Thug Life Army

Viacom and the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation’s KNOW HIV/AIDS Initiative has signed on to support the 8th Annual Black August Hip Hop Benefit Concert as a media sponsor. They are known for its major youth targeted HIV/AIDS media campaign using PSA’s featuring Grammy award winning hip-hop and rap artist Common.

Black August, is an annual Hip-Hop benefit concert that utilizes Hip-Hop to highlight human and civil rights issues dear to the Hip-Hop community such as education reform and political prisoners in the U.S. as well as connecting members of this community throughout the Diaspora.

This year’s concert highlights HIV/AIDS prevention awareness as its theme for its shows in NYC and Tanzania, East Africa. Avid Hip Hop fans and Black August devotees can head to Ticket Master starting today to purchase tickets to see headliner and Emmy nominated actor/Hip Hop rap artist Mos Def along with Smif N Wessun, Black Moon and a growing roster of major Hip Hop and rap artists take the stage as they help to further spread the message of HIV/AIDS prevention to young adults of the Hip Hop community here and abroad.

Concert attendees will receive effective HIV/AIDS resource materials as well as view the KNOW HIV/AIDS Initiative’s customized PSA’s throughout the show.

“With the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the US recently hitting the one million mark for the first time since the 1980’s and the overwhelmingly rapid spread of HIV/AIDS related deaths among youth in Africa, it’s imperative that we assist in reaching out to as many young people as possible, especially in the Hip-Hop community to make them aware of HIV/AIDS and the necessity of prevention,” says Black August concert co-coordinator Meron Wondwosen. “We are happy to have the KNOW HIV/AIDS Initiative on board with our efforts this year.”

Black August, whose annual Hip Hop benefit concerts highlight human and civil rights issues dear to the Hip Hop Community such as political prisoners in the U.S., education reform, the voting rights of parolees and police brutality is one of the largest annual benefit concerts in Hip-Hop where artists and personalities such as hip-hop rap artists Fat Joe, Talib Kweli, David Banner, Dave Chappelle, Grammy award winning artists Erykah Badu, The Roots and Common have taken the stage in recent years to move the crowd nationally and internationally at no cost for a good cause. In addition to its New York show this year to be held on Sunday, August 7, 2005 at B.B. King Blues Club in Times Square, the show will also be held in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, Tanzania in East Africa on August 18th and the 20th.

Tickets for the August 7th show in NYC are on sale and may be purchased by going to www.ticketmaster.com .