Hip Hop Symposium / Mixtape Phenomenon

Havelock Nelson (moderator) is a public relations strategist, carrying out a broad range of regional and national public relations campaigns for such clients as Sony Electronics, the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, ABC Radio, DualDisc, the River to River Festival and New York Life, on behalf of the acclaimed PBS series Slavery and the Making of America. Prior to his PR career, Nelson was a writer for such outlets as Rolling Stone, Vibe, the Village Voice, the Boston Globe, the New York Daily News, Entertainment Weekly, Interview and MTV. He became Billboard magazine’s first rap editor in 1991, the same year his critically praised book, Bring the Noise: A Guide to Rap Music & Hip-Hop Culture, was published.

Wicked is a Connecticut-based rap artist making his mark from the ground up. A Justo Mixtape Award recipient, he can be heard on mix tapes by Connecticut’s DJ Big Mike, New England’s DJ Kurupt and New York City’s DJ Kay Slay and DJ L. In early 2005, he was honored by the city of New Haven and radio station Hot 93.7 FM as a pioneer in area’s burgeoning hip-hop community. Wicked has collaborated with the likes of Dipset’s J.R. Writer, Papoose and new Shady Records artist Big Twin. Wicked is also co-owner and operator of the New Haven-based retail destination Diamond Records.

Alan Ket is president of From Here to Fame Publishing, a book publishing company dedicated to preserving hip-hop and graffiti culture. Ket has been in the publishing industry for over 10 years. He was founder, editor, and publisher of Stress magazine and Complex magazine. Most recently he was the editor and producer of Vstyle, a magazine supplement published by Vibe magazine. He is an internationally known graffiti writer.

Remo Da Rap Star is behind one of the most highly-anticipated mixtape albums in recent memory. Rap Star Phenomenon debuted with rave reviews from MixUnit.com, Sohh.com, RapMullet.com and MTV. The collection features an impressive list of star DJs, including Green Lantern, Vlad, Dirty Harry and Clinton Sparks. Remo hails from Castle Hill Projects in the Bronx.

Dayana Concepcion is president of sales and marketing at Mixtape Kings. In her role, she focuses on strategic planning and product differentiation. Previously, she was a production assistant at MTV Networks and a Sales Coordinator at NYTimes.com.  She presently attends The Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, majoring in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management.

Reagan Sommer McCoy is COO of Juz Muzik Group and Justo’s Mixtape Awards, which celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year. She is also assistant manager to Star Track artistThe Clipse. She attended Hampton University, where she studied architecture.

Dimez Dinero is CEO of Rapmullet.com, the premier mixtape review website, founded in 2003. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and economics from New York University.

Rahman Dukes from Mixtape Mondays.

Hope to see you there….

R. “Silva Sir-Fa” Brown