Despite the violence, there is also positive news coming out of The Chi. This week, a coalition of Chicago’s top rappers are heeding the call that hip-hop artists take on more social responsibility — and they said a new music festival and the creation of a youth-oriented job collaborative were just the start.
Hip-hop heavyweights and Chicago natives Common and Che “Rhymefest” Smith announced the South Side festival and the jobs initiative Wednesday afternoon at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The music lineup, dubbed “AAHH! Fest” is planned for Sept. 20-21 at Jackson Park, and is still being organized, according to Tamara Brown, executive director at the Common Ground Foundation, but the job collaborative has already kicked into high gear.