The Asian American Association (AAA) at UT will host its first Asian
The Asian American Association (AAA) at UT will host its first Asian Hip Hop Summit this Friday at Clarence Brown Theater. The event will feature music and dance groups including Sky High Lab, Jackie Chain, Free Moral Agents and rapper Lyricks.
The event is sponsored by the Asian American Association at UT, an organization whose goal is to represent Asian heritage and to bring awareness of Asian American issues to the University of Tennessee.
AAA President Danny Duong stated, “This event is important not only to the Asian community on UT’s campus, but also Knoxville’s Asian community. The hip hop scene is a massive industry where it is easy to get lost among the crowd.”
[The Hip Hop Summit] will showcase the talents of a group of minorities and by doing so, may encourage others to follow their dreams, whatever these dreams may be. Yma Dieu Vo is Asian American Association Vice President.
“The artists that compose the Asian Hip Hop Summit have endured the arduous task of trying to make a name for themselves in the industry as a minority,” said Duong. “The artists have been successful and have traveled around the country spreading their music and their message.”
According to Yma Dieu Vo, AAA vice president, the aim of the event is to inspire students. Vo said, “It will showcase the talents of a group of minorities and by doing so, may encourage others to follow their dreams, whatever these dreams may be.”
Following the performance, there will be a Q & A session with the artists which will focus on race and the entertainment industry.
According to the event’s website, the first Summit was held in Los Angeles in 2002 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots and to raise money for North Korean famine victims.
The event is free and open to students and the UT community. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show will last until 10:30 p.m.