“Kill the ego. Make it about the art." - Nas

The 5th Annual Hip Hop Studies Summit celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop by honoring its 5th pillar.

50 years of creativity, collaboration, culture, consciousness, community. 50 years of defining and building all five pillars of hip hop—MCing, DJing, Graffiti, Breakdancing, all culminating in the fifth and most important element: Knowledge of Self. Knowledge of Self requires us to look inward and recognize our own gifts, and then respect and honor those gifts by sharing them with others. Knowledge of Self also celebrates the collective self, as wisdom is shared and received as part of the collective intelligence of the community. Knowledge is the glue that holds the culture of hip hop together.

To survive, Hip Hop focused less on its ego and more on creating. To thrive, Hip Hop had to be willing to adapt and be flexible, to innovate and evolve. With Knowledge, Hip Hop was unafraid to express its authentic self, regardless of what others said it should be. With Knowledge, we can be unafraid to express our own authentic self.

“5:55” celebrates the creative process. We invite you to look inward and create something that reflects your authentic self, fully and fearlessly. In the spirit of Knowledge of Self, we encourage you to share your unique gifts in order to uplift the collective intelligence of the culture.

Kill the ego. Make the art.

Submission deadline: Sunday, November 12, 2023