powerhouse. now this is a publishing house

So on Monday, I trekked down to Dumbo, Brooklyn. Really I trekked. I mean train, plane, bus, automobile. I still don't know exactly were I was.

But I went for a Women in hiphop panel that was part of a "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" exhibit held at the newly unveiled Powerhouse Arena.

The space is dope. Very Brooklyn, artsy, unfinished, but finished.

The panel featured legendary women in hiphop such as Martha Cooper, Joan Morgan, Janette Beckman and Lady Pink. As well as artists Toofly and Maya Azucena. All though it was hard as hell to hear in there, the panel was great for many reasons. It showed the different art forms of hiphop: music, writing, painting, grafitti writing, photography, etc. It also cosigned for me that hiphop is so much bigger than MTV and BET. Sometimes you need that reminder even though you know it.

It's funny because after the panel, I read Lonnae O'Neal Parker's Washington Post editorial about giving up on hiphop. And while I echo the same sentiments about the commercial side of RAP MUSIC (had to put that in caps for emphasis), her editorial focuses strictly on the music. Like that's all hiphop is.

During the panel they showed clips of an upcoming documentary of female breakers around the world called We B*Girlz (by Martha Cooper and Nika Kramer). And you see all these girls of all different colors who say things like "breaking saved my life," and you remember that hiphop is a lifesaver to so many. We can't give up on hiphop because its the language/perception/perspective/lifestyle of our young people. We can turn off the radio, yes. We can challenge the media images, yes. And as discussed during the panel, we can show our young people the positive aspects of hiphop. But give up? Nope.

Okay enough ranting, back to my original point.

I've read about Powerhouse in PW. I remember reading a story about this publisher opening a gallery/performing space and how dope I thought that was. Makes so much sense that a arts/photography publisher to do that.

But they don't stop there. The No Sleep Til Brooklyn exhibit was four days of events put on in conjunction with other media/organizations such as Black Girls Rock, Vh1, and Wax Poetics.

Then Powerhouse published a magazine to accompany the exhibit, which is beautifully done and which they sold for 10.00. Contributors to the magazine including folks like Jamel Shabazz, Patti Astor, Henry Chalfant. And of course they sold books onsite.

They are my new favorite publisher. Talk about synergy (marketing people love that word). Not only are they branding themselves, they are also reaching out to communities and creating events that people actually want to attend.

Upcoming exhibits at the space, which all coincide with a particular book they've published, include "Disco Years", "That 70s Show", and "Warhol is Dead".

And people are wondering about creative ways to promote books...it's more than promoting books, you have to promote the lifestyle as well. What's the big picture?

Just like rap music is part of a much, much bigger picture.