PAAFF Explores Asia's Influence On Hip-Hop w/ Jeff Chang, DJ Rekha & More In Philly, 11/18 + 'The Jump Off', 11/19

With less than a week to go, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival preps to celebrate Asian-American cinema and filmmakers from November 12th to the 24th with a host of massive events, including 65 films and the PAAFF Presents: Reflections on the Evolution of Asian Cultural Influences in the Hip Hop Community panel discussion on Tuesday, November 18th featuring Jeff Chang, DJ Rekha, Skeme Richards and Chops (of the Mountain Brothers). The discussion will be held in the Montgomery Auditorium at 1:30 PM at the main branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia and touches on a number of issues related to the influence of Asian cultures on film, hip-hop and more:

The discussion will cover the influence of Asian cinema, culture and ethos on hip hop, the roots of hip hop from Black culture, it's cross over to other groups of color and it's existing racial divide between those communities, the exoticization of (Asian) women, and transcending the notions of a 'model minority'. The individuals brought together will illuminate that hip hop is a culture that continues to articulate the joy in existence but also a desire for a different world.

The panel discussion will be streamed LIVE through PhillyCAM and dedicated to the memory of avant-garde composer and musician, Fred Ho:

“Hip-hop, like any black American form as long as it stays true to “assassin’s heart making for the killer’s art,” will be innovative and profound but hip-hop like “jazz” has become very assimilated. Its expressions, visual, cultural style, musical have been appropriated. They are used to see McDonalds hamburgers, Coca Cola and Pepsi. So that has deradicalized, denatured, deracinated, depoliticized what had the potential to be a revolutionary expression. It had the potential.” - Fred Ho in an interview with Nora Ritchie

The discussion will be followed by The Jump Off party on November 19th at Silk City featuring sets from DJ Rekha, Skeme Richards and Lushlife. Check out the flyer above to learn more about The Jump Off. Get more details on the PAAFF Presents panel discussion via Facebook. Purchase tickets and festival passes via brownpapertickets.com. Get more on the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival via phillyasianfilmfest.org.