Hip Hop in Seattle

As I was reading about hip hop in different parts of the US and in other countries, I realized that I had no idea what was going on with hip hop in Seattle. I did a quick search on YouTube and came across the following project: http://seattlehiphopsummit.wordpress.com/about-2/



The video makes reference to some shootings that occurred this year, dangerous street life, and a project I'd never even heard of. I like to think that I'm pretty aware about what's going on, and I read a variety of news sources, and yet I had no inkling of this project's existence. Which makes me wonder why I haven't heard about this.

My other question about this project, is if this is "selling out" or an integral part of hip-hop culture. In some ways it reminds me of the parties in the Bronx that we discussed on Tuesday, but a major difference I see is the City's funding of it. I wonder what kind of role that plays in self determination of community and culture, and if that is a positive or a negative.