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TOP PROHIPHOP POSTS

Step Up 2 The Streets Soundtrack

Boost Mobile Anthem 2.0 Commercial

We Made It: Busta Rhymes & Linkin Park

Fergie to Star in Candie's Only at Kohl's Campaign

The Game Plays Playboy Photographer

Flavor Flav in New Dr. Pepper Commercial

Atmosphere's When Life Gives You Lemons

Smirnoff Sponsors 80s Launch For Parish Clothing

Plies: Definition of Real = Certified Goon?

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III Cover Art

No Matter What: T.I. Releases Single


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October 29, 2008

Chuck D PSA for Strong American Schools

Chuck D for Strong American Schools

Like he says, "at strongamericanschools.org."

August 25, 2008

Winnipeg's Fresh I.E. Raps in Crystal Meth PSA

Winnipeg is launching a drug prevention program featuring an anti-meth PSA with rapper Fresh I.E. and some graphic imagery:

"A 12-year-old boy strapped to a chair chokes as battery acid is forced down his throat, winces in pain as his teeth are drilled until they pour blood and worms are dumped all over him."

No, that's not what happens to street salesmen when captured by their rivals.  It's a dramatic illustration of the negative effects of crystal meth on users created by Original Pictures Inc.

The video is part of the Adapt Campaign by In Fuse Group Inc.

Official Site:
Original Pictures Inc

August 19, 2008

Swizz Beatz & Yung Berg in Street Science School PSA's

               

Life's Real Get Smart PSA f/Swizz Beats

Here are two Stay In School Campaign PSA's featuring Swizz Beats and Yung Berg that WoooHa.com tells us are from Street Science, a "school supply maker with an urban focus".

               

Street Science PSA f/Yung Berg

Street Science doesn't seem to have a website, which couldn't be true, right?

Here's an example of their school supplies which appear to focus on colorful skins for notebooks such as "Beat Street", a skin that "pays tribute to hip hop's influence on pop culture and today's trends."

Snoop Dogg's Catholic World Youth Day Ad

Saint Snoop Dogg is featured in an ad commissioned by Marie Claire for the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day.

So is this intended to help the Catholic power structure turn around its image problem based on their well documented history of facilitating child abuse?

It's not working and I doubt that power structure will appreciate the effort but I think the youth of the world should take the whole thing as a slap in the face.

On a Related Note from El-P:
no problem, big guy!

July 15, 2008

PSA: Hip Hop Death Dance of the Honey Bees

"Bee-Boy dance crew drops dead"

Playing off the fact that honey bees do a little nectar dance to tell their comrades where the goods are stashed, the above hip hop honey bee dance psa is Haagen-Dazs' way of encouraging you to "Help the Honey Bees".

July 10, 2008

Diddy's Drive Safe Commercial OK, Better Than BK

Diddy in Drive Safe Commercial

E! and Ciroc are the sponsors of this Drive Safe commercial featuring Diddy with a bit of a fantasy theme as some random white guy's designated driver.

Not a bad commercial and a bit more fitting than the Burger King commercial I saw recently with Diddy saying, "tell them Diddy says BK is open late".  It's one of those "slap Diddy on it and it well sell" commercials that goes somewhat meta to remind us that Diddy and Burger King have absolutely no organic connection.

MediaWeek has more:

As part of the Comcast network's Drive Safe initiative, a roster of celebrities like Sean "Diddy" Combs, Eva Longoria, Gabrielle Union and the stars of E!'s The Girls Next Door will appear in 30-second PSAs urging viewers to stay off the road if they've been drinking.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Diddy's First Ciroc Vodka Commercial
Diddy In Portrait Of Sean Combs, The New Burger King, Press Play

July 04, 2008

Vote For It! '08 PSA From HSAN & CPX Interactive

Vote For It! '08 PSA

Though Vote For It! '08's website has yet to launch, they already have a PSA available including an appearance by George Lucas, though I have to say I find the video a bit grating.

Vote For It! '08 is a  joint initiative between the Hip Hop Summit Action Network and CPX Interactive, an online ad network and marketing company.

May 05, 2008

Access to Care PSA Featuring MIKE-E

 

Access to Care PSA Featuring MIKE-E

Press Release:
American Cancer Society Launches Access to Care PSA With International Recording Sensation MIKE-E

April 13, 2008

Rabbi/Imam PSA Inspired by Jay-Z/Russell Simmons PSA

An anti-Semitism PSA starring Jay-Z and Russell Simmons, a Russell Simmons concept shot in 2006, has led to a related effort concerning Jewish/Muslim relations starring six rabbis and six imams.

December 14, 2007

Beanie Sigel Promotes Solution w/Anti-Violence PSA

Beanie Sigel gets great coverage on a FOX affiliate for his anti-violence PSA and his new album, The Solution.  He could not have gotten that positive coverage without the PSA.

On the one hand, artists that make art glorifying violence saying that you shouldn't do violence just in time for a relatively violent album release is pretty f*cking ridiculous.

On the other, Beanie's come a long way from the dumb-seeming thug with serious flow on Backstage.

So it's good he's speaking out about violence no matter how bizarre it might seem.  And it's nice to see Sigel turn out to be something other than an idiot savant which was my initial assumption.  Seriously.

Idiot savant isn't quite right.  A generally belligerent, potentially dangerous, mentally/emotionally disturbed street poet would be more accurate regarding my first impressions of Beanie Sigel.

Update:
On a related note, Tupac's Thug outsells Life and Rizoh is right on all counts, they should have released it as a double cd and thug love has led to a "proliferation of pseudo gangstas in the game".

November 28, 2007

Russell Simmons Anti-Dogfighting PSA

Via Notes From a Different Kitchen.

November 26, 2007

A Message in Rap: Singapore Media Development Authority

MDA Senior Management Rap

From the Singapore Media Development Authority via TechCrunch.

I'm not sure what to think.

November 11, 2007

Rick Ross PSA: Keep Miami Gardens Beautiful

Keep Miami Gardens Beautiful

This is a fun little PSA and the storyline actually turned out like I was hoping while I was watching the first part.

September 04, 2007

Kanye West PSA & Partnership With ED in '08

PSA for ED in '08 featuring Kanye West

Early last week Kanye West and ED in '08 announced a partnership with a number of elements including Kanye West PSA's:
In addition to the PSA campaign, both West and his mother, Dr. Donda West, have committed to a joint upcoming appearance with ED in '08. West's latest CD, "Graduation," will also be given away at http://www.edin08.com/ through online activities.

The Kanye West Foundation (KWF) was established in 2003 to motivate youth to stay in school and graduate. Its signature initiative, Loop Dreams, uses music production to motivate youth to remain encouraged and excited about learning.

ED in '08 is an unprecedented up to $60 million nonpartisan movement, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which calls on all presidential candidates to improve America's public schools and make education reform a top priority on the campaign trail.

There have actually been a number of programs using hip hop to reach youth at risk in local settings for many years with more on the way.  Another example that I've only recently heard about is the Global Awareness Through Hip Hop course.

It would be great if someone created a central clearinghouse for information on such programs.  That would provide an extremely useful tool for legitimizing and expanding this work.

Video via Nah Right.

Official Sites:
Ed In '08
Kanye West Foundation

July 29, 2007

Last Chance for Animals Releases Anti-Dogfighting PSA

Dog Fighting PSA from Last Chance for Animals

Glad to see this PSA released as an embeddable YouTube video at the same time that it's being offered in traditional formats to media outlets.  It's obviously intended to reach an audience that's already mostly against dogfighting and could be mobilized for antidogfighting campaigns that target elected officials and other relevant groups as well as for Last Chance for Animals fundraising.

That's valid but it would be nice to see some PSAs featuring folks with street cred and strong antidogfighting positions, like Just Blaze, rather than the Russell Simmons/Al Sharpton crowd whose target audience and agenda are a bit more complicated.

There are some pretty nasty videos against dogfighting posted at YouTube that are also not relevant to changing the behavior of participants.

On the other hand, my history of opposition to groups like the KKK never involved rational discussion or psa propaganda.  I was always with the crowd trying to shut them down by direct action at public appearances.  I don't think that's really a good idea with hardcore dogfighters so I think they will have to be shut down by combined attacks on entertainers who use dogfighting imagery to enhance their street cred, pressure on any advertiser involved with such entertainers, harsher targeted legislation and beefed up enforcement of current and future laws.

While that will drive the hardcore further underground, and will not work for less polarizing issues, it will start to remove public space and support for dogfighting.  Such tactics can create a public atmosphere that will shift consciousness in a more positive direction especially among children.

Another approach might interest folks who really do want to hack consciousness more directly.  Undermining the false assumption that dogfighting is natural for dogs like pit bulls will help to undermine support among those who don't fight dogs but are easily swayed by such arguments that, if unexamined beyond their own immediate experiences, just "makes sense" or is "simply logical" or that inspires a "positive gut reaction".

It's tough but it's a worthy task.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Message to the Hip Hop Nation Regarding Dogfighting

July 22, 2007

Message to the Hip Hop Nation Regarding Dogfighting

pit bull & chicks

ProHipHop wants to encourage the Hip Hop Nation to continue to make strong stands against dogfighting, just as both Russell Simmons and Just Blaze have done.  A love of hypermasculinity does not justify the brutalization of animals who serve their masters wholeheartedly.

Don't let this be spun as another example of the evils of hip hop culture and don't let it be spun as inherent to the consciousness of dogs including pit bulls.

Stop the lies.  Start the healing.

A public service message brought to you by ProHipHop and The Postmodern Anarchist.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Last Chance for Animals Releases Anti-Dogfighting PSA

April 26, 2007

Ghetto Metal PSA's: M-1, NYOIL, Mr. Man, Bazaar Royale

M-1 Ghetto Metal PSA

I don't know much of anything about the Ghetto Metal scene but I dig these PSA's.

NYOIL Ghetto Metal PSA

Mr. Man Ghetto Metal PSA

Bazaar Royale Ghetto Metal PSA

November 13, 2006

Jay-Z & Russell Simmons To Appear In International PSAs Counteracting Anti-Semitism

Jay-Z & Russell Simmons' Anti-Semitism PSA

[I found the above PSA via Nah Right after posting the rest of this post.  Looks like Jay-Z needs some more practice with prompters but I'm still glad to see this effort.]

Both Jay-Z and Russell Simmons will appear in an upcoming PSA or series of PSAs to reduce anti-Semitism in which:

They will ask viewers, "What's hot? Respect for people. What's not hot? Hating people for their color or religion." And they will explain that "anti-Semitism is a long word for racism."

The spots will appear in the States, Europe and South American and will utilize "the new Voxonic techonology" to translate their speech into French, German, Russian and Spanish.

Hey, it wouldn't be hip hop without a product placement!

This is a good look for both men with Russell Simmons building on long term activities with which he's been involved to ease Black and Jewish relations in the U.S. while bringing Jay-Z further into the responsible public figure game.

ProHipHop Conjecture:
Could Russell Simmons be acting as an informal advisor to Jay-Z on how to find his way in such settings?  Seems fairly likely but I'd love to know how those things work.

November 07, 2006

Rock the Vote 2006 PSAs: Lordy Lordy, Diddy

Rock the Vote: Lordy Lordy

Rock the Vote: Diddy

For more: Rock The Vote 2006 at YouTube

July 11, 2006

Beatbox Family Ad Promotes Communication

Via AdRants




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