PHOTOS: Zulu Nation Joins the Voices Against Hot Hate

Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation joined a diverse group of high school students, community groups and elected officials in a protest outside Hot 97 today:

Bam and others expressed hope that the hip-hop community will come together to address Hot 97's misrepresentation of the culture, as the response to the tsunami song builds into a long-term effort to hold corporate media accountable for how they (dis)serve the community.

After the rally wrapped up, The Zulus brought lead organizer Kuttin Kandi and the other hip-hop representatives upstairs to Hot 97's office, hoping to get management to come out and meet with us. We waited for nearly a half hour in this dry, dentist's office of a waiting room that Hot shares with Kiss and CD 101.9, waiting for one of them to find some backbone and come talk to us. Finally one of Hot 97's interns came back out and explained that Barry Mayo and John Dimick weren't available to meet today, but they are eager to arrange something soon. We shall see.

The contrast between the boistrous energy of the Zulus and the sterile corporate vibe of this office space (where hip-hop supposedly lives) was striking to say the least.

Props to the Coalition Against Hate Media and all the other groups working to build on this, and especially to DJ Kuttin Kandi for taking the lead in getting hip-hop voices involved.