RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Citing the success of Ohio rappers such as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Lil Bow Wow, Governor Ted Stickland today launched a campaign entitled Hip Hop On Over to Ohio, aimed at encouraging rappers and other hip-hop artists to visit, live in and rap about the state of Ohio.
“The state of Michigan is making a play to attract the motion picture industry,” said Strickland. “It’s high time that Ohio gets into the entertainment business as well. The thriving hip-hop community is a wonderful way to promote our state to the youth that will lead our nation forward.”
State representative Fay Canahme said, “My children and all of their friends are huge fans of the rap music. We hope to achieve for Ohio greater name recognition and heightened popularity which can come just from being associated with one of these wonderful artists.”
A press release put out by the Governor’s office this afternoon cites other recent examples of rap music-based city promotion:
Nelly and the St. Lunatics have been extremely successful in drawing the eye of the world to St. Louis, and Will Smith has been able to effectively rebrand the city of Miami into a place where people can “party in the city where the heat is on, all night on the beach until the break of dawn.” Although we don’t have a beach, we hope to form a connection where performers feel comfortable enough to mention the Flats in Cleveland, Whitehall in Columbus or any part of Cincinnati.
The Governor’s plans for Hip Hop On Over to Ohio include concerts, tax incentives to performers who live and work in the state and an allotment of federal stimulus money for the support of recording facilities, late night performance venues and fashion entrepreneurs.
lol
April Foolz 96 – You got Compuserved Son!
Dont forget that Bone Thugs is a part of the greater “Mo Thug Family”. Power in numbers!
I hope Blueprint produces the next Bizzy Bone track.
Walker, this was pretty much the best April Fool’s Day ever. I’m scared to ask how much time you put into thinking up and writing these fake news stories. Have you considered a career at the Onion?
Thanks, John, and props to Bear, AlexS, and Colin Perkins for helping out. I didn’t do it all alone. And Anne was the one who suggested the Cracker Barrel idea. ;) Most of my own ideas came to me in the shower this morning. Which strangely is where all of my best ideas come from.
In case anyone is actually interested – hip hop is alive and well in Columbus. See J Rawls, Blueprint, Sinatra, Searius Add, Meta4ce, Envelope, Dominique LaRue, K Rigga, Fly.U, Zero Star, Illogic, The Late Show, just to name a few. And for what it’s worth, most of these talents are better known outside 270 than inside…
PS – You can send the recording facility stimulus check to 3335 N High St, Columbus OH 43202.