Since its lean beginning in the concrete jungles, Hip Hop has grown into a national and international movement that stretches far beyond the streets of its urban environment(s). While the 1970s Hip Hop exposed the complexity and angst of urban youth culture, the rise of rap music in the 1980s began to create new stories about the state of affairs in black and urban spaces throughout the U.S. With such rise and popularity, Hip Hop has become a mainstream phenomenon with commercial appeal that often deviates from its core principle elements. This year's conference begs to ask what is the current state of Hip Hop and Rap today? How and where are the elements being used?

This conference seeks essays/papers that relate to any aspect of the State of Hip-Hop or any States of Hip Hop both philosophically and/or regionally. Subjects may include, but are not limited to :hip hop Studies and pedagogy, literature, demographics, history, politics, economics, education, health care, fine arts, religion, social sciences, and business. Each presenter will have 15-20 minutes for paper presentations or 45-minutes for round-table discussion on targeted issues or topics. Other formats (i.e., ethnodrama, performance, poetry, autoethnography, and fiction) are welcome as well. We are also seeking regional and local talent to perform on the final night of the conference. Please include your name, and your institutional-affiliated contact information, including email address and phone number. Please view our website for other conference information: http://circlingtheelements.wix.com/hip-hop-conference . Send 200-300 word abstract for papers, round tables, and other formats to cowc@asurams.edu by January 20, 2016.