The Temple of Hip hop is proud to announce the 2008 Hip Hop Appreciation Week (HHAW) will be celebrated May 18-25, the theme for this year is EMPOWERMENT! Hip hop’pas around the world are encouraged to use this week to empower yourself, your community and increase the work to de-criminalize the images of Hip Hop that are constantly being shown through the mainstream media.

Use HHAW to teach people, especially the youth, about Hip Hop culture and the many ways we have contributed to positive social change in our communities. This will empower Hip hop’pas to rise above the negative stereotypes that some people continue to attempt to place on our people, our ways of express and our culture.

As the citizens of the USA are preparing for the election season, let us be empowered to know that it is us, the Hip Hop community that is leading the way for new leadership by voting in record numbers! According to some political experts, the Hip Hop community who will determine who will win elections all across the country from local Councilmen to Congress to Commander-in- Chief!

This is also an exciting time in the international Hip Hop community, all over the world more and more people are being empowered through the phenomenon that is Hip Hop culture! This is especially true of Hip Hop beyond the entertainment aspects, such as Education, Politics and Spirituality. According to the United Nations, "Hip Hop is the fastest growing culture in the world"! From New to New Zealand, from California to Cairo, people are looking to Hip Hop culture to empower them to transcend the barriers of the past and transform their communities into what they desire them to be!

Hip hop’pas, this is what we’ve been preparing for, we must realize that we have a great opportunity to actually change the course of world history simply through the Empowerment of Hip Hop culture! Let''s not front; let us use the 2008 HHAW as the inspiration to step up and finally recognizing who we are and what we are here to do, "Now Is The Time and We Are The People"! Have a great, safe, productive and empowered HHAW, Word!

Forever Hiphop,

Minister Server - The Hiphop Life Coach

Temple Of Hiphop,

HIPHOP Ministries, Inc.

www.hiphopministries.org