THE 3rd Annual
Hip-Hop Cultural Summit:
Hip-Hop’s Impact On Race & Culture
Presented by:
AllHipHop.com, Guerrilla Republik, the Delaware Art Museum
& The Gilliam Foundation
Saturday, October 18, 2025
10 AM to 5 PM
Members: Free
Non-Members: $10
Youth (ages 7 to 18): $6
Child (6 and under): Free
Museum admission is included with all ticket types.
Access to the Special Exhibition is available for an additional $7.
Prices will increase on the day of the event — advance registration is encouraged.
100% of proceeds go to programming content at the Delaware Art Museum
Registration is REQUIRED to attend this event!
Confirmed Panelists and Guests
Darryl “DMC” McDaniels
Innovator, Motivator, Philanthropist, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels changed music and made history when he broke down cultural barriers with his legendary band Run-DMC. Forty million record sales and a billion streams later, he continues to inspire & impact the world…
Darryl “DMC” McDaniels is a legendary music icon who first impacted the world 40 years ago when RUN DMC made their recording debut “It’s Like That/ Sucker MCs.” From the first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine to the first to appear on MTV, he helped changed music, culture, fashion, language and made American history. It would be hard to overstate his influence on popular culture.
Forty million+ physical record sales and a billion song streams later, DMC still continues to create, inspire and motivate. In 2009, as a founding member of Run-DMC, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2016 he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy given to “performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.”
He launched a new cookie company in 2023 called Darryl Makes Cookies featuring his favorite chocolate chip cookies, and a comic book company called Darryl Makes Comics, a new journey that helps bridge the gap between the worlds of hip-hop and the fantastic adventures he got wrapped up in as a youth. The comic company’s first full length graphic novel hit stores in October 2014, and has since followed up with a new release every year.
In addition to his cookies and comics, Darryl released his first children’s book in 2021 entitled Darryl’s Dream on Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books (RHCB), in partnership with Nickelodeon and ViacomCBS Consumer Products. Read more here.
Darryl is also the co-author of two critically acclaimed books: his memoir entitled, Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide (2016/Harpers/Amistad) giving him another platform to talk about his past struggles with depression and helping those, especially men of color, remove the shame of asking for help. He recently partnered with U Will, the app that allows college students immediate access to a therapist.
He also penned the autobiography King of Rock; Respect, Responsibility and My Life with Run-DMC (2001/ Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martins) as well as an award-winning solo album Checks, Thugs & Rock and Roll.
That album produced the hit single “Just like Me” featuring Sarah McLachlan; a song DMC wrote after discovering he was adopted, that spoke to his new revelation and began his journey down another life path, in search of his birth mother. While his search struggle was captured in the 2007 Emmy Winning VH1 documentary DMC: My Adoption Journey, the process gave DMC tremendous insight and purpose, prompting him to become an advocate for adoption and children in foster care.
In 2006 he co-founded the Felix Organization with Hollywood casting agent Sheila Jaffe — a nonprofit that works to provide inspiring opportunities and new experiences to enrich the lives of children who are growing in the foster care system.
All the while, DMC’s music continues to inspire! In 2017 he released the eagerly anticipated special vinyl-only limited edition EP, Back From the Dead – The Legend Lives with the 4-track power-bolt featuring iconic collaborations from the rock and hip hop worlds including Chuck D (Public Enemy), John Moyer (Disturbed), Rome (Sublime), and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash), and others. The Deluxe Package (a limited rollout of 4000, individually numbered and pressed in red vinyl) with the cover artwork for Back From The Dead portraying DMC as a zombie, was designed by award-winning Walking Dead graphic novel artist Tony Moore.
Darryl recently released the single “Me and My Microphone” featuring Chuck D, Ice-T, Jazzy Jeff and produced by Bumpy Knuckles. Listen here. The single has a corresponding comic featuring each of the hip hop icons as superheroes.
Available on the DMC imprint King of Rock Entertainment, the single is in advance of his new album AMERICA that will feature songs with Joan Jett, Sammy Hagar, Travis Barker (Blink 182), Chuck D, Sum 41, DJ Hurricane (Beastie Boys), Ice-T, Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Mick Mars (Motley Crue), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) and more. The album is scheduled for release in Spring 2025.
In between his work as a musical artist and producer, published author and speaker, or his work with his nonprofit, McDaniels finds time to talk with kids across the country about respect, responsibility, and self-awareness. One of his many memorable engagements included an invitation in 2015 by former President Obama to speak at the White House to a group of young men about fatherhood.
Darryl has also appeared before Congress and various State legislatures in support of adoptees and foster children, worked with former First Lady Michelle Obama on part of her “Get Fit” Campaign, was a featured speaker at the 2016 Kennedy Forum #YoungMindsMatter event on Mental Health, and was a featured speaker at the 2017 SXSW Music Festival and 2017 Kennedy Center Honors.
He is also an Advisory Board Member for Hip Hop Public Health, an organization whose mission “is to foster positive health behavior change through the transformative power of hip-hop music.” He helped create early awareness on the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19.
For his numerous philanthropic endeavors, DMC has received numerous awards including the Hard Rock’s Love All Serve All Award, the Doing Art Together (DAT) Honoree Award for his contributions to helping under-served communities in NYC in the classroom and life, and the coveted CHILDREN’S RIGHTS Champion Award for his tireless work on behalf of foster children through his nonprofit The Felix Organization, as well as his work providing other year-round opportunities for children in foster care.
In addition to the Felix Organization and Hip Hop Public Health, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of The Madison Square Garden Company, including the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Entertainment and MSG Media, to make dreams come true for children facing obstacles.
More Information Visit thekingdmc.com
IG: @kingdmc
FB: facebook.com/DarrylDMCMcDaniels
Grouchy Greg
As the Founder of the urban website and music destination AllHipHop.com, Grouchy Greg Watkins is fulfilling his childhood goal of being an entertainment business pioneer and entrepreneur.
With his partner, Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur, Grouchy Greg has built AllHipHop.com into the Internet voice of hip-hop culture.
Born in Albany, N.Y., and raised in Newark, Delaware, Grouchy Greg was intrigued by hip-hop from the age of six.
He briefly flirted with a recording career as a member of his rap group, The Outfit, and launched his label, Oblique Recordings, in 1993.
While pursuing a career as a music label owner, Grouchy Greg attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia, studying audio engineering and marketing and graduating with an associate’s degree in music business and advertising.
AllHipHop.com officially launched in 1998, and the website has since won numerous awards, including the Rising Star Award from Black Enterprise, as well as a coveted BET Award for Best Hip-Hop Website. The website has been nominated 12 times for a BET Award.
Grouchy Greg is involved in every aspect of AllHipHop.com’s operations, including the editorial, technical, and advertising stacks.
He has been featured on numerous radio shows and has been cited in print, and TV shows ranging from Billboard to The New York Times, as well as CNN, MTV, BET, FOX, Fuse, E!, TVOne and others. Grouchy Greg is also the co-founder of CollegeHipHop.com, the KR38R app, and serves as a consultant for various tech companies and websites.
Over the years, Grouchy Greg has overseen partnerships with i-One, Vibe, Complex, The Arena Group, Google, EZOIC, and others.
Delaware Governor John Carney’s recent appointment of Grouchy Greg to the board of the Delaware Arts Council is a testament to his influence in the arts community, a role that allows him to shape the future of the industry.
Chuck Creekmur
Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur has amassed respect as a thought leader, trendsetter and trailblazer in several industries, entertainment industry, technology as the
co-founder and co-CEO of AllHipHop.com.
By creating a unique path in internet content curation, distribution, and technology, he has directed one of the most successful and respected sources of urban culture news and information in the world. Along with being a driving force in music media, his passion and endeavors as a mentor and public speaker continue to grow nationally.
After graduating from The University of Delaware, Creekmur moved to New York City where he served as a music news producer for BET.com, as well as writing for several publications. Chuck has interviewed notable entertainers and pop culture figures including Shaq, LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Queen Latifah, Ice-T, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Nick Cannon, Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mekhi Phifer, Drake, Common, Ludacris, Kendrick Lamar, T.I. and numerous others.
Creekmur takes pride in being an innovator, who is constantly ahead of the curve and found those same attributes in his soon-to-be business partner, Greg “Grouchy” Watkins, who attended Glasgow High School with him in Delaware. After reconnecting they united to make history creating AllHipHop.com, the first
Black-owned source for Hip-Hop news and culture on the Internet.
With the internet still being a new outlet in the mid-90’s, Creekmur recalls knowing “the ‘Net would be my forum to promote my writing, artwork and creative talents to the world.”
While the passion for media and music are still there, Creekmur has transitioned and found his calling to expand beyond Hip-Hop. New visions include social justice, community engagement, and public speaking, particularly to youth.
He is dedicated to speaking about the social organizations and universities across the country in the “spirit of community-based activism.” He states, “We are the voice of the community,” and that is something that won’t be taken lightly. He has had the opportunity to speak at The White House, SXSW, Social Media Summits and the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) based TED Talks. Through his activism and community outreach, he looks forward to one day establishing a formal AllHipHop.com mentorship program in the coming years.
As a cultural critic and pundit, he’s been featured in VIBE, The Source, Complex, GIANT, National Public Radio (NPR), BET, TVOne, VH1, The E! Channel, MTV, The O’Reilly Factor, USA Today, The New York Times, New York’s Hot 97 FM and numerous other outlets.
Martha Diaz
Colombian-American Futurist Martha Diaz (MD) is an award-winning social entrepreneur, media producer, educator, archivist, and curator committed to advancing social equity and human rights through Hip-Hop culture, media, technology, and storytelling. In 2010, MD founded the Hip-Hop Education Center, where she serves as the Executive Director, Chief Curator, and Archivist. Over the past 30 years, she has traversed the Hip-Hop entertainment industry, public arts and education sectors, and academia, bridging initiatives across public and private cultural and educational institutions.
A highly accomplished global education thought leader, community organizer, and mentor, MD has chronicled and archived Hip-Hop history to preserve its cultural value and memory through groundbreaking exhibitions and publications—including research reports, books, and curricula. In 2002, she founded the highly acclaimed Hip-Hop Odyssey (H2O) International Film Festival, the first of its kind, and co-founded the Hip-Hop Association, both of which helped catalyze a global movement to legitimize and institutionalize Hip-Hop as a powerful artistic platform for education, cultural expression, and social change.
MD curated the first Hip-Hop film series presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and served as a guest curator at the Museum of the Moving Image and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. MD has produced and consulted on numerous media projects, including “Black August: A Hip-Hop Concert” by dream hampton (2010), “Nas: Time Is Illmatic” by One9 (2014), and “Dear Mama” by Allen Hughes (2023).
A graduate of New York University’s Gallatin School for Individualized Study and Tisch School of the Arts Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Program, MD has worked on archival projects with Parkwood Entertainment (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), the Tupac Shakur Estate, Ralph McDaniels Video Music Box Collection, The Paley Center for Media, and A&E’s “Hip-Hop Treasures” TV Series, among others. She has taught at NYU and Virginia State University (VSU) and was a visiting scholar at Virginia Union University. She has also served as an advisor for The Hip Hop Museum, Cornell Hip-Hop Collection, and Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archives.
MD is a Senior Producer for The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture and is the lead Arts2Work consultant for the first Digital Archivist Apprenticeship Program in the United States. MD’s fellowships include serving as an NYU Catherine Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship, Senior Fellow at the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation – National Museum of American History, Nasir Jones Fellow at Harvard University, and MacArthur Civic Media Senior Fellow at the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab.
For more information visit: marthadiaz.com
Steve Lobel
Steve Lobel is the driving force behind A2Z Entertainment and “weworking,” widely recognized for his tireless dedication to the music business. He oversees a multifaceted entertainment enterprise that spans record labels, production, artist management, and film ventures. Lobel has played integral roles in advancing the careers of notable acts, including Run-D.M.C., Fat Joe, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, 2Pac and the Outlawz, IYAZ, Sean Kingston, Soulja Boy, Mann, Nipsey Hussle, and DUBB.
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Lobel’s introduction to the music world came through Jam Master Jay of RUN-D.M.C.—a connection that opened the doors to his lifelong industry journey. With his unmistakable New York accent, easygoing charm, and strong communication skills, Lobel eagerly absorbed the business side of the music world. From those early days, he steadily rose through the ranks of the industry.
Lobel’s breakthrough came when he joined Sony/Relativity Records as an A&R executive. In that capacity, he worked across a broad spectrum of hip-hop talent—including Fat Joe, The Beatnuts, Frankie Cutlass, MOP, Common Sense, Fatal (from the Outlawz), 8Ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, and artists on Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records and Tony Draper’s Suave House Records.
A pivotal moment in his career occurred when he met Eazy-E, which soon led to his collaboration with a youthful Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Lobel invested energy and strategy into guiding the group—helping shape their LPs, solo projects, and the Mo Thugs! collective. His contributions extended to high-profile crossovers: supporting projects involving Mariah Carey, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Big Pun, Chamillionaire, Phil Collins, Akon, The Game, and Ty Dolla $ign. Remarkably, his loyalty has kept him connected to the group for over two decades.
Lobel’s substantial influence has been acknowledged with two Grammy Awards and two American Music Awards among other honors.
Today, he’s championing new talent, like Cleveland’s rising artist ItsHoly, positioning himself as a bridge between iconic hip-hop legacy and the next generation.
Roxy Romeo
Roxy Romeo is a national radio powerhouse, heard in over 63 markets across the U.S. – including Miami, Houston, Atlanta, & Detroit. Though her voice is coast-to-coast, she connects with listeners like close friends. Born & raised in Miami, Roxy got her start with a 6am Sunday shift & has since risen to become a co-host on Philly’s Rise + Grind Morning Show on Power 99.
She’s earned recognition as a “Top 40 Under 40” leader by Legacy Magazine, a Team Henessy honoree, & a voice for community and culture. Off the mic, Roxy is all about family, culture, & causes.
She’s a proud wife & mom of 2, passionate about music, women’s health and deeply rooted in her Caribbean heritage with Trinidadian pride running through her veins. If Roxy isn’t on the air or spending time with her family, she might be preparing to run a marathon.
Nataani Means
Nataanii Means, of the Oglala Lakota, UmoNhoN (Omaha), and Diné Nations, is an internationally acclaimed hip-hop artist.
Raised on the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Arizona, he uses hip-hop as a platform to share both his personal journey and the stories of his people, striving to bring Native artistry to the forefront.
Means has performed for audiences across the United States, Canada, and Europe, reaching countless universities, schools, and youth programs. His work has been featured in major outlets including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Billboard, and The Fader. He has also appeared on national platforms such as MTV’s Rebel Music: Native America, Viceland’s Standing Rock pt. 2, and popular radio shows The Breakfast Club and Ebro in the Morning.
Nataanii’s most recent album, Growth, has attracted international attention and surpassed half a million streams across platforms, further cementing his reputation as a leading voice in contemporary Native hip-hop.
Tamara Burks
Tamara R. Burks is a historian, researcher, and media professional whose career spans journalism, archival work, and cultural preservation. She currently serves as a Corporations Specialist with the Delaware Secretary of State’s Division of Corporations, while also pursuing her passion for uncovering and sharing African American and Native American history.
Early in her career, Burks was the Keeper of the Archives for the New York African Burial Ground Project under the General Services Administration, where she worked closely with archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians to preserve one of the nation’s most important Black heritage sites.
From 2002 to 2011, she served as a Historical Interpreter for the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, leading tours, curating exhibits, and conducting research on subjects including the United States Colored Troops, the Underground Railroad, and African American recording artists with the Victor Talking Machine Company.
Burks has also produced films and documentaries, including the 2022 project on the history of Delaware’s iconic Rosedale Beach Resort and Hotel. A frequent lecturer, she has presented widely on Rosedale Beach and African American history at museums, libraries, and cultural institutions.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Delaware State University and a master’s in Media Studies from The New School in New York City.
Michele Byrd-McPhee
A 2023 Bessie Award winner for Outstanding Service to the Field, Michele Byrd-McPhee is the founder of Ladies of Hip-Hop (LOHH), a street dancer, arts activist, and advocate for women. For decades, she has worked to reframe Hip-Hop culture through the lens of gender, race, and cultural identity. Her work centers Black and Brown dance forms, honoring their cultural roots and the creative pioneers who shaped them. In doing so, she confronts the systemic appropriation and erasure of Black dance creators, innovators and cultural bearers.
In 2020, Byrd-McPhee was awarded the Integrated Arts Residency Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she created and taught “Hip-Hop, Women, and the World.” She has served as a grant panelist for the McKnight Foundation and DanceNYC and was a voting member of the Bessie Award Committee.
In partnership with SNIPES USA, she opened New York’s first women-led street dance and arts space. Dedicated to street dance forms, it offers rehearsal space, classes, and events for communities often excluded from traditional dance settings.
One of her greatest honors was being immortalized in a mural in North Philadelphia celebrating Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary. Created by artists Christian “TAME ARTZ” Rodriguez and Bill Strobel, the mural pays tribute to Hip-Hop’s legacy and cultural impact.
Currently a 2024-2025 Center for Ballet and the Arts research scholar, Byrd-McPhee is expanding her Black Dancing Bodies Project. This initiative uplifts Black women in street and club dance, preserving their stories through performance, interviews, and documentation. Alongside this work, she continues as Executive Director of Ladies of Hip-Hop and Artistic Director of the LOHH Dance Collective.
Cruz Khaoz
In the world of Latin hip-hop, few names embody the movement’s cultural depth and creative hustle like CRUZ KHAOZ, also known as CRUZ CONTROL. Born from the streets of New York City and rooted in Salvadoran identity, CRUZ has built a decades-long legacy as a lyricist, DJ, event curator, and community builder—laying down tracks and laying out stages for the next wave of Latino artists.
CRUZ first made noise in the early 1990s as co-founder of Reyes del Bajo Mundo (RDBM), the pioneering Salvadoran-American hip-hop duo that brought bilingual bars to the boom-bap scene. With their groundbreaking 1997 album Estilo Imperial, RDBM became the first Salvadoran hip-hop group to receive mainstream coverage, planting a cultural flag in a genre where Central American voices had been rarely heard.
Together with Douglas Dinamico (and originally Rey de Reyes), CRUZ fused immigrant struggle, NYC grit, and Latino pride into tracks that still echo today. Their influence opened doors for the Rapa Salvadoeño movement and laid a foundation for the global expansion of Salvadoran hip-hop.
If RDBM broke ground, La Conekta built the house. For over a decade, CRUZ has played a central role in New York City’s longest-running live Latin hip-hop event, leaving his fingerprints on every level—from spinning behind the decks as a DJ, to hyping crowds as an MC, to orchestrating the vision as an event organizer and host.
Whether in a basement cypher or on a full-stage festival, when CRUZ is on the 1’s and 2’s, the vibe is undeniable. From tropical grooves to electronic mashups, hip-hop classics to reggae riddims, his sets are a masterclass in cultural versatility and energy control. As an MC, he bridges artists and audiences with every shout-out and spotlight.
From his early days with Reyes del Bajo Mundo to the electrified stages of La Conekta, CRUZ KHAOZ has consistently worked to uplift Latin voices in hip-hop. His music speaks to the immigrant journey, the urban experience, and the bilingual soul. His events bring people together—crossing borders, genres, and generations.
Rabb Love
Rabb Love is the visionary behind Guerrilla Republik, a movement that has evolved from a clothing line into a global network focused on music, education, and community development.
Inspired by the unity and determination of the Haitian Revolution, he established Guerrilla Republik with the core mission of using culture, particularly hip-hop, as a tool for “re-education, self-reliance, and preparedness” in inner cities.
He believes that music can stimulate minds and inspire people, especially young Black men, to overcome difficult circumstances. The organization’s mission statement emphasizes key values such as knowledge, power, love, and sacrifice.
More than just a brand, Guerrilla Republik is a socially and politically conscious movement deeply rooted in Rabb Love’s personal journey.
After being laid off from his job, he used his unemployment checks to launch the initial phase of the organization, growing it into a global platform with supporters and collaborators all over the world.
Through mixtapes and various community initiatives, Guerrilla Republik uses its platform to raise awareness and support for important causes.
Champtown
Champtown, born Brian Harmon, has been a fixture in the Detroit’s hip-hop culture since the late 1980s. Known as a rapper, DJ, filmmaker, teacher, and founder of Straight Jacket Records, he helped shape Detroit’s underground scene while mentoring new talent.
Early in his career, he ran with the Beast Crew, a collective that included young Eminem, Kid Rock, and Insane Clown Posse. Champtown gave Eminem one of his first on-camera appearances in the 1992 video “Do-Da-Dipity” and toured as Kid Rock’s hype man in the early ’90s.
Beyond his own music, he created a platform for rising acts like D’Phuzion, Shortcut, and Yang Ku, earning praise from Chuck D, who likened his independent spirit to Berry Gordy’s. His single “Bang Bang Boogie,” performed with D’Phuzion, reached No. 21 on Billboard’s R\&B/Rap chart in 2000, and he later produced the documentary The Untold Story of Detroit Hip Hop featuring Eminem, Kid Rock, and Public Enemy.
Nearly four decades into his career, Champtown is still evolving. In August 2025, he released his latest album Rocker at Heart, an eight-track project blending rap and rock with social commentary and high-energy anthems.
The record, featuring tributes to Eddie Van Halen and interpolations of classics like “Disco Inferno,” shows that Champtown remains as restless and innovative as ever.
Hezekiah
Hezekiah is a rapper, producer, singer, and songwriter whose career has spanned decades of independent artistry. Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, and raised in New Castle, Delaware, he found his footing in Philadelphia during the rise of the Neo-Soul movement, hosting jam sessions and co-founding Beat Society, the pioneering producer showcase.
His solo debut, Hurry Up and Wait (2005), and I Predict a Riot (2007) earned cult acclaim, with AllMusic naming the latter one of the best hip-hop albums of the year. Known for raw lyricism and genre-blending production, he has collaborated with Bilal, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Kweli, Bahamadia, Freeway, and more. He also formed the alt-rock band Johnny Popcorn, releasing The Crow, Totem Pole, and W.A.N.A.
Beyond music, Hezekiah has directed short films, hosted the Beat Society podcast, and created community-based projects. In 2016, he survived a brain aneurysm but returned with the EP GODS (2017), featuring Bilal, Peedi Crakk, Freeway, and Blu. His later projects include The Universe Does Not Reward Fear (2021) and Moment in Time (2022).
Resilient and ever-evolving, Hezekiah continues to push hip-hop forward through his storytelling, production, and fearless reinvention.
RadioShach
MeeShach Stennett Sr., also known as “RadioShach,” is an influential figure in Delaware who strives to improve the local culture. He was born to Jamaican parents and grew up in the Boogie Down Bronx, where he discovered Hip-Hop at a young age.
He attended Delaware State University and experienced HBCU culture firsthand. After 20 years in corporate America, MeeShach decided to start his own business, Minds Brand Management LLC, in 2021.
Today, he partners with DSU’s College of Business and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware to promote his mission of inspiring future generations of Black Excellence.
DJ Soulbuck
DJ Soulbuck is one of the Tri-State’s most eclectic and legendary DJs, celebrated both locally and internationally. He is best known for touring with hip-hop icon Doodlebug Cee-Knowledge of Digable Planets and spinning for artists including Rah Digga, Pacewon, The UMC’s, Miilkbone, Wise Intelligent, and more.
His journey began in 1982 when he first heard Grandmaster Flash’s Live at the Convention ’81. Inspired by his father and uncle, who were both DJs, Soulbuck quickly developed a passion for the craft. By age 10, he was practicing daily and landed his first gig at his aunt’s wedding. In his teens, he perfected his skills and by 1994 began producing mixtapes that gained attention, including airplay on WKDU 91.7 in Philadelphia.
The name “Soulbuck,” a mix of his neighborhood nickname and inspiration from Pete Rock, became synonymous with his rising reputation. From 1997 to 1998, he was the house DJ at Club Smoke and Club 3737 in Philadelphia, and later at Snow Hill Lounge in New Jersey, where he drew crowds of hundreds.
In 2005, Soulbuck met Doodlebug at Sigma Studios, leading to six years of international touring.
Beyond touring, he has held slots on Boom 107.9 FM, WCCG 104.5, WPRB 103.3 FM, CBS Studios, WUSB 90.1 and 107.3 FM.
Today, he continues to share his talents through live shows and weekly mixshows on Beatminerz Radio, RapStation, and It’s C-doc Again: The Mixxtape on YouTube.
REGISTER FOR BATTLE ONLY USING THIS LINK:
DESCRIPTION:
A unique, distinguished, family-friendly community event focusing on culture, music, tradition, understanding, and the use of Hip-Hop as a tool for social justice and equity.
We are expecting to reach event capacity.
Registration is REQUIRED for this event!
PURPOSE:
To celebrate and uplift Hip-Hop’s deep roots in social justice, change, and civic engagement.
EVENT
HIGHLIGHTS
- Understanding the Foundations of Hip-Hop
- Exploring how Hip-Hop culture has spotlighted the struggles within inner-city environments
- Celebrating how the culture empowered these
communities through music, dance, art, and knowledge. - Exploring Delaware’s connection to the early days of the
music business.
ACTIVITIES
- Art Exhibitions
- Panel Discussions
- Breakdancing, Graffiti, and MC Battles,
- Book signing featuring DMC of Run-DMC
TARGET AUDIENCE
- All ages
- Families
- Youth and students
- Multicultural audiences
Hip-Hop Cultural Summit Itinerary at
Delaware Art Museum
10:00 AM
Doors Open
Opening Remarks – Hip-Hop’s impact on race, culture,
civic engagement and social justice.
- Throughout the Day –
- Host: RadioShach
- DJs: Soulbuck, Cruz Khaoz
- A breakdancing exhibition featuring
Ladies of Hip-Hop - A showcase of local visual artists’ work exploring the theme of
Hip-Hop and its impact on race and culture - Food trucks and vendors are on site!
10:20 AM – 10:30 AM
Land Dedication: Brother Iz
Land dedication led by Brother Iz Balleto
Location: Auditorium
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Panel #1: Rosedale Beach
The hidden history of Rosedale Beach, a segregated resort
that hosted Stevie Wonder, Fats Domino, Aretha Franklin,
Count Basie, James Brown and others.
Hosts: Dr. Grouchy Greg and Tamara Burks
Location: Auditorium
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Illustrating Race Exhibition
Location: Jefferson Lobby
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Breakdancing Showcase
Ladies Of Hip-Hop
DJ: Cruz Khaoz
Location: Fusco Hall
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
DMC Book Signing
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Panel #2: Hip-Hop And Race
Special Guests: Steve Lobel, Martha Diaz, Nataanie Means,
Michelle McPherson, Rabb Love
Moderator: Power 99’s Roxy Romeo
Location: Auditorium
2:00 PM -2:45 PM
Guided Tour: Imprinted: Illustrating Race Exhibition Tours
On this guided tour, led by a DelArt Gallery Leader, discover how illustration has reflected and shaped perceptions of race in American culture, highlighting both harmful imagery and artists’ efforts to
challenge stereotypes and tell new stories.
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
MC BATTLE
Beats: Hezekiah
Judges: T. Rex, Chino
Location: Auditorium
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Fireside Chat With
RUN-DMC’s Darryl “DMC” McDaniels And AllHipHop
Co-Founder
Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur
DMC and Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur will discuss the
early origins of Run-DMC, the group’s impact on race through their groundbreaking music, performances, and collaborations, and
DMC’s
current businesses.
Location: Auditorium
4:45 PM
Closing Remarks
Note: Panelists and times are subject to change. Attendees are encouraged to check for updates and announcements.
Note: Panelists and times are subject to change. Attendees are encouraged to check for updates and announcements.