I've been to two of the last three concerts Jay-Z had at Madison Square Garden; I own "Tougher than Leather" and "Licensed to Ill" on vinyl and I have pink fat laces on my shell toe Adidas yet I am not a part of the Hip Hop culture.  I never thought that I WAS a part of the culture since I use the word "totally" way too much and I wear my shell toe Adidas with my gap sweats.  There are a lot of you out there like me.  On the fringe of the Hip Hop culture.  Sure, we know Biggie Smalls' real name and can quote Tupac, but we're probably really just about the beat, the sexy videos and the amazing bling.

Recently I was blessed to attend Mama's Hip Hop Kitchen in the Bronx.  MHHK is the brainchild of Kathleen Adams and hip hop artist Lah Tere as a way to empower women of color through the diverse culture that is Hip Hop.  MHHK is singers, dance crews, spoken word artists and activists coming together to spread awareness on such topics as HIV/AIDS, the environment and domestic abuse.

This event not only allowed me to rub elbows with some of the best up and coming artists in the Hip Hop world it showed me how I have so much to learn from this community.  Hip Hop is so much more than the music, it's the message and I guess I knew that back in the day when I sat next to the speakers in my living room trying to learn the words to "Kind of Rock" and "White Lines" but the message has been lost in the bling, droopy jeans, and video ho's.  MHHK brings the message back with an ALL FEMALE cast! There are so many wonderful women artists that participate in this event that you'd be cheating yourself if you don't try to make it next year.  It's free and open to EVERYONE!!!

Check out www.mhhk.org for more information on this TOTALLY wonderful event.