This newsletter drop is brought to you by the 2026 #HipHopEd conference, happening June 5-6 in NYC. This is the premier event in the field of Hip Hop and education, and it is dedicated to advancing innovation, scholarship, and practice. This year’s theme is “Legacy Work: Hip-Hop Education in Response to a Nation in Crisis”
Peace and love to friends, neighbors, supporters, and haters! A quick email to share my latest conversation from the podcast, and to pass along several upcoming conference dates of interest.
In this video (and audio pod version) I spoke with several of the organizers behind the Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival, now entering its 20th iteration. This long running, multi-day festival is presented by Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and the local chapter of the Temple of Hip Hop.
Here are 3 key takeaways for anyone interested in the intersection of music, culture, and impact:
Intergenerational and International Collaboration: The festival bridges generational gaps and brings diverse voices together — from students and alumni to international artists and local legends. This cross-generational dialogue keeps the culture evolving and full of new energy.
More Than Music — A Community Asset: After years of advocacy, the festival is now recognized as a vital part of campus and city life, holding space for free academic panels, battles, and showcases that are open to all. It’s a model of how the arts can drive change and foster belonging.
Hip Hop as Social Justice and Common Good: The organizing team stresses that Hip Hop isn’t just entertainment, it’s a living, breathing movement for justice, empowerment, and the “common good.” The festival serves as an important “third space,” bringing people together to learn, resist, and grow.
The theme of this year’s conference — VOICES OF FREEDOM: RESISTANCE, JUSTICE & REVOLUTION — aligns with all of these ideals, and much of the work I do within the HHCSA ecosystem, so it’s definitely right up our alley.
🎤 I’ll be at Trinity myself! First, I’m conducting the opening keynote interview with famed photographer Ricky Flores on Thursday, April 9 and then dropping a full lecture/presentation on Hip Hop’s evolving role in the fight for social justice on Friday, April 10. See you there!
Even if you’re not going to make the festival this year, it’s really a great conversation about just how important these events are for our genre, our culture, and our communities.
Check out my interview with Professor Seth Markle, Andreia Soares, and BBoy Poptart, and I’ll see you in CT starting tomorrow!
-Manny
🗽 NYC, come see me TONIGHT, April 8th, 8p-11p at Young Ethel’s in Brooklyn. I’ll be on the ones and twos spinning classics for the Son of the Line Up artist showcase! No cover! Tell your friends and come through!
20th Trinity International Hip Hop Festival
Women in Hip-Hop: The Un-Conference 2026 featuring Joan Morgan
Hip Hop Youth Research and Activism Conference
We Just Still x Hip Hop Literacies Fest 2026
(Call for submissions open - .pdf file)
4th Annual Hip Hop Studies Conference (Recap of 2025 conference)
Call for submissions through May 1. Early registration is open.
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