Milwaukee Launches First Ever Week-Long Celebration Of Hip-Hop

Milwaukee is launching its first, week-long celebration of hip-hop with Hip-Hop Week MKE.

Sprinkled between concerts and appearances by hip-hop legends like DJ Kool Herc, the week will include talks, a job fair, a health fair and a networking event.

Milwaukee Alderman Khalif Rainey said Hip-Hop Week MKE will serve as a celebration of the rich history of hip-hop elements like DJing, emceeing and break dancing. But it will also address health, financial literacy and civic engagement in the community.

There’s no shortage of entertainment, Rainey said, “But more importantly it’s about taking a platform where people feel comfortable, put these conversations in a voice that they’re familiar with and hope that these messages resonate.”

Terrell Morgan, creative director of the events, said it’s important to deliver these messages where people are.

“In order to have a healthy Milwaukee we must all understand from all walks of life, all cultures that these things are very, very important to the strength of the community as a whole,” Morgan said.

Hip-Hop Week MKE runs through Sunday and several events are free to the public.

Rainey said he hopes the genre’s increasing popularity and Milwaukee’s week-long celebration will inspire similar events across the country.

For the first time in history, hip-hop was the most popular music genre last year, beating rock, according to Nielsen’s 2017 year-end report.