July will see the completion of Volume 1 of the WB&L Journal, Washington, D.C.’s first international journal of Hip-Hop Culture. “It’s been a long, exciting and fulfilling process to complete this volume,” explains Mazi Mutafa, Editor in Chief of the WB&L Journal. “We are now at the point where all of the successes and trials we learned from creating volume one can be applied to the creation of volume two.” The celebration will take place on July 21, 2005 at Pearl Restaurant and Lounge at 8pm.

With themed issues that address commercialism, women and the most recently released issue on hip hop and globalization, The WB&L Journal is well on its way to being a viable contribution to the community and academy. Started in 2003, the journal seeks to promote a greater understanding of hip-hop within a global, national and local context. Integral to the editorial mission of the WB&L Journal is the need to provide a balance between the needs of the market-driven expectations and community based needs of the hip hop community.

Volume 2 of The WB&L Journal, will take on the golden age of hip-hop arguably the years of 1986 to 1995. The first issue will take on rap music with subsequent issues addressing the other elements of hip hop, i.e. Graffiti, DJ’ing and B-Boying.

The WB&L Journal boasts a mantra of “From the streets to the University.” Each issue is driven by scholarly work and research, but there are also featured poets and visual artists. Beginning in volume two the WB&L Journal will also include book and music reviews and artists profiles. There will also be a teaching guides and international events related to hip-hop section. “The journal is intended to bring all aspects of hip hop culture to the university, not just rap music; and to a point where all of the elements of hip-hop are elevated to a level where they are studied on par as part of numerous academic disciplines,” explains Mutafa.

The umbrella organization of the WB&L Journal is Words Beats and Life, a hip-hop non-profit organization serving the youth of the D.C. Metropolitan area. In addition to the journal, the organization is the creators of youth driven activities such as the Urban Arts Academy, university conferences and Holla Back radio show in 89.3 WPFW.

For more information visit www.wblinc.org