Hip-hop royalty is coming to Toronto in the form of DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest as part of the L.I.V.E. Hip-Hop Festival, organized by students of Ryerson University.

The Live to Inspire Via Education Festival is a free on-campus event, which is open to the public. It runs from Monday to March 4 (excluding March 2) and will feature panel discussions on topics like the arts and queer communities.

Ryerson’s student-run Urban Hip-Hop Union decided to organize this event to highlight the importance of hip hop to the urban community.

“They (hip-hop artists) started a lot of groundbreaking music and entertainment that brought together a lot of other communities,” co-media relations director Laura Pugliese said. “We really want to teach people why the urban community is so important.

“We want it to be a huge event, to keep it alive throughout the younger generation,” said Pugliese.

Organizers want the event to appeal to everybody, which is why they asked Deadlee, a pioneer in the LGBT community, to attend.

“This is a way to let them know they have a voice,” co-director Neda Abbas said of the queer community. “Hip hop does represent them also.”

Abbas said the lineup of artists should encourage people to support the event.

“I would like the world to come, ideally,” Abbas said.

The final day of the festival will be held inside the Opera House.

 

For more information, please visit urbanhiphopunion.com or register at livehiphopfestival.blogspot.com.