By Eric Arnold | Special to the SF Chronicle
Hip-hop has been linked to many things, most of them negative: drugs, crime, sex, foul language, bling-bling materialism. Similarly, rap music is not usually thought of as a tool for education, positive reinforcement or mentorship. But attendees of tomorrow's "Paid in Full 2" concert at the Fillmore will witness evidence to the contrary, when opening act Youth Movement Records take the stage.
The nonprofit artist-operated record company, based in Oakland, is proof that the so-called hyphy generation isn't all about goin' dumb, ghost-riding the whip, or doing the thizz-face. Although you may not know it from listening to commercial radio or watching music video shows, today's youth are equally concerned with social issues and expressing themselves in a positive, realistic manner. And with all the recent media attention around Oakland's rising homicide rate, and the disproportionate numbers of young people affected by street violence, YMR is one of the few bright spots countering the grim statistics.
Read original article at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/15/DDGHQL51DE1.DTL#ixzz0c3icp0OG
