Producer/rapper Kanye West will be recognized for his charitable contributions at this year’s Action Awards, an exclusive fundraiser/dinner that supports the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network’s work in utilizing the power of Hip-Hop for social change.
Other award recipients include Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Debra Lee and BET Networks, Steve Stoute, HSAN co-chairmen Russell Simmons and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Andre Harrell, and Sylvia Rhone.
This year’s class of honorees will join past Action Award recipients such as Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Ludacris and the Ludacris Foundation, Nelly, Destiny’s Child, and Jermaine Dupri, among others.
The fourth annual event is the latest milestone for HSAN, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.
The organization, established in 2001 after the first National Hip-Hop Summit, has been dedicated to engaging the Hip-Hop generation in community development issues related to public education, literacy, freedom of speech, voter registration and youth leadership development.
The HSAN Action Awards takes place tonight at the Lighthouse, Pier 61, Chelsea Piers (23rd Street at the Hudson River), in New York.