Enjoy this exclusive preview of the 2026 Trinity International Hip Hop Festival on "Hip Hop Can Save America!"

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In this episode, host Manny Faces is joined by Professor Seth Markle, Andreia Soares, and Taris "Bboy Poptart" Clemons to break down what's in store for the 20th edition of this iconic event, put on by Trinity College in association with The Temple of Hip Hop.

Discover why the festival is a cornerstone for the Hartford scene and an international force bridging generations, elements, and communities. Get the inside scoop on headliners, the international lineup, breaking battles, and the festival’s powerful "Voices of Freedom" theme, connecting 20 years of hip hop to 250 years since the American Revolution.

This episode highlights how hip hop continues to uplift communities and drive social change. Seth Markle explains, "The festival is all about diverse representation, showing the five elements of the culture and really showing the Hartford hip hop community and the ways in which it really uplifts the culture and our festival" Soares adds, "There is a generational trajectory right now... it's social justice, it's the common good. It's important" Poptart shares his passion as both a former competitor and the current breaking event coordinator: "All I hope to do is just keep shedding light on our B boy scene and giving them the highest level of competitors we can have here... bringing them what they see on TV right to their backyard."

Whether you’re an artist, academic, organizer, or fan, this focused conversation will get you ready for Trinity’s can’t-miss blend of battles, panels, live shows, and community celebration. Tune in to understand why this festival holds a unique space—locally and globally—in keeping Hip Hop’s revolutionary spirit alive!

For more on the conference, visit https://www.instagram.com/trinityhiphop

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If you’re looking for Hip Hop news with context, history, and care, you’re in the right place.

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About the series:

Hip Hop Can Save America! explores Hip Hop as culture, history, journalism, and problem-solving — not just entertainment.

What happens when Hip Hop’s brilliant and powerful women take center stage at an Ivy League university? In this exclusive episode, Manny Faces sits down with Eternia, acclaimed MC and guest artist lecturer, and Dr. Francesca D'Amico-Cuthbert, leading Hip Hop historian, to dive into Princeton’s trailblazing course, “Miss-Education: The Women of Hip-Hop.”

Discover how this never-before-seen course blends live performance, deep cultural history, and raw creativity to shatter old stereotypes and rewrite what academia -- and Hip Hop -- can be.

We discuss the ways women MCs and culture-shapers have left their mark on Hip Hop around the world, how inviting actual pioneers into academic spaces is a game-changer, and what this shift could mean for Hip Hop’s next chapter.

If you care about Hip Hop, innovation in education, or the stories that have been left out, you can’t afford to miss this conversation. Class is in session…

Follow Eternia: https://www.instagram.com/TheRealEternia

Follow Dr. D'Amico-Cuthbert: https://www.instagram.com/artefactsbyfrancesca

Special shouts to professor Chesney Snow for making this course possible.

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My book: "Hip Hop Can Save America! Inspiration for the Nation from a Culture of Innovation" - https://www.mannyfaces.com/book

The Hip Hop Can Save America! media ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, Discord, and more): https://www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com

Support this important, independent cultural journalism: https://www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

This excerpt from the Hip Hop Can Save America! livestream show -- "Hip Hop News That Isn’t About Dumb Sh*t" -- features host Manny Faces and guest co-host Silent Knight discussing the meaningful ways Hip Hop is intersecting with education, activism, community work, and more.

The conversation highlights research on how Hip Hop DJing and production can help with ADHD, the debut of the "Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest" Hip Hop musical, and celebrations of the legacy of underground icon Mr. Complex.

If you think Hip Hop has lost its depth, its politics, or its power — this segment helps make the case that you’re just not looking in the right places.

(Excerpted from the weekly "Hip Hop Can Save America!" livestream.)

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My book: "Hip Hop Can Save America! Inspiration for the Nation from a Culture of Innovation" - https://www.mannyfaces.com/book

The Hip Hop Can Save America! media ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, Discord, and more): https://www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com

Support this important, independent cultural journalism: https://www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

This excerpt from the Hip Hop Can Save America! livestream show -- "Hip Hop News That Isn’t About Dumb Sh*t" -- features host Manny Faces and guest co-host Keisha "TK" Dutes discussing the meaningful ways Hip Hop is intersecting with education, activism, community work, and more.

The conversation highlights a Princeton University course on women in Hip-Hop, rapper Nur-D's stand against ICE in Minneapolis, the legacy of Houston's Michael "5000" Watts, and the GRAMMY win for Fyutch and his daughter Aura V in the children's music category.

If you think Hip Hop has lost its depth, its politics, or its power — this segment helps make the case that you’re just not looking in the right places.

(Excerpted from the weekly "Hip Hop Can Save America!" livestream.)

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My book: "Hip Hop Can Save America! Inspiration for the Nation from a Culture of Innovation" - https://www.mannyfaces.com/book

The Hip Hop Can Save America! media ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, Discord, and more): https://www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com

Support this important, independent cultural journalism: https://www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

Explore how grassroots journalism and community storytelling are shaping narratives from the ground up in this powerful excerpt from Hip Hop Can Save America!

Host Manny Faces is joined by radio and podcasting veteran Keisha "TK" Dutes, to discuss her work connecting directly with Minneapolis residents amid social upheaval and media spotlight.

Listen as Keisha "TK" Dutes shares her perspective on amplifying community voices outside of mainstream media: "You don't have to have a [particular] job to be an activist… you don't even have to be an activist to be an activist... These people are just "regular." And they all my homies."

This focused conversation dives deep into the power of local journalism, how stories are told and heard beyond corporate filters, and why hearing directly from residents and grassroots leaders in places like Minneapolis is crucial.

If you're interested in citizen journalism, the intersection of Hip Hop, activism, and authentic reporting, this clip offers actionable insights and relatable stories you won't hear anywhere else.

Follow TK: https://www.instagram.com/tastykeish

Follow C: https://www.instagram.com/agtraphaus

Follow BondfireRadio: https://www.instagram.com/bondfireradio

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My book: "Hip Hop Can Save America! Inspiration for the Nation from a Culture of Innovation" - https://www.mannyfaces.com/book

The Hip Hop Can Save America! media ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, Discord, and more): https://www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com

Support this important, independent cultural journalism: https://www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

Dive into the heart of Hip Hop, Black artistry, and activism with this powerful excerpt from the “Hip Hop Can Save America” weekly livestream show, featuring international award-winning spoken word poet, Imani J. Wallace (Lyrical Faith), and host Manny Faces. In this segment, they break down the mission and impact of the Black Artistic Freedom Conference (Black AF) at UMass Amherst (https://www.bit.ly/BLACKAF2026RSVP), a “dynamic experience centering education and activism through the arts.”

Whether you’re an artist, educator, or advocate, this conversation is a must-watch for anyone interested in how Hip Hop culture can drive social change and foster community.

FOR INFO: https://www.bit.ly/BLACKAF2026RSVP

TO DONATE: https://www.bit.ly/BLACKAFDONATE

TO VOLUNTEER: www.bit.ly/BLACKAFVOLUNTEER

(Excerpted from the weekly Hip Hop Can Save America! livestream.)

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My book: "Hip Hop Can Save America! Inspiration for the Nation from a Culture of Innovation" - https://www.mannyfaces.com/book

The Hip Hop Can Save America! media ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, Discord, and more): https://www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com

Support this important, independent cultural journalism: https://www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

This week, Manny Faces highlights Hip Hop stories that actually matter — from tributes to John Forte and the legacy of Cornbread, to groundbreaking Hip Hop programming at universities, museums, and community spaces across the country. We spotlight women in Hip Hop, youth-driven creative spaces, father-daughter Grammy nominees, Hip Hop’s growing role in mental health conversations, and the cultural impact of artists pushing beyond music into television, activism, and education.

If you think Hip Hop has lost its depth, its politics, or its power — this episode makes the case that you’re just not looking in the right places.

(Excerpted from the weekly Hip Hop Can Save America! livestream.)

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My book: "Hip Hop Can Save America! Inspiration for the Nation from a Culture of Innovation" - https://www.mannyfaces.com/book

The Hip Hop Can Save America! media ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, Discord, and more): https://www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com

Support this important, independent cultural journalism: https://www.patreon.com/mannyfaces

Hip Hop already teaches social emotional learning — we just don’t always recognize it as such. In this long-overdue conversation, Manny Faces sits down with David Spellmon, educator, speaker, and author of "Just Like Music: Social Emotional Learning Inspired by Hip-Hop," to explore how Hip Hop culture naturally builds emotional intelligence, self-awareness, communication, and resilience — often more effectively than traditional systems.

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Follow the guests: David Spellmon - https://positivearchersolutions.com

My book: "Hip Hop Can Save America! Inspiration for the Nation from a Culture of Innovation" - https://www.mannyfaces.com/book

The Hip Hop Can Save America! media ecosystem (podcast, newsletter, Discord, and more): https://www.hiphopcansaveamerica.com

Support this important, independent cultural journalism: https://www.patreon.com/mannyfaces