Hawaiʻi She is also the director of the Molokai Nui a Hina project a multi- generational community art project Maile is constantly researching and collaborating in order to design new approaches to teaching using traditional philosophies and practices such as oral tradition lsquoolelo Hawaiʻi hula and oli Through teaching storytelling via various art mediums she emphasizes great importance in building communication skills self-confidence and a new generation of storytellers Maile and her husband coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society They also share the hip-hop stage as The Paniolo Prince and his Queen Maile

Navid NajafiA founding member of local conscious rap collective the Super Groupers and a two-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner mdash he took home trophies for Hip-Hop Album of the Year in 2012 (for his solo album ldquoIllnomadicrdquo) and 2013 (for ldquoLive From Soul Soundrdquo as part of the band Evasive Species) He was born in Iran and raised in New York but found home when he moved to Hawaiʻi to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa He is a highly regarded and accomplished artist organizer activist and volunteer in the local community Along with serving as an administrator for The Honolulu Museum of Artrsquos Soundshop music education program he is also a poet facilitator and youth mentor for the non-profit poetry education organization Pacific Tongues

Johnny ldquoJuicerdquo RosadoIn 1987 Public Enemy released ldquoRebel Without a Pauserdquo and changed the direction of hip-hop beats forever A 17-year-old Puerto Rican DJ who went by the name of DJ Johnny Juice formed part of Public Enemyrsquos Bomb Squad production team DJ Johnny Juice along side Public Enemy pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers that would later come Johnny Juice was raised in los barrios of the Bronx in New York City and witnessed the birth of hop-hop A turntablist B-Boy and Graffiti writer who first displayed his break dancing skills at the age of 14 in the mid 80s classic hip hop film Beat Street and at 27 joined Public Enemy as the groups studio DJ Over the years he has also lent his production and scratching skills to projects for legendary artists such as Slick Rick Doug E Fresh The Beastie Boys DMX LL Cool J Leaders of the New School Ashanti Vanessa Williams C amp C Music Factory among others Johnny Juice was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008 with Public Enemy and was named to the LI Music Hall of Fame Education Advisory Board

Rukka the MagnificentBorn on the island of Oahu Rukka the Magnificent has always been influenced by the power of music An instrumentalist at heart he began teaching himself to play instruments and create music as a middle school student learning production techniques through multiple digital audio workstations in high school and today produces others in his own studio Whether in battles or live performances progression is his only goal He has a total of eight albums and two instrumental beat tapes He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation an International organization whose core values are peace love unity and having fun while spreading positivity through the five elements of hip-hop emcee DJ breaking aerosol art and knowledge of self He is involved in community outreach and conducts workshops at schools and with Soundshop Through community work he broadens his knowledge of culture his kuleana as a teacher and a student and himself as an artist

Jonathan Clarke SypertJonathan is the founder of Intrepid Productions Hawaiʻi the HIFrequency School of Performing Arts SoulKitchen Records and Open Space Hawaiʻi ndash A contemporary arts co-op facility in Kakaʻako As an educator artist and arts activist he is looking for ways to reincorporate the Arts as a core module of all areas of curriculum development and day-to-day life My value system for Arts-based Education is largely influenced by the hip-hop concept of staying ldquofreshrdquo or relevant in piquing the interest of my students As an educator I am aware that my success depends less on ldquoknowingrdquo what is current and trendy than it does actively investigating and discovering what resonates with my natural curiosity His current interests converge on bridging project-based and place-based learning in service to his community He defines hip-hop as the mixing and remixing of ideas into reality

PunaheleHailing from Makaha on Oahursquos West Side Punahele rose to prominence in the parking lot cyphers Hawaiʻirsquos battlefield for the hip-hop underground scene and in 2015 he became Bacardirsquos first IRON MC CHAMPION He is a tireless advocate for the community spending countless hours volunteering with a variety of organizations including the Kapolei Juvenile Detention Center where he often helps facilitate a writing class His authentic grass roots outlook on being a Native provides listeners with a uniquely energetic and diverse experience He has performed with and opened for international acts such as Rae Sremmurd Shing02 Dumbfounded Blackalicious Pigeon John Bambu Apathy and Celph Titled Hopie Spitsbaard Eli Mac Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera

ScholarFrom humble beginnings growing up on the island of Kauaʻi Scholar has grown into a respected and renown artist in Hawaiʻi He released his first full-length project ldquoThe Processrdquo LP in August 2015 and since then he has successfully organized and headlined shows on several islands Scholar released his second full-length project ldquoArt of Worthrdquo October 28 2016 which includes features from Japanese hip-hop icon Shing02 amongst others He has been featured in numerous interviews and segments including KITV4rsquos ldquoGood Morning Hawaiʻirdquo and ldquoOC16s AlohaHype TVrdquo Scholarrsquos third project which he will release in 2018 includes all new material music videos collaboration projects and live performances

Ruby IbarraBorn in the Phillippines Ruby spent the first 4 years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo California Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area Rubyrsquos adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures experiences and most importantly hip hop which resonated at every

corner of her neighborhood Ruby earned a degree in biological chemistry from UC Davis

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference

Know You By Sashily

When you know who you are (culture ancestry family community) there is an authenticity in your artperformance that cannot be diminished It is this sincerity that breaks the ice of indifference of your audience As an artist one of the responsibilities is to be anchored in the present while bridging understanding and knowledge between the past and the future Performance and stage presence can be used as this bridge for they are an undeniable part of the Hip Hop world Thats why one of the best ways to pump up or break through the crowd is to know you and be authentic My workshop will focus on finding the inner MCRapperSpoken Word Artist This will give the artists a stable sense of self and value their worth as a performer To dig into where they are from Who they are now where they see themselves in the future and what changes they hope will come about for themselves and their communities I will inform the students about presence stage performance and attitude That there are differences in performances depending on the media I will ask what they think the differences are and why Then we will focus on performing on stage in front of an audience We will brainstorm on topics and I will have them break into groups and write 4-8 lines (per person) on the topic of their choosing to perform in front of the audience

Fil Ams in Hip Hop By Lorenzo Finau-Cruz aka LoloThis workshop we will explore the narratives of Filipin Americans within Hip Hop In order to do so we will break down what Hip Hop is and how it was created Delving into each element - MCing BBoyBGirl Graffiti DJing and Knowledge - we will learn how each element has helped shape and create what Hip Hop culture is today While looking through each of the elements of Hip Hop we will introduce and talk about different people that identify as both Filipins and Hip Hop artists Some artists that we will be discussing include Ruby Ibarra (MC) DJ Cuttin Candy (DJ) Hueman (Graffiti) and Rascals (BGirls) and more Through these artists we will examine how they incorporate their identity into their art Participants and attendees will have to chance to apply what they have learned Workshop will be led by Lorenzo Finau-Cruz aka Lolo who is an educator from San Francisco California Lolo has participated in multiple RTSB conferences as a participant volunteer and workshop presenter

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONSFor Educators

Place Tribe Competition By Sterling Higa

This presentation provides a way to understand hip-hop culture in terms of human evolutionary needs Examining hip-hop through the lens of place and tribe illuminates the relevance of hip-hop to biology social studies and history instruction beyond the current emphasis on literacy Competition within hip-hop is explained using an evolutionary framework with effort to understand why humans especially males engage in the production of hip-hop music Similarities to indigenous literature are illuminated with emphasis on the deficits of modern society and an explanation of how hip-hop fulfills affiliative needs I will guide participants through my thinking process using a Socratic method of questioning not to steer them but rather to allow us to compare our ways of thinking

Remix Your Education Holistic Living Through Hip Hop By Jonathan Clarke Sypert

Hip Hop Culture is a self-sustaining integrated part of the fabric of society Holistic Living means actualizing a lifestyle of learning and thriving through Hip Hop Arts Hip Hop Culture can be limited to classes concerts and time-killing entertainment This workshop allows participants to connect the dots and realize their own Hip Hop Lifestyles as the primary influence of their ongoing education After a brief overview of Hip Hop History and Current Trends we will collaboratively look at the life choices we make the interests we have and build a framework for influencing our own education and living our best lives as Hip Hop Culture Practitioners The bulk of this workshop will be a round table discussion balanced with student-centered exploration via performing arts concepts and application

Beats Rhymes and Life The Harmony of the Hip-Hop Educator By Jesus Limon

Through this interactive workshop we will reflect on how knowledge and culture are created I learned English from the Notorious BIG a pair of Air Max 93s was a source of capital that helped me adopt to a new American culture and now Hip-Hop gives me the fuel to teach to write to be an activated member in the community unafraid to respond not just speak truth to power There are fountains of knowledge and culture all around us This workshop will survey the results of Hip-Hop Educator communities in Northern California and will prompt participants to move past the safe best practices that only yield mediocre results and take the risks required to reach excellence - to move away from a desire to find balance and to begin experiencing harmony This workshop is important because it validates what folks already know (culture of public education leaves out a wide array of learning and teaching possibilities) - and highlights the positive results attached to the cultivation of that awareness For folks entering education this is particularly important - we are easily coursed into a culture of data-driven deodorized comfort - as opposed to keeping it funky and critically engaging the communities we teach in Participants will gain awareness of a process that calls for reflection of past experiences discovery review of their own authentic self and the activation of a curiosity to access all tools available to reach students Beyond the previously mentioned process participants will also gain awareness of what a community of Hip-Hop Educators can do in a community ndash from hosting small community events and outreach conferences to creating courses cohorts programs and writing research articles After a brief introduction by the facilitator to build context participants will be prompted to reflect on and discuss specific questions around the construction of the ideal educator (as sold to us by institutions) their connection or experiences in Hip-Hop culture and finally the predict ways they could grow and serve as Hip-Hop Educators

Exploring Hip Hop as a Creative Cornerstone to Improving Mental Health By Sam Pak John

Freestyling Cyphering and Writing are cornerstone Hip Hop practices and creative activities These activities also happen to share common elements with certain interventions known to improve mental health such as therapy and counseling This topic helps shed light on the connections between the two and raise awareness on the ability of Hip Hop practice (which is a global powerhouse now widely-accessible and popular) to positively affect the mental health of generations now and in the future This workshop is important because hip-hoprap music and culture is often viewed and portrayed as self-indulgent superficial materialistic etc However this is not the entire picture Hip-hop has the power to heal strengthen empower and build individuals and communities up In addition hip-hop practice as a means of healing is an emerging area with evidence-based data to support and thereby carries with it many potential positive implications As such this understanding and awareness of hip-hop as a means for increasing health and well-being must be promoted and shared Participants will learn What the arts of Freestyling Cyphering and Writing entail The connections between hip-hop practice the individual and mental health The potential health value Freestyling Cyphering and Writing possess An open-forum approach including questions (verbal andor written) and examples of the subject matter (Freestyling Cyphering Writing) employing group participation will be utilized to engage and involve participants in the discussion

Calling all Superheroes By Maile and Hano Naehu

This workshop will have participants tapping into their own superhuman strengths as they write from their superhero alter egorsquos perspective Participants will compose lyrics inspired by traditions and stories based on fierce guardianship ancient wisdoms and timeless messages We emphasize the importance of returning to these stories for answers and guidance in modern times Through music these valuable messages of love and virtue are able to create positive change Composition self-exploration and moʻolelo

KEYNOTEFOUNDER RTSB

Nate Nevado Nate Nevado is a college counselor at Skyline College He also coordinates the Center for Innovative Practices through Hip-Hop Education Research (CIPHER) He founded Rock The School Bells (RTSB) in 2007 which is a Hip-Hop educational conference for youth college students and educators RTSB has expanded to various colleges such as Sacramento City College De Anza College and University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa Nate received his Masterrsquos degree in Counseling from San Francisco State University (SFSU) and is currently an EdD candidate in Educational Leadership at SFSU

CHAIR RTSBHI

Nicole Kealoha Nicole has over 20 yearsrsquo experience in the field of performing arts She has studied several different disciplines including Hula Tahitian Jazz and Hip-Hop The combination of her dance expertise and her extraordinary competence in her ability to lead have taken her to both National and International locations including Japan Samoa and Columbia New York and California In 2008 Nicole founded Diverse ART Center a facility of youth empowerment that offers classes in music art dance and educational support In 2012 Nicole extended her reach by speaking to over 15000 youth with her ldquoYes to Purposerdquo school tour and she continues to do so For the past 9 years her work has included hip-hop community events workshops in the 5 elements of hip-hop and island wide community awareness murals Nicole is also the founder and host of ldquoHonozulu Beastrdquo the island wide annual middle and high school dance competition She has choreographed for Ms Hawaiʻi and other award winning competition pieces and performed for a variety of well known artists such as Kimura Lee Simmons and Carmen to name a few She has recently worked with Mari Koda from Step Up members from two teams from Season 5 Americarsquos Best Dance Crew - Hype 5-0 and Static Noise

CO-CHAIR RTSBHI

Kimberly Corbin M Ed Kim is a full time instructor and field supervisor at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the College of Education Secondary Institute of Teacher Education Kim has 20 years of teaching experience in public schools in Texas Georgia and Hawaiʻi She holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in Special Education from Texas State University a MEd in curriculum studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and looks forward to graduating in Spring 2018 with her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction also from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mā-noa Her research focuses on culturally sustaining pedagogy with a specific interest in hip-hop education She works closely with members of Super Groupers and Soundshop developing curriculum She partnered with Ableton to obtain a donation of beat-making equipment now being used in local classrooms and with Soundshop at Doris Duke Theater Kim also works closely with the Director of Arts in Education at Maui Arts and Cultural Center providing professional development opportunities for teaching artists in the area of differentiated instruction

SCHOLARS

Dr Rod LabradorDr Rod Labrador is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaʻrsquoi at Mānoa He is the co-author of Filipinos in Hawaʻrsquoi (with Theodore Gonzalves) coeditor of Empire of Funk Hip Hop and Representation in Filipina0 America (with Mark Villegas and DJ Kuttinrsquo Kandi) coeditor of Asian American Hip-Hop Musical Autobiographies (with Brian Chung) and author of Building Filipino Hawaiʻi He is currently working on two book projects one on Filipino American hip-hop musical autobiographies and another on the rap scene in Seattle (with Prometheus Brown aka Geo of Blue Scholars and The Bar)

Dr Masahide KatoHailing from Hiroshima Japan Masahide Kato has been on a life long quest for a planetary paradigm of peace which intersected with Hawaiʻi first in his early teens and later in his mid-twenties both as an exchange student During his graduate studies his peace educationactivism background led him to immerse himself in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement where he gained insight into the revolution of consciousness He began his pedagogic work at Leeward Community College Waianae Moku in search for indigenous epistemology that is in harmony with all life forces (ie ldquoponordquo) With his background in literature anthropology and political science he has explored the intersection of culture and politics both in pedagogy and research Besides his academic work he volunteers for Na Kupuna a me Na Kakoʻo O Hālawa protecting sacred sites at Hālawa valley and for Divers Arts Center educating youngsters on the true meaning and function of hip-hop culture Masahide is the author of ldquoFrom Kung Fu to Hip-Hoprdquo

Dr Keith CrossKeith Cross is a veteran Hip-Hop artist singer-songwriter educator and scholar Keith has a PhD from Stanford University Graduate School of Education specializing in Race Inequality and Language in Education and he is currently Assistant professor of Multilingual and Multicultural Education at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa For several years Keith has taught hip-hop lyricism (ie rap) to youth and the elderly as a tool for enhancing mental and social well-being As a scholar he investigates cognition and learning in relation to rap expertise and its development

PRESENTERS amp TEACHING ARTISTS

Zen ChambersZen hails from Compton CA and has been a resident of Oahu for the last decade Zen an androgynous diplomat and Warrior of change and protection has played and performed into the closed and allowed them new vision

Cedric Clinton (GOAT)Born and raised in Honolulu Cedric first discovered hip-hop during the summer of 1999 when he heard ldquoForgot About Drerdquo on the radio This inspired him to enter his 5th grade talent show He did not make the final cut but nonetheless a spark had been lit and at 14 he began freestyling with his friends and crafting his own songs Some of his influences are Nas Bob Marley amp Michael Jackson He released his debut album ArtChiTexture on October 7 2017 Cedric holds Freestyle Friday a pod cast featuring local hip-hop artists and recently celebrated its two-year anniversary with about 20 local MCs and friends who showed up to support and to freestyle Freestyle Friday is held at his successful business Squeeze Play a custom screen-printing company

Sterling HigaSterling is often wrong but always seeks truth He is a debate coach and lecturer in the Department of Communication at Hawailsquoi Pacific University Sterling holds an EdM from the Arts in Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education He is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Hawailsquoi at Mānoa College of Education

Sam ldquoPakrdquo JohnSam is an American-Pakistani independent hip-hoprap artist entrepreneur and registered nurse Raised in Southern Californiarsquos Inland Empire he migrated to Honolulu in 2006 and received a Bachelor of Arts in CommunicationMultimedia from Hawaiʻi Pacific University in 2008 From there he build a following and a name for himself performing and touring the local music scenes of Oahu and the greater Los Angeles area He went on to obtain a Bachelorrsquos of Science in Nursing from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in 2018 A socially conscious rapper and lyricist with 16+ years experience his album releases include ldquoPeaceofmindrdquo(2008) ldquoQuesionrdquo (2009) ldquoStillWundardquo (2009) ldquoRhyme4Reasonrdquo (2011) and ldquoI Will Not Be Chain3drdquo (2018) He also fronts the band Samurai Funktion a unique collective of all freestyleimprovisation musicians which he founded in 2013 and is still active He is a firm advocate for health amp wellness and sustainable development and reform As a nurse his areas of focus are mental health preventative health communitypublic health and holistic and functional health

Sashily KlingSaacuteshily is a 4th generation Puertorican Poet Spoken Word Artist KTUH DJ (DJ Puertorican Princess) and Co-Editor of the Hawaiʻi Review Saacuteshily has been a featured poet in the MIA series and the Dragon Upstairs She was last published by Really System for History of the Hurricane and has more than 6 years of knowledge of radio and television production and has made KTUH her radio home for the past year

Jesus LimonJesus Limon is a Professor of English at Sacramento City College and an English Lecturer at Sacramento State University He holds a Bachelorrsquos of Arts in English Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in English Literature both from Sacramento State University Though he was born in Mexico he grew up in the diverse community of South Sacramento He proudly serves his community by organizing spaces where students can learn about higher education and personal empowerment through art culture and social justice Jesus is also the Director of Rock the School Bells Sacramento

Lynley Shimat LysLynleyShimat Lys is a multiracial poet playwright and activist They serve as Editor-in-Chief of Hawailsquoi Review arts journal and teach at UH Mānoa where they are working on a PhD in Creative Writing Lynley held a Louis Armstrong Residency at Queens College - CUNY and won the Emily Chamberlain Cook poetry prize at UC Berkeley They were featured on the ldquoItrsquos Lit with PhDJrdquo radio show and performed at Bowery Poetry MIA and Hawailsquoi Slam

Hanohano NaehuFor the last 18 years Hanohano Naehu has been a Kiarsquoi Loko a fishpond guardian at Keawanui an 800-year-old Hawaiian Fishpond on Molokai Hawaiʻi As the caretaker of this environment he restores an aspect of Hawaiian Aquaculture a traditional sustainable ocean fishpond that itself presents other opportunities for creativity through the healing Arts Sciences and feeling Spirituality Hano as he is referred to is also a community educator teaching ancient concepts in land stewardship and resource management As an avid activist and artist for Aloha Āina he translates his passions through hip-hop and lyrical messages under his MC name The Paniolo Prince He and his wife Maile coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society

Tanya Maile NaehuTanya Maile Naehu is a Kanaka Maoli Boricua educator performer artist and community organizer on the island of Molokai Hawaiʻi She is also the director of the Molokai Nui a Hina project a multi- generational community art project Maile is constantly researching and collaborating in order to design new approaches to teaching using traditional philosophies and practices such as oral tradition lsquoolelo Hawaiʻi hula and oli Through teaching storytelling via various art mediums she emphasizes great importance in building communication skills self-confidence and a new generation of storytellers Maile and her husband coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society They also share the hip-hop stage as The Paniolo Prince and his Queen Maile

Navid NajafiA founding member of local conscious rap collective the Super Groupers and a two-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner mdash he took home trophies for Hip-Hop Album of the Year in 2012 (for his solo album ldquoIllnomadicrdquo) and 2013 (for ldquoLive From Soul Soundrdquo as part of the band Evasive Species) He was born in Iran and raised in New York but found home when he moved to Hawaiʻi to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa He is a highly regarded and accomplished artist organizer activist and volunteer in the local community Along with serving as an administrator for The Honolulu Museum of Artrsquos Soundshop music education program he is also a poet facilitator and youth mentor for the non-profit poetry education organization Pacific Tongues

Johnny ldquoJuicerdquo RosadoIn 1987 Public Enemy released ldquoRebel Without a Pauserdquo and changed the direction of hip-hop beats forever A 17-year-old Puerto Rican DJ who went by the name of DJ Johnny Juice formed part of Public Enemyrsquos Bomb Squad production team DJ Johnny Juice along side Public Enemy pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers that would later come Johnny Juice was raised in los barrios of the Bronx in New York City and witnessed the birth of hop-hop A turntablist B-Boy and Graffiti writer who first displayed his break dancing skills at the age of 14 in the mid 80s classic hip hop film Beat Street and at 27 joined Public Enemy as the groups studio DJ Over the years he has also lent his production and scratching skills to projects for legendary artists such as Slick Rick Doug E Fresh The Beastie Boys DMX LL Cool J Leaders of the New School Ashanti Vanessa Williams C amp C Music Factory among others Johnny Juice was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008 with Public Enemy and was named to the LI Music Hall of Fame Education Advisory Board

Rukka the MagnificentBorn on the island of Oahu Rukka the Magnificent has always been influenced by the power of music An instrumentalist at heart he began teaching himself to play instruments and create music as a middle school student learning production techniques through multiple digital audio workstations in high school and today produces others in his own studio Whether in battles or live performances progression is his only goal He has a total of eight albums and two instrumental beat tapes He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation an International organization whose core values are peace love unity and having fun while spreading positivity through the five elements of hip-hop emcee DJ breaking aerosol art and knowledge of self He is involved in community outreach and conducts workshops at schools and with Soundshop Through community work he broadens his knowledge of culture his kuleana as a teacher and a student and himself as an artist

Jonathan Clarke SypertJonathan is the founder of Intrepid Productions Hawaiʻi the HIFrequency School of Performing Arts SoulKitchen Records and Open Space Hawaiʻi ndash A contemporary arts co-op facility in Kakaʻako As an educator artist and arts activist he is looking for ways to reincorporate the Arts as a core module of all areas of curriculum development and day-to-day life My value system for Arts-based Education is largely influenced by the hip-hop concept of staying ldquofreshrdquo or relevant in piquing the interest of my students As an educator I am aware that my success depends less on ldquoknowingrdquo what is current and trendy than it does actively investigating and discovering what resonates with my natural curiosity His current interests converge on bridging project-based and place-based learning in service to his community He defines hip-hop as the mixing and remixing of ideas into reality

PunaheleHailing from Makaha on Oahursquos West Side Punahele rose to prominence in the parking lot cyphers Hawaiʻirsquos battlefield for the hip-hop underground scene and in 2015 he became Bacardirsquos first IRON MC CHAMPION He is a tireless advocate for the community spending countless hours volunteering with a variety of organizations including the Kapolei Juvenile Detention Center where he often helps facilitate a writing class His authentic grass roots outlook on being a Native provides listeners with a uniquely energetic and diverse experience He has performed with and opened for international acts such as Rae Sremmurd Shing02 Dumbfounded Blackalicious Pigeon John Bambu Apathy and Celph Titled Hopie Spitsbaard Eli Mac Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera

ScholarFrom humble beginnings growing up on the island of Kauaʻi Scholar has grown into a respected and renown artist in Hawaiʻi He released his first full-length project ldquoThe Processrdquo LP in August 2015 and since then he has successfully organized and headlined shows on several islands Scholar released his second full-length project ldquoArt of Worthrdquo October 28 2016 which includes features from Japanese hip-hop icon Shing02 amongst others He has been featured in numerous interviews and segments including KITV4rsquos ldquoGood Morning Hawaiʻirdquo and ldquoOC16s AlohaHype TVrdquo Scholarrsquos third project which he will release in 2018 includes all new material music videos collaboration projects and live performances

Ruby IbarraBorn in the Phillippines Ruby spent the first 4 years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo California Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area Rubyrsquos adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures experiences and most importantly hip hop which resonated at every

corner of her neighborhood Ruby earned a degree in biological chemistry from UC Davis

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference

Beats Rhymes and Life The Harmony of the Hip-Hop Educator By Jesus Limon

Through this interactive workshop we will reflect on how knowledge and culture are created I learned English from the Notorious BIG a pair of Air Max 93s was a source of capital that helped me adopt to a new American culture and now Hip-Hop gives me the fuel to teach to write to be an activated member in the community unafraid to respond not just speak truth to power There are fountains of knowledge and culture all around us This workshop will survey the results of Hip-Hop Educator communities in Northern California and will prompt participants to move past the safe best practices that only yield mediocre results and take the risks required to reach excellence - to move away from a desire to find balance and to begin experiencing harmony This workshop is important because it validates what folks already know (culture of public education leaves out a wide array of learning and teaching possibilities) - and highlights the positive results attached to the cultivation of that awareness For folks entering education this is particularly important - we are easily coursed into a culture of data-driven deodorized comfort - as opposed to keeping it funky and critically engaging the communities we teach in Participants will gain awareness of a process that calls for reflection of past experiences discovery review of their own authentic self and the activation of a curiosity to access all tools available to reach students Beyond the previously mentioned process participants will also gain awareness of what a community of Hip-Hop Educators can do in a community ndash from hosting small community events and outreach conferences to creating courses cohorts programs and writing research articles After a brief introduction by the facilitator to build context participants will be prompted to reflect on and discuss specific questions around the construction of the ideal educator (as sold to us by institutions) their connection or experiences in Hip-Hop culture and finally the predict ways they could grow and serve as Hip-Hop Educators

Exploring Hip Hop as a Creative Cornerstone to Improving Mental Health By Sam Pak John

Freestyling Cyphering and Writing are cornerstone Hip Hop practices and creative activities These activities also happen to share common elements with certain interventions known to improve mental health such as therapy and counseling This topic helps shed light on the connections between the two and raise awareness on the ability of Hip Hop practice (which is a global powerhouse now widely-accessible and popular) to positively affect the mental health of generations now and in the future This workshop is important because hip-hoprap music and culture is often viewed and portrayed as self-indulgent superficial materialistic etc However this is not the entire picture Hip-hop has the power to heal strengthen empower and build individuals and communities up In addition hip-hop practice as a means of healing is an emerging area with evidence-based data to support and thereby carries with it many potential positive implications As such this understanding and awareness of hip-hop as a means for increasing health and well-being must be promoted and shared Participants will learn What the arts of Freestyling Cyphering and Writing entail The connections between hip-hop practice the individual and mental health The potential health value Freestyling Cyphering and Writing possess An open-forum approach including questions (verbal andor written) and examples of the subject matter (Freestyling Cyphering Writing) employing group participation will be utilized to engage and involve participants in the discussion

Calling all Superheroes By Maile and Hano Naehu

This workshop will have participants tapping into their own superhuman strengths as they write from their superhero alter egorsquos perspective Participants will compose lyrics inspired by traditions and stories based on fierce guardianship ancient wisdoms and timeless messages We emphasize the importance of returning to these stories for answers and guidance in modern times Through music these valuable messages of love and virtue are able to create positive change Composition self-exploration and moʻolelo

KEYNOTEFOUNDER RTSB

Nate Nevado Nate Nevado is a college counselor at Skyline College He also coordinates the Center for Innovative Practices through Hip-Hop Education Research (CIPHER) He founded Rock The School Bells (RTSB) in 2007 which is a Hip-Hop educational conference for youth college students and educators RTSB has expanded to various colleges such as Sacramento City College De Anza College and University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa Nate received his Masterrsquos degree in Counseling from San Francisco State University (SFSU) and is currently an EdD candidate in Educational Leadership at SFSU

CHAIR RTSBHI

Nicole Kealoha Nicole has over 20 yearsrsquo experience in the field of performing arts She has studied several different disciplines including Hula Tahitian Jazz and Hip-Hop The combination of her dance expertise and her extraordinary competence in her ability to lead have taken her to both National and International locations including Japan Samoa and Columbia New York and California In 2008 Nicole founded Diverse ART Center a facility of youth empowerment that offers classes in music art dance and educational support In 2012 Nicole extended her reach by speaking to over 15000 youth with her ldquoYes to Purposerdquo school tour and she continues to do so For the past 9 years her work has included hip-hop community events workshops in the 5 elements of hip-hop and island wide community awareness murals Nicole is also the founder and host of ldquoHonozulu Beastrdquo the island wide annual middle and high school dance competition She has choreographed for Ms Hawaiʻi and other award winning competition pieces and performed for a variety of well known artists such as Kimura Lee Simmons and Carmen to name a few She has recently worked with Mari Koda from Step Up members from two teams from Season 5 Americarsquos Best Dance Crew - Hype 5-0 and Static Noise

CO-CHAIR RTSBHI

Kimberly Corbin M Ed Kim is a full time instructor and field supervisor at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the College of Education Secondary Institute of Teacher Education Kim has 20 years of teaching experience in public schools in Texas Georgia and Hawaiʻi She holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in Special Education from Texas State University a MEd in curriculum studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and looks forward to graduating in Spring 2018 with her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction also from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mā-noa Her research focuses on culturally sustaining pedagogy with a specific interest in hip-hop education She works closely with members of Super Groupers and Soundshop developing curriculum She partnered with Ableton to obtain a donation of beat-making equipment now being used in local classrooms and with Soundshop at Doris Duke Theater Kim also works closely with the Director of Arts in Education at Maui Arts and Cultural Center providing professional development opportunities for teaching artists in the area of differentiated instruction

SCHOLARS

Dr Rod LabradorDr Rod Labrador is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaʻrsquoi at Mānoa He is the co-author of Filipinos in Hawaʻrsquoi (with Theodore Gonzalves) coeditor of Empire of Funk Hip Hop and Representation in Filipina0 America (with Mark Villegas and DJ Kuttinrsquo Kandi) coeditor of Asian American Hip-Hop Musical Autobiographies (with Brian Chung) and author of Building Filipino Hawaiʻi He is currently working on two book projects one on Filipino American hip-hop musical autobiographies and another on the rap scene in Seattle (with Prometheus Brown aka Geo of Blue Scholars and The Bar)

Dr Masahide KatoHailing from Hiroshima Japan Masahide Kato has been on a life long quest for a planetary paradigm of peace which intersected with Hawaiʻi first in his early teens and later in his mid-twenties both as an exchange student During his graduate studies his peace educationactivism background led him to immerse himself in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement where he gained insight into the revolution of consciousness He began his pedagogic work at Leeward Community College Waianae Moku in search for indigenous epistemology that is in harmony with all life forces (ie ldquoponordquo) With his background in literature anthropology and political science he has explored the intersection of culture and politics both in pedagogy and research Besides his academic work he volunteers for Na Kupuna a me Na Kakoʻo O Hālawa protecting sacred sites at Hālawa valley and for Divers Arts Center educating youngsters on the true meaning and function of hip-hop culture Masahide is the author of ldquoFrom Kung Fu to Hip-Hoprdquo

Dr Keith CrossKeith Cross is a veteran Hip-Hop artist singer-songwriter educator and scholar Keith has a PhD from Stanford University Graduate School of Education specializing in Race Inequality and Language in Education and he is currently Assistant professor of Multilingual and Multicultural Education at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa For several years Keith has taught hip-hop lyricism (ie rap) to youth and the elderly as a tool for enhancing mental and social well-being As a scholar he investigates cognition and learning in relation to rap expertise and its development

PRESENTERS amp TEACHING ARTISTS

Zen ChambersZen hails from Compton CA and has been a resident of Oahu for the last decade Zen an androgynous diplomat and Warrior of change and protection has played and performed into the closed and allowed them new vision

Cedric Clinton (GOAT)Born and raised in Honolulu Cedric first discovered hip-hop during the summer of 1999 when he heard ldquoForgot About Drerdquo on the radio This inspired him to enter his 5th grade talent show He did not make the final cut but nonetheless a spark had been lit and at 14 he began freestyling with his friends and crafting his own songs Some of his influences are Nas Bob Marley amp Michael Jackson He released his debut album ArtChiTexture on October 7 2017 Cedric holds Freestyle Friday a pod cast featuring local hip-hop artists and recently celebrated its two-year anniversary with about 20 local MCs and friends who showed up to support and to freestyle Freestyle Friday is held at his successful business Squeeze Play a custom screen-printing company

Sterling HigaSterling is often wrong but always seeks truth He is a debate coach and lecturer in the Department of Communication at Hawailsquoi Pacific University Sterling holds an EdM from the Arts in Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education He is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Hawailsquoi at Mānoa College of Education

Sam ldquoPakrdquo JohnSam is an American-Pakistani independent hip-hoprap artist entrepreneur and registered nurse Raised in Southern Californiarsquos Inland Empire he migrated to Honolulu in 2006 and received a Bachelor of Arts in CommunicationMultimedia from Hawaiʻi Pacific University in 2008 From there he build a following and a name for himself performing and touring the local music scenes of Oahu and the greater Los Angeles area He went on to obtain a Bachelorrsquos of Science in Nursing from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in 2018 A socially conscious rapper and lyricist with 16+ years experience his album releases include ldquoPeaceofmindrdquo(2008) ldquoQuesionrdquo (2009) ldquoStillWundardquo (2009) ldquoRhyme4Reasonrdquo (2011) and ldquoI Will Not Be Chain3drdquo (2018) He also fronts the band Samurai Funktion a unique collective of all freestyleimprovisation musicians which he founded in 2013 and is still active He is a firm advocate for health amp wellness and sustainable development and reform As a nurse his areas of focus are mental health preventative health communitypublic health and holistic and functional health

Sashily KlingSaacuteshily is a 4th generation Puertorican Poet Spoken Word Artist KTUH DJ (DJ Puertorican Princess) and Co-Editor of the Hawaiʻi Review Saacuteshily has been a featured poet in the MIA series and the Dragon Upstairs She was last published by Really System for History of the Hurricane and has more than 6 years of knowledge of radio and television production and has made KTUH her radio home for the past year

Jesus LimonJesus Limon is a Professor of English at Sacramento City College and an English Lecturer at Sacramento State University He holds a Bachelorrsquos of Arts in English Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in English Literature both from Sacramento State University Though he was born in Mexico he grew up in the diverse community of South Sacramento He proudly serves his community by organizing spaces where students can learn about higher education and personal empowerment through art culture and social justice Jesus is also the Director of Rock the School Bells Sacramento

Lynley Shimat LysLynleyShimat Lys is a multiracial poet playwright and activist They serve as Editor-in-Chief of Hawailsquoi Review arts journal and teach at UH Mānoa where they are working on a PhD in Creative Writing Lynley held a Louis Armstrong Residency at Queens College - CUNY and won the Emily Chamberlain Cook poetry prize at UC Berkeley They were featured on the ldquoItrsquos Lit with PhDJrdquo radio show and performed at Bowery Poetry MIA and Hawailsquoi Slam

Hanohano NaehuFor the last 18 years Hanohano Naehu has been a Kiarsquoi Loko a fishpond guardian at Keawanui an 800-year-old Hawaiian Fishpond on Molokai Hawaiʻi As the caretaker of this environment he restores an aspect of Hawaiian Aquaculture a traditional sustainable ocean fishpond that itself presents other opportunities for creativity through the healing Arts Sciences and feeling Spirituality Hano as he is referred to is also a community educator teaching ancient concepts in land stewardship and resource management As an avid activist and artist for Aloha Āina he translates his passions through hip-hop and lyrical messages under his MC name The Paniolo Prince He and his wife Maile coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society

Tanya Maile NaehuTanya Maile Naehu is a Kanaka Maoli Boricua educator performer artist and community organizer on the island of Molokai Hawaiʻi She is also the director of the Molokai Nui a Hina project a multi- generational community art project Maile is constantly researching and collaborating in order to design new approaches to teaching using traditional philosophies and practices such as oral tradition lsquoolelo Hawaiʻi hula and oli Through teaching storytelling via various art mediums she emphasizes great importance in building communication skills self-confidence and a new generation of storytellers Maile and her husband coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society They also share the hip-hop stage as The Paniolo Prince and his Queen Maile

Navid NajafiA founding member of local conscious rap collective the Super Groupers and a two-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner mdash he took home trophies for Hip-Hop Album of the Year in 2012 (for his solo album ldquoIllnomadicrdquo) and 2013 (for ldquoLive From Soul Soundrdquo as part of the band Evasive Species) He was born in Iran and raised in New York but found home when he moved to Hawaiʻi to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa He is a highly regarded and accomplished artist organizer activist and volunteer in the local community Along with serving as an administrator for The Honolulu Museum of Artrsquos Soundshop music education program he is also a poet facilitator and youth mentor for the non-profit poetry education organization Pacific Tongues

Johnny ldquoJuicerdquo RosadoIn 1987 Public Enemy released ldquoRebel Without a Pauserdquo and changed the direction of hip-hop beats forever A 17-year-old Puerto Rican DJ who went by the name of DJ Johnny Juice formed part of Public Enemyrsquos Bomb Squad production team DJ Johnny Juice along side Public Enemy pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers that would later come Johnny Juice was raised in los barrios of the Bronx in New York City and witnessed the birth of hop-hop A turntablist B-Boy and Graffiti writer who first displayed his break dancing skills at the age of 14 in the mid 80s classic hip hop film Beat Street and at 27 joined Public Enemy as the groups studio DJ Over the years he has also lent his production and scratching skills to projects for legendary artists such as Slick Rick Doug E Fresh The Beastie Boys DMX LL Cool J Leaders of the New School Ashanti Vanessa Williams C amp C Music Factory among others Johnny Juice was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008 with Public Enemy and was named to the LI Music Hall of Fame Education Advisory Board

Rukka the MagnificentBorn on the island of Oahu Rukka the Magnificent has always been influenced by the power of music An instrumentalist at heart he began teaching himself to play instruments and create music as a middle school student learning production techniques through multiple digital audio workstations in high school and today produces others in his own studio Whether in battles or live performances progression is his only goal He has a total of eight albums and two instrumental beat tapes He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation an International organization whose core values are peace love unity and having fun while spreading positivity through the five elements of hip-hop emcee DJ breaking aerosol art and knowledge of self He is involved in community outreach and conducts workshops at schools and with Soundshop Through community work he broadens his knowledge of culture his kuleana as a teacher and a student and himself as an artist

Jonathan Clarke SypertJonathan is the founder of Intrepid Productions Hawaiʻi the HIFrequency School of Performing Arts SoulKitchen Records and Open Space Hawaiʻi ndash A contemporary arts co-op facility in Kakaʻako As an educator artist and arts activist he is looking for ways to reincorporate the Arts as a core module of all areas of curriculum development and day-to-day life My value system for Arts-based Education is largely influenced by the hip-hop concept of staying ldquofreshrdquo or relevant in piquing the interest of my students As an educator I am aware that my success depends less on ldquoknowingrdquo what is current and trendy than it does actively investigating and discovering what resonates with my natural curiosity His current interests converge on bridging project-based and place-based learning in service to his community He defines hip-hop as the mixing and remixing of ideas into reality

PunaheleHailing from Makaha on Oahursquos West Side Punahele rose to prominence in the parking lot cyphers Hawaiʻirsquos battlefield for the hip-hop underground scene and in 2015 he became Bacardirsquos first IRON MC CHAMPION He is a tireless advocate for the community spending countless hours volunteering with a variety of organizations including the Kapolei Juvenile Detention Center where he often helps facilitate a writing class His authentic grass roots outlook on being a Native provides listeners with a uniquely energetic and diverse experience He has performed with and opened for international acts such as Rae Sremmurd Shing02 Dumbfounded Blackalicious Pigeon John Bambu Apathy and Celph Titled Hopie Spitsbaard Eli Mac Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera

ScholarFrom humble beginnings growing up on the island of Kauaʻi Scholar has grown into a respected and renown artist in Hawaiʻi He released his first full-length project ldquoThe Processrdquo LP in August 2015 and since then he has successfully organized and headlined shows on several islands Scholar released his second full-length project ldquoArt of Worthrdquo October 28 2016 which includes features from Japanese hip-hop icon Shing02 amongst others He has been featured in numerous interviews and segments including KITV4rsquos ldquoGood Morning Hawaiʻirdquo and ldquoOC16s AlohaHype TVrdquo Scholarrsquos third project which he will release in 2018 includes all new material music videos collaboration projects and live performances

Ruby IbarraBorn in the Phillippines Ruby spent the first 4 years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo California Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area Rubyrsquos adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures experiences and most importantly hip hop which resonated at every

corner of her neighborhood Ruby earned a degree in biological chemistry from UC Davis

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference

KEYNOTEFOUNDER RTSB

Nate Nevado Nate Nevado is a college counselor at Skyline College He also coordinates the Center for Innovative Practices through Hip-Hop Education Research (CIPHER) He founded Rock The School Bells (RTSB) in 2007 which is a Hip-Hop educational conference for youth college students and educators RTSB has expanded to various colleges such as Sacramento City College De Anza College and University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa Nate received his Masterrsquos degree in Counseling from San Francisco State University (SFSU) and is currently an EdD candidate in Educational Leadership at SFSU

CHAIR RTSBHI

Nicole Kealoha Nicole has over 20 yearsrsquo experience in the field of performing arts She has studied several different disciplines including Hula Tahitian Jazz and Hip-Hop The combination of her dance expertise and her extraordinary competence in her ability to lead have taken her to both National and International locations including Japan Samoa and Columbia New York and California In 2008 Nicole founded Diverse ART Center a facility of youth empowerment that offers classes in music art dance and educational support In 2012 Nicole extended her reach by speaking to over 15000 youth with her ldquoYes to Purposerdquo school tour and she continues to do so For the past 9 years her work has included hip-hop community events workshops in the 5 elements of hip-hop and island wide community awareness murals Nicole is also the founder and host of ldquoHonozulu Beastrdquo the island wide annual middle and high school dance competition She has choreographed for Ms Hawaiʻi and other award winning competition pieces and performed for a variety of well known artists such as Kimura Lee Simmons and Carmen to name a few She has recently worked with Mari Koda from Step Up members from two teams from Season 5 Americarsquos Best Dance Crew - Hype 5-0 and Static Noise

CO-CHAIR RTSBHI

Kimberly Corbin M Ed Kim is a full time instructor and field supervisor at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the College of Education Secondary Institute of Teacher Education Kim has 20 years of teaching experience in public schools in Texas Georgia and Hawaiʻi She holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in Special Education from Texas State University a MEd in curriculum studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and looks forward to graduating in Spring 2018 with her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction also from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mā-noa Her research focuses on culturally sustaining pedagogy with a specific interest in hip-hop education She works closely with members of Super Groupers and Soundshop developing curriculum She partnered with Ableton to obtain a donation of beat-making equipment now being used in local classrooms and with Soundshop at Doris Duke Theater Kim also works closely with the Director of Arts in Education at Maui Arts and Cultural Center providing professional development opportunities for teaching artists in the area of differentiated instruction

SCHOLARS

Dr Rod LabradorDr Rod Labrador is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaʻrsquoi at Mānoa He is the co-author of Filipinos in Hawaʻrsquoi (with Theodore Gonzalves) coeditor of Empire of Funk Hip Hop and Representation in Filipina0 America (with Mark Villegas and DJ Kuttinrsquo Kandi) coeditor of Asian American Hip-Hop Musical Autobiographies (with Brian Chung) and author of Building Filipino Hawaiʻi He is currently working on two book projects one on Filipino American hip-hop musical autobiographies and another on the rap scene in Seattle (with Prometheus Brown aka Geo of Blue Scholars and The Bar)

Dr Masahide KatoHailing from Hiroshima Japan Masahide Kato has been on a life long quest for a planetary paradigm of peace which intersected with Hawaiʻi first in his early teens and later in his mid-twenties both as an exchange student During his graduate studies his peace educationactivism background led him to immerse himself in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement where he gained insight into the revolution of consciousness He began his pedagogic work at Leeward Community College Waianae Moku in search for indigenous epistemology that is in harmony with all life forces (ie ldquoponordquo) With his background in literature anthropology and political science he has explored the intersection of culture and politics both in pedagogy and research Besides his academic work he volunteers for Na Kupuna a me Na Kakoʻo O Hālawa protecting sacred sites at Hālawa valley and for Divers Arts Center educating youngsters on the true meaning and function of hip-hop culture Masahide is the author of ldquoFrom Kung Fu to Hip-Hoprdquo

Dr Keith CrossKeith Cross is a veteran Hip-Hop artist singer-songwriter educator and scholar Keith has a PhD from Stanford University Graduate School of Education specializing in Race Inequality and Language in Education and he is currently Assistant professor of Multilingual and Multicultural Education at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa For several years Keith has taught hip-hop lyricism (ie rap) to youth and the elderly as a tool for enhancing mental and social well-being As a scholar he investigates cognition and learning in relation to rap expertise and its development

PRESENTERS amp TEACHING ARTISTS

Zen ChambersZen hails from Compton CA and has been a resident of Oahu for the last decade Zen an androgynous diplomat and Warrior of change and protection has played and performed into the closed and allowed them new vision

Cedric Clinton (GOAT)Born and raised in Honolulu Cedric first discovered hip-hop during the summer of 1999 when he heard ldquoForgot About Drerdquo on the radio This inspired him to enter his 5th grade talent show He did not make the final cut but nonetheless a spark had been lit and at 14 he began freestyling with his friends and crafting his own songs Some of his influences are Nas Bob Marley amp Michael Jackson He released his debut album ArtChiTexture on October 7 2017 Cedric holds Freestyle Friday a pod cast featuring local hip-hop artists and recently celebrated its two-year anniversary with about 20 local MCs and friends who showed up to support and to freestyle Freestyle Friday is held at his successful business Squeeze Play a custom screen-printing company

Sterling HigaSterling is often wrong but always seeks truth He is a debate coach and lecturer in the Department of Communication at Hawailsquoi Pacific University Sterling holds an EdM from the Arts in Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education He is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Hawailsquoi at Mānoa College of Education

Sam ldquoPakrdquo JohnSam is an American-Pakistani independent hip-hoprap artist entrepreneur and registered nurse Raised in Southern Californiarsquos Inland Empire he migrated to Honolulu in 2006 and received a Bachelor of Arts in CommunicationMultimedia from Hawaiʻi Pacific University in 2008 From there he build a following and a name for himself performing and touring the local music scenes of Oahu and the greater Los Angeles area He went on to obtain a Bachelorrsquos of Science in Nursing from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in 2018 A socially conscious rapper and lyricist with 16+ years experience his album releases include ldquoPeaceofmindrdquo(2008) ldquoQuesionrdquo (2009) ldquoStillWundardquo (2009) ldquoRhyme4Reasonrdquo (2011) and ldquoI Will Not Be Chain3drdquo (2018) He also fronts the band Samurai Funktion a unique collective of all freestyleimprovisation musicians which he founded in 2013 and is still active He is a firm advocate for health amp wellness and sustainable development and reform As a nurse his areas of focus are mental health preventative health communitypublic health and holistic and functional health

Sashily KlingSaacuteshily is a 4th generation Puertorican Poet Spoken Word Artist KTUH DJ (DJ Puertorican Princess) and Co-Editor of the Hawaiʻi Review Saacuteshily has been a featured poet in the MIA series and the Dragon Upstairs She was last published by Really System for History of the Hurricane and has more than 6 years of knowledge of radio and television production and has made KTUH her radio home for the past year

Jesus LimonJesus Limon is a Professor of English at Sacramento City College and an English Lecturer at Sacramento State University He holds a Bachelorrsquos of Arts in English Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in English Literature both from Sacramento State University Though he was born in Mexico he grew up in the diverse community of South Sacramento He proudly serves his community by organizing spaces where students can learn about higher education and personal empowerment through art culture and social justice Jesus is also the Director of Rock the School Bells Sacramento

Lynley Shimat LysLynleyShimat Lys is a multiracial poet playwright and activist They serve as Editor-in-Chief of Hawailsquoi Review arts journal and teach at UH Mānoa where they are working on a PhD in Creative Writing Lynley held a Louis Armstrong Residency at Queens College - CUNY and won the Emily Chamberlain Cook poetry prize at UC Berkeley They were featured on the ldquoItrsquos Lit with PhDJrdquo radio show and performed at Bowery Poetry MIA and Hawailsquoi Slam

Hanohano NaehuFor the last 18 years Hanohano Naehu has been a Kiarsquoi Loko a fishpond guardian at Keawanui an 800-year-old Hawaiian Fishpond on Molokai Hawaiʻi As the caretaker of this environment he restores an aspect of Hawaiian Aquaculture a traditional sustainable ocean fishpond that itself presents other opportunities for creativity through the healing Arts Sciences and feeling Spirituality Hano as he is referred to is also a community educator teaching ancient concepts in land stewardship and resource management As an avid activist and artist for Aloha Āina he translates his passions through hip-hop and lyrical messages under his MC name The Paniolo Prince He and his wife Maile coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society

Tanya Maile NaehuTanya Maile Naehu is a Kanaka Maoli Boricua educator performer artist and community organizer on the island of Molokai Hawaiʻi She is also the director of the Molokai Nui a Hina project a multi- generational community art project Maile is constantly researching and collaborating in order to design new approaches to teaching using traditional philosophies and practices such as oral tradition lsquoolelo Hawaiʻi hula and oli Through teaching storytelling via various art mediums she emphasizes great importance in building communication skills self-confidence and a new generation of storytellers Maile and her husband coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society They also share the hip-hop stage as The Paniolo Prince and his Queen Maile

Navid NajafiA founding member of local conscious rap collective the Super Groupers and a two-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner mdash he took home trophies for Hip-Hop Album of the Year in 2012 (for his solo album ldquoIllnomadicrdquo) and 2013 (for ldquoLive From Soul Soundrdquo as part of the band Evasive Species) He was born in Iran and raised in New York but found home when he moved to Hawaiʻi to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa He is a highly regarded and accomplished artist organizer activist and volunteer in the local community Along with serving as an administrator for The Honolulu Museum of Artrsquos Soundshop music education program he is also a poet facilitator and youth mentor for the non-profit poetry education organization Pacific Tongues

Johnny ldquoJuicerdquo RosadoIn 1987 Public Enemy released ldquoRebel Without a Pauserdquo and changed the direction of hip-hop beats forever A 17-year-old Puerto Rican DJ who went by the name of DJ Johnny Juice formed part of Public Enemyrsquos Bomb Squad production team DJ Johnny Juice along side Public Enemy pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers that would later come Johnny Juice was raised in los barrios of the Bronx in New York City and witnessed the birth of hop-hop A turntablist B-Boy and Graffiti writer who first displayed his break dancing skills at the age of 14 in the mid 80s classic hip hop film Beat Street and at 27 joined Public Enemy as the groups studio DJ Over the years he has also lent his production and scratching skills to projects for legendary artists such as Slick Rick Doug E Fresh The Beastie Boys DMX LL Cool J Leaders of the New School Ashanti Vanessa Williams C amp C Music Factory among others Johnny Juice was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008 with Public Enemy and was named to the LI Music Hall of Fame Education Advisory Board

Rukka the MagnificentBorn on the island of Oahu Rukka the Magnificent has always been influenced by the power of music An instrumentalist at heart he began teaching himself to play instruments and create music as a middle school student learning production techniques through multiple digital audio workstations in high school and today produces others in his own studio Whether in battles or live performances progression is his only goal He has a total of eight albums and two instrumental beat tapes He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation an International organization whose core values are peace love unity and having fun while spreading positivity through the five elements of hip-hop emcee DJ breaking aerosol art and knowledge of self He is involved in community outreach and conducts workshops at schools and with Soundshop Through community work he broadens his knowledge of culture his kuleana as a teacher and a student and himself as an artist

Jonathan Clarke SypertJonathan is the founder of Intrepid Productions Hawaiʻi the HIFrequency School of Performing Arts SoulKitchen Records and Open Space Hawaiʻi ndash A contemporary arts co-op facility in Kakaʻako As an educator artist and arts activist he is looking for ways to reincorporate the Arts as a core module of all areas of curriculum development and day-to-day life My value system for Arts-based Education is largely influenced by the hip-hop concept of staying ldquofreshrdquo or relevant in piquing the interest of my students As an educator I am aware that my success depends less on ldquoknowingrdquo what is current and trendy than it does actively investigating and discovering what resonates with my natural curiosity His current interests converge on bridging project-based and place-based learning in service to his community He defines hip-hop as the mixing and remixing of ideas into reality

PunaheleHailing from Makaha on Oahursquos West Side Punahele rose to prominence in the parking lot cyphers Hawaiʻirsquos battlefield for the hip-hop underground scene and in 2015 he became Bacardirsquos first IRON MC CHAMPION He is a tireless advocate for the community spending countless hours volunteering with a variety of organizations including the Kapolei Juvenile Detention Center where he often helps facilitate a writing class His authentic grass roots outlook on being a Native provides listeners with a uniquely energetic and diverse experience He has performed with and opened for international acts such as Rae Sremmurd Shing02 Dumbfounded Blackalicious Pigeon John Bambu Apathy and Celph Titled Hopie Spitsbaard Eli Mac Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera

ScholarFrom humble beginnings growing up on the island of Kauaʻi Scholar has grown into a respected and renown artist in Hawaiʻi He released his first full-length project ldquoThe Processrdquo LP in August 2015 and since then he has successfully organized and headlined shows on several islands Scholar released his second full-length project ldquoArt of Worthrdquo October 28 2016 which includes features from Japanese hip-hop icon Shing02 amongst others He has been featured in numerous interviews and segments including KITV4rsquos ldquoGood Morning Hawaiʻirdquo and ldquoOC16s AlohaHype TVrdquo Scholarrsquos third project which he will release in 2018 includes all new material music videos collaboration projects and live performances

Ruby IbarraBorn in the Phillippines Ruby spent the first 4 years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo California Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area Rubyrsquos adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures experiences and most importantly hip hop which resonated at every

corner of her neighborhood Ruby earned a degree in biological chemistry from UC Davis

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference

SCHOLARS

Dr Rod LabradorDr Rod Labrador is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaʻrsquoi at Mānoa He is the co-author of Filipinos in Hawaʻrsquoi (with Theodore Gonzalves) coeditor of Empire of Funk Hip Hop and Representation in Filipina0 America (with Mark Villegas and DJ Kuttinrsquo Kandi) coeditor of Asian American Hip-Hop Musical Autobiographies (with Brian Chung) and author of Building Filipino Hawaiʻi He is currently working on two book projects one on Filipino American hip-hop musical autobiographies and another on the rap scene in Seattle (with Prometheus Brown aka Geo of Blue Scholars and The Bar)

Dr Masahide KatoHailing from Hiroshima Japan Masahide Kato has been on a life long quest for a planetary paradigm of peace which intersected with Hawaiʻi first in his early teens and later in his mid-twenties both as an exchange student During his graduate studies his peace educationactivism background led him to immerse himself in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement where he gained insight into the revolution of consciousness He began his pedagogic work at Leeward Community College Waianae Moku in search for indigenous epistemology that is in harmony with all life forces (ie ldquoponordquo) With his background in literature anthropology and political science he has explored the intersection of culture and politics both in pedagogy and research Besides his academic work he volunteers for Na Kupuna a me Na Kakoʻo O Hālawa protecting sacred sites at Hālawa valley and for Divers Arts Center educating youngsters on the true meaning and function of hip-hop culture Masahide is the author of ldquoFrom Kung Fu to Hip-Hoprdquo

Dr Keith CrossKeith Cross is a veteran Hip-Hop artist singer-songwriter educator and scholar Keith has a PhD from Stanford University Graduate School of Education specializing in Race Inequality and Language in Education and he is currently Assistant professor of Multilingual and Multicultural Education at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa For several years Keith has taught hip-hop lyricism (ie rap) to youth and the elderly as a tool for enhancing mental and social well-being As a scholar he investigates cognition and learning in relation to rap expertise and its development

PRESENTERS amp TEACHING ARTISTS

Zen ChambersZen hails from Compton CA and has been a resident of Oahu for the last decade Zen an androgynous diplomat and Warrior of change and protection has played and performed into the closed and allowed them new vision

Cedric Clinton (GOAT)Born and raised in Honolulu Cedric first discovered hip-hop during the summer of 1999 when he heard ldquoForgot About Drerdquo on the radio This inspired him to enter his 5th grade talent show He did not make the final cut but nonetheless a spark had been lit and at 14 he began freestyling with his friends and crafting his own songs Some of his influences are Nas Bob Marley amp Michael Jackson He released his debut album ArtChiTexture on October 7 2017 Cedric holds Freestyle Friday a pod cast featuring local hip-hop artists and recently celebrated its two-year anniversary with about 20 local MCs and friends who showed up to support and to freestyle Freestyle Friday is held at his successful business Squeeze Play a custom screen-printing company

Sterling HigaSterling is often wrong but always seeks truth He is a debate coach and lecturer in the Department of Communication at Hawailsquoi Pacific University Sterling holds an EdM from the Arts in Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education He is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Hawailsquoi at Mānoa College of Education

Sam ldquoPakrdquo JohnSam is an American-Pakistani independent hip-hoprap artist entrepreneur and registered nurse Raised in Southern Californiarsquos Inland Empire he migrated to Honolulu in 2006 and received a Bachelor of Arts in CommunicationMultimedia from Hawaiʻi Pacific University in 2008 From there he build a following and a name for himself performing and touring the local music scenes of Oahu and the greater Los Angeles area He went on to obtain a Bachelorrsquos of Science in Nursing from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in 2018 A socially conscious rapper and lyricist with 16+ years experience his album releases include ldquoPeaceofmindrdquo(2008) ldquoQuesionrdquo (2009) ldquoStillWundardquo (2009) ldquoRhyme4Reasonrdquo (2011) and ldquoI Will Not Be Chain3drdquo (2018) He also fronts the band Samurai Funktion a unique collective of all freestyleimprovisation musicians which he founded in 2013 and is still active He is a firm advocate for health amp wellness and sustainable development and reform As a nurse his areas of focus are mental health preventative health communitypublic health and holistic and functional health

Sashily KlingSaacuteshily is a 4th generation Puertorican Poet Spoken Word Artist KTUH DJ (DJ Puertorican Princess) and Co-Editor of the Hawaiʻi Review Saacuteshily has been a featured poet in the MIA series and the Dragon Upstairs She was last published by Really System for History of the Hurricane and has more than 6 years of knowledge of radio and television production and has made KTUH her radio home for the past year

Jesus LimonJesus Limon is a Professor of English at Sacramento City College and an English Lecturer at Sacramento State University He holds a Bachelorrsquos of Arts in English Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in English Literature both from Sacramento State University Though he was born in Mexico he grew up in the diverse community of South Sacramento He proudly serves his community by organizing spaces where students can learn about higher education and personal empowerment through art culture and social justice Jesus is also the Director of Rock the School Bells Sacramento

Lynley Shimat LysLynleyShimat Lys is a multiracial poet playwright and activist They serve as Editor-in-Chief of Hawailsquoi Review arts journal and teach at UH Mānoa where they are working on a PhD in Creative Writing Lynley held a Louis Armstrong Residency at Queens College - CUNY and won the Emily Chamberlain Cook poetry prize at UC Berkeley They were featured on the ldquoItrsquos Lit with PhDJrdquo radio show and performed at Bowery Poetry MIA and Hawailsquoi Slam

Hanohano NaehuFor the last 18 years Hanohano Naehu has been a Kiarsquoi Loko a fishpond guardian at Keawanui an 800-year-old Hawaiian Fishpond on Molokai Hawaiʻi As the caretaker of this environment he restores an aspect of Hawaiian Aquaculture a traditional sustainable ocean fishpond that itself presents other opportunities for creativity through the healing Arts Sciences and feeling Spirituality Hano as he is referred to is also a community educator teaching ancient concepts in land stewardship and resource management As an avid activist and artist for Aloha Āina he translates his passions through hip-hop and lyrical messages under his MC name The Paniolo Prince He and his wife Maile coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society

Tanya Maile NaehuTanya Maile Naehu is a Kanaka Maoli Boricua educator performer artist and community organizer on the island of Molokai Hawaiʻi She is also the director of the Molokai Nui a Hina project a multi- generational community art project Maile is constantly researching and collaborating in order to design new approaches to teaching using traditional philosophies and practices such as oral tradition lsquoolelo Hawaiʻi hula and oli Through teaching storytelling via various art mediums she emphasizes great importance in building communication skills self-confidence and a new generation of storytellers Maile and her husband coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society They also share the hip-hop stage as The Paniolo Prince and his Queen Maile

Navid NajafiA founding member of local conscious rap collective the Super Groupers and a two-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner mdash he took home trophies for Hip-Hop Album of the Year in 2012 (for his solo album ldquoIllnomadicrdquo) and 2013 (for ldquoLive From Soul Soundrdquo as part of the band Evasive Species) He was born in Iran and raised in New York but found home when he moved to Hawaiʻi to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa He is a highly regarded and accomplished artist organizer activist and volunteer in the local community Along with serving as an administrator for The Honolulu Museum of Artrsquos Soundshop music education program he is also a poet facilitator and youth mentor for the non-profit poetry education organization Pacific Tongues

Johnny ldquoJuicerdquo RosadoIn 1987 Public Enemy released ldquoRebel Without a Pauserdquo and changed the direction of hip-hop beats forever A 17-year-old Puerto Rican DJ who went by the name of DJ Johnny Juice formed part of Public Enemyrsquos Bomb Squad production team DJ Johnny Juice along side Public Enemy pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers that would later come Johnny Juice was raised in los barrios of the Bronx in New York City and witnessed the birth of hop-hop A turntablist B-Boy and Graffiti writer who first displayed his break dancing skills at the age of 14 in the mid 80s classic hip hop film Beat Street and at 27 joined Public Enemy as the groups studio DJ Over the years he has also lent his production and scratching skills to projects for legendary artists such as Slick Rick Doug E Fresh The Beastie Boys DMX LL Cool J Leaders of the New School Ashanti Vanessa Williams C amp C Music Factory among others Johnny Juice was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008 with Public Enemy and was named to the LI Music Hall of Fame Education Advisory Board

Rukka the MagnificentBorn on the island of Oahu Rukka the Magnificent has always been influenced by the power of music An instrumentalist at heart he began teaching himself to play instruments and create music as a middle school student learning production techniques through multiple digital audio workstations in high school and today produces others in his own studio Whether in battles or live performances progression is his only goal He has a total of eight albums and two instrumental beat tapes He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation an International organization whose core values are peace love unity and having fun while spreading positivity through the five elements of hip-hop emcee DJ breaking aerosol art and knowledge of self He is involved in community outreach and conducts workshops at schools and with Soundshop Through community work he broadens his knowledge of culture his kuleana as a teacher and a student and himself as an artist

Jonathan Clarke SypertJonathan is the founder of Intrepid Productions Hawaiʻi the HIFrequency School of Performing Arts SoulKitchen Records and Open Space Hawaiʻi ndash A contemporary arts co-op facility in Kakaʻako As an educator artist and arts activist he is looking for ways to reincorporate the Arts as a core module of all areas of curriculum development and day-to-day life My value system for Arts-based Education is largely influenced by the hip-hop concept of staying ldquofreshrdquo or relevant in piquing the interest of my students As an educator I am aware that my success depends less on ldquoknowingrdquo what is current and trendy than it does actively investigating and discovering what resonates with my natural curiosity His current interests converge on bridging project-based and place-based learning in service to his community He defines hip-hop as the mixing and remixing of ideas into reality

PunaheleHailing from Makaha on Oahursquos West Side Punahele rose to prominence in the parking lot cyphers Hawaiʻirsquos battlefield for the hip-hop underground scene and in 2015 he became Bacardirsquos first IRON MC CHAMPION He is a tireless advocate for the community spending countless hours volunteering with a variety of organizations including the Kapolei Juvenile Detention Center where he often helps facilitate a writing class His authentic grass roots outlook on being a Native provides listeners with a uniquely energetic and diverse experience He has performed with and opened for international acts such as Rae Sremmurd Shing02 Dumbfounded Blackalicious Pigeon John Bambu Apathy and Celph Titled Hopie Spitsbaard Eli Mac Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera

ScholarFrom humble beginnings growing up on the island of Kauaʻi Scholar has grown into a respected and renown artist in Hawaiʻi He released his first full-length project ldquoThe Processrdquo LP in August 2015 and since then he has successfully organized and headlined shows on several islands Scholar released his second full-length project ldquoArt of Worthrdquo October 28 2016 which includes features from Japanese hip-hop icon Shing02 amongst others He has been featured in numerous interviews and segments including KITV4rsquos ldquoGood Morning Hawaiʻirdquo and ldquoOC16s AlohaHype TVrdquo Scholarrsquos third project which he will release in 2018 includes all new material music videos collaboration projects and live performances

Ruby IbarraBorn in the Phillippines Ruby spent the first 4 years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo California Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area Rubyrsquos adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures experiences and most importantly hip hop which resonated at every

corner of her neighborhood Ruby earned a degree in biological chemistry from UC Davis

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference

Sam ldquoPakrdquo JohnSam is an American-Pakistani independent hip-hoprap artist entrepreneur and registered nurse Raised in Southern Californiarsquos Inland Empire he migrated to Honolulu in 2006 and received a Bachelor of Arts in CommunicationMultimedia from Hawaiʻi Pacific University in 2008 From there he build a following and a name for himself performing and touring the local music scenes of Oahu and the greater Los Angeles area He went on to obtain a Bachelorrsquos of Science in Nursing from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in 2018 A socially conscious rapper and lyricist with 16+ years experience his album releases include ldquoPeaceofmindrdquo(2008) ldquoQuesionrdquo (2009) ldquoStillWundardquo (2009) ldquoRhyme4Reasonrdquo (2011) and ldquoI Will Not Be Chain3drdquo (2018) He also fronts the band Samurai Funktion a unique collective of all freestyleimprovisation musicians which he founded in 2013 and is still active He is a firm advocate for health amp wellness and sustainable development and reform As a nurse his areas of focus are mental health preventative health communitypublic health and holistic and functional health

Sashily KlingSaacuteshily is a 4th generation Puertorican Poet Spoken Word Artist KTUH DJ (DJ Puertorican Princess) and Co-Editor of the Hawaiʻi Review Saacuteshily has been a featured poet in the MIA series and the Dragon Upstairs She was last published by Really System for History of the Hurricane and has more than 6 years of knowledge of radio and television production and has made KTUH her radio home for the past year

Jesus LimonJesus Limon is a Professor of English at Sacramento City College and an English Lecturer at Sacramento State University He holds a Bachelorrsquos of Arts in English Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in English Literature both from Sacramento State University Though he was born in Mexico he grew up in the diverse community of South Sacramento He proudly serves his community by organizing spaces where students can learn about higher education and personal empowerment through art culture and social justice Jesus is also the Director of Rock the School Bells Sacramento

Lynley Shimat LysLynleyShimat Lys is a multiracial poet playwright and activist They serve as Editor-in-Chief of Hawailsquoi Review arts journal and teach at UH Mānoa where they are working on a PhD in Creative Writing Lynley held a Louis Armstrong Residency at Queens College - CUNY and won the Emily Chamberlain Cook poetry prize at UC Berkeley They were featured on the ldquoItrsquos Lit with PhDJrdquo radio show and performed at Bowery Poetry MIA and Hawailsquoi Slam

Hanohano NaehuFor the last 18 years Hanohano Naehu has been a Kiarsquoi Loko a fishpond guardian at Keawanui an 800-year-old Hawaiian Fishpond on Molokai Hawaiʻi As the caretaker of this environment he restores an aspect of Hawaiian Aquaculture a traditional sustainable ocean fishpond that itself presents other opportunities for creativity through the healing Arts Sciences and feeling Spirituality Hano as he is referred to is also a community educator teaching ancient concepts in land stewardship and resource management As an avid activist and artist for Aloha Āina he translates his passions through hip-hop and lyrical messages under his MC name The Paniolo Prince He and his wife Maile coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society

Tanya Maile NaehuTanya Maile Naehu is a Kanaka Maoli Boricua educator performer artist and community organizer on the island of Molokai Hawaiʻi She is also the director of the Molokai Nui a Hina project a multi- generational community art project Maile is constantly researching and collaborating in order to design new approaches to teaching using traditional philosophies and practices such as oral tradition lsquoolelo Hawaiʻi hula and oli Through teaching storytelling via various art mediums she emphasizes great importance in building communication skills self-confidence and a new generation of storytellers Maile and her husband coach the Molokai Youth Slam Poets Society They also share the hip-hop stage as The Paniolo Prince and his Queen Maile

Navid NajafiA founding member of local conscious rap collective the Super Groupers and a two-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner mdash he took home trophies for Hip-Hop Album of the Year in 2012 (for his solo album ldquoIllnomadicrdquo) and 2013 (for ldquoLive From Soul Soundrdquo as part of the band Evasive Species) He was born in Iran and raised in New York but found home when he moved to Hawaiʻi to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa He is a highly regarded and accomplished artist organizer activist and volunteer in the local community Along with serving as an administrator for The Honolulu Museum of Artrsquos Soundshop music education program he is also a poet facilitator and youth mentor for the non-profit poetry education organization Pacific Tongues

Johnny ldquoJuicerdquo RosadoIn 1987 Public Enemy released ldquoRebel Without a Pauserdquo and changed the direction of hip-hop beats forever A 17-year-old Puerto Rican DJ who went by the name of DJ Johnny Juice formed part of Public Enemyrsquos Bomb Squad production team DJ Johnny Juice along side Public Enemy pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers that would later come Johnny Juice was raised in los barrios of the Bronx in New York City and witnessed the birth of hop-hop A turntablist B-Boy and Graffiti writer who first displayed his break dancing skills at the age of 14 in the mid 80s classic hip hop film Beat Street and at 27 joined Public Enemy as the groups studio DJ Over the years he has also lent his production and scratching skills to projects for legendary artists such as Slick Rick Doug E Fresh The Beastie Boys DMX LL Cool J Leaders of the New School Ashanti Vanessa Williams C amp C Music Factory among others Johnny Juice was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008 with Public Enemy and was named to the LI Music Hall of Fame Education Advisory Board

Rukka the MagnificentBorn on the island of Oahu Rukka the Magnificent has always been influenced by the power of music An instrumentalist at heart he began teaching himself to play instruments and create music as a middle school student learning production techniques through multiple digital audio workstations in high school and today produces others in his own studio Whether in battles or live performances progression is his only goal He has a total of eight albums and two instrumental beat tapes He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation an International organization whose core values are peace love unity and having fun while spreading positivity through the five elements of hip-hop emcee DJ breaking aerosol art and knowledge of self He is involved in community outreach and conducts workshops at schools and with Soundshop Through community work he broadens his knowledge of culture his kuleana as a teacher and a student and himself as an artist

Jonathan Clarke SypertJonathan is the founder of Intrepid Productions Hawaiʻi the HIFrequency School of Performing Arts SoulKitchen Records and Open Space Hawaiʻi ndash A contemporary arts co-op facility in Kakaʻako As an educator artist and arts activist he is looking for ways to reincorporate the Arts as a core module of all areas of curriculum development and day-to-day life My value system for Arts-based Education is largely influenced by the hip-hop concept of staying ldquofreshrdquo or relevant in piquing the interest of my students As an educator I am aware that my success depends less on ldquoknowingrdquo what is current and trendy than it does actively investigating and discovering what resonates with my natural curiosity His current interests converge on bridging project-based and place-based learning in service to his community He defines hip-hop as the mixing and remixing of ideas into reality

PunaheleHailing from Makaha on Oahursquos West Side Punahele rose to prominence in the parking lot cyphers Hawaiʻirsquos battlefield for the hip-hop underground scene and in 2015 he became Bacardirsquos first IRON MC CHAMPION He is a tireless advocate for the community spending countless hours volunteering with a variety of organizations including the Kapolei Juvenile Detention Center where he often helps facilitate a writing class His authentic grass roots outlook on being a Native provides listeners with a uniquely energetic and diverse experience He has performed with and opened for international acts such as Rae Sremmurd Shing02 Dumbfounded Blackalicious Pigeon John Bambu Apathy and Celph Titled Hopie Spitsbaard Eli Mac Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera

ScholarFrom humble beginnings growing up on the island of Kauaʻi Scholar has grown into a respected and renown artist in Hawaiʻi He released his first full-length project ldquoThe Processrdquo LP in August 2015 and since then he has successfully organized and headlined shows on several islands Scholar released his second full-length project ldquoArt of Worthrdquo October 28 2016 which includes features from Japanese hip-hop icon Shing02 amongst others He has been featured in numerous interviews and segments including KITV4rsquos ldquoGood Morning Hawaiʻirdquo and ldquoOC16s AlohaHype TVrdquo Scholarrsquos third project which he will release in 2018 includes all new material music videos collaboration projects and live performances

Ruby IbarraBorn in the Phillippines Ruby spent the first 4 years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo California Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area Rubyrsquos adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures experiences and most importantly hip hop which resonated at every

corner of her neighborhood Ruby earned a degree in biological chemistry from UC Davis

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference

Navid NajafiA founding member of local conscious rap collective the Super Groupers and a two-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner mdash he took home trophies for Hip-Hop Album of the Year in 2012 (for his solo album ldquoIllnomadicrdquo) and 2013 (for ldquoLive From Soul Soundrdquo as part of the band Evasive Species) He was born in Iran and raised in New York but found home when he moved to Hawaiʻi to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa He is a highly regarded and accomplished artist organizer activist and volunteer in the local community Along with serving as an administrator for The Honolulu Museum of Artrsquos Soundshop music education program he is also a poet facilitator and youth mentor for the non-profit poetry education organization Pacific Tongues

Johnny ldquoJuicerdquo RosadoIn 1987 Public Enemy released ldquoRebel Without a Pauserdquo and changed the direction of hip-hop beats forever A 17-year-old Puerto Rican DJ who went by the name of DJ Johnny Juice formed part of Public Enemyrsquos Bomb Squad production team DJ Johnny Juice along side Public Enemy pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers that would later come Johnny Juice was raised in los barrios of the Bronx in New York City and witnessed the birth of hop-hop A turntablist B-Boy and Graffiti writer who first displayed his break dancing skills at the age of 14 in the mid 80s classic hip hop film Beat Street and at 27 joined Public Enemy as the groups studio DJ Over the years he has also lent his production and scratching skills to projects for legendary artists such as Slick Rick Doug E Fresh The Beastie Boys DMX LL Cool J Leaders of the New School Ashanti Vanessa Williams C amp C Music Factory among others Johnny Juice was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008 with Public Enemy and was named to the LI Music Hall of Fame Education Advisory Board

Rukka the MagnificentBorn on the island of Oahu Rukka the Magnificent has always been influenced by the power of music An instrumentalist at heart he began teaching himself to play instruments and create music as a middle school student learning production techniques through multiple digital audio workstations in high school and today produces others in his own studio Whether in battles or live performances progression is his only goal He has a total of eight albums and two instrumental beat tapes He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation an International organization whose core values are peace love unity and having fun while spreading positivity through the five elements of hip-hop emcee DJ breaking aerosol art and knowledge of self He is involved in community outreach and conducts workshops at schools and with Soundshop Through community work he broadens his knowledge of culture his kuleana as a teacher and a student and himself as an artist

Jonathan Clarke SypertJonathan is the founder of Intrepid Productions Hawaiʻi the HIFrequency School of Performing Arts SoulKitchen Records and Open Space Hawaiʻi ndash A contemporary arts co-op facility in Kakaʻako As an educator artist and arts activist he is looking for ways to reincorporate the Arts as a core module of all areas of curriculum development and day-to-day life My value system for Arts-based Education is largely influenced by the hip-hop concept of staying ldquofreshrdquo or relevant in piquing the interest of my students As an educator I am aware that my success depends less on ldquoknowingrdquo what is current and trendy than it does actively investigating and discovering what resonates with my natural curiosity His current interests converge on bridging project-based and place-based learning in service to his community He defines hip-hop as the mixing and remixing of ideas into reality

PunaheleHailing from Makaha on Oahursquos West Side Punahele rose to prominence in the parking lot cyphers Hawaiʻirsquos battlefield for the hip-hop underground scene and in 2015 he became Bacardirsquos first IRON MC CHAMPION He is a tireless advocate for the community spending countless hours volunteering with a variety of organizations including the Kapolei Juvenile Detention Center where he often helps facilitate a writing class His authentic grass roots outlook on being a Native provides listeners with a uniquely energetic and diverse experience He has performed with and opened for international acts such as Rae Sremmurd Shing02 Dumbfounded Blackalicious Pigeon John Bambu Apathy and Celph Titled Hopie Spitsbaard Eli Mac Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera

ScholarFrom humble beginnings growing up on the island of Kauaʻi Scholar has grown into a respected and renown artist in Hawaiʻi He released his first full-length project ldquoThe Processrdquo LP in August 2015 and since then he has successfully organized and headlined shows on several islands Scholar released his second full-length project ldquoArt of Worthrdquo October 28 2016 which includes features from Japanese hip-hop icon Shing02 amongst others He has been featured in numerous interviews and segments including KITV4rsquos ldquoGood Morning Hawaiʻirdquo and ldquoOC16s AlohaHype TVrdquo Scholarrsquos third project which he will release in 2018 includes all new material music videos collaboration projects and live performances

Ruby IbarraBorn in the Phillippines Ruby spent the first 4 years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo California Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area Rubyrsquos adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures experiences and most importantly hip hop which resonated at every

corner of her neighborhood Ruby earned a degree in biological chemistry from UC Davis

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference

PunaheleHailing from Makaha on Oahursquos West Side Punahele rose to prominence in the parking lot cyphers Hawaiʻirsquos battlefield for the hip-hop underground scene and in 2015 he became Bacardirsquos first IRON MC CHAMPION He is a tireless advocate for the community spending countless hours volunteering with a variety of organizations including the Kapolei Juvenile Detention Center where he often helps facilitate a writing class His authentic grass roots outlook on being a Native provides listeners with a uniquely energetic and diverse experience He has performed with and opened for international acts such as Rae Sremmurd Shing02 Dumbfounded Blackalicious Pigeon John Bambu Apathy and Celph Titled Hopie Spitsbaard Eli Mac Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera

ScholarFrom humble beginnings growing up on the island of Kauaʻi Scholar has grown into a respected and renown artist in Hawaiʻi He released his first full-length project ldquoThe Processrdquo LP in August 2015 and since then he has successfully organized and headlined shows on several islands Scholar released his second full-length project ldquoArt of Worthrdquo October 28 2016 which includes features from Japanese hip-hop icon Shing02 amongst others He has been featured in numerous interviews and segments including KITV4rsquos ldquoGood Morning Hawaiʻirdquo and ldquoOC16s AlohaHype TVrdquo Scholarrsquos third project which he will release in 2018 includes all new material music videos collaboration projects and live performances

Ruby IbarraBorn in the Phillippines Ruby spent the first 4 years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo California Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area Rubyrsquos adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures experiences and most importantly hip hop which resonated at every

corner of her neighborhood Ruby earned a degree in biological chemistry from UC Davis

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference

Oct 6Concert at 600 PM at UH Manoa Ballroom at Campus Center$10 Free to those who attended the conference