How Hip Hop for the homeless is changing the community
CAFETERIA SITS DOWN WITH FOUNDER JOEY BATTS
We are in the thick of the holiday season as the temperatures dip and flurries of snow begin to decorate the sky. While the winter brings a heavy dose of festive cheer for many of us, the typically joyful time of year can be distressing for those without homes.
Exposure to freezing climates coupled with lack of access to resources can leave the homeless population in a dire situation. While the media often portrays homelessness as a choice, we know all too well it can happen to anyone. Rapper and teacher Joey Batts understands how common homelessness as he realized that some of his very own high school students were in a similar situation, hopping from couch to couch. Compelled by the desire to do good, Hip Hop for the Homeless was born, blending music with charity to uplift the community. Now, in its 10th year of running, the series of local concerts are using the genre as a catalyst for goodwill, inspiring us all to find creative ways to support one another.
“Hip Hop for the Homeless is the gentle push people need to give back to the community, while reworking the stigma of homelessness.”
With concerts coming up in Manchester and Norwich this weekend, continue scrolling to hear more from Joey Batts on the power of hip hop and the legacy Hip Hop for the Homeless is leaving behind.
What led you to start Hip Hop for the Homeless?
It started all those years back because I wanted to do something around the holidays to create a better experience for other people. Giving to the homeless and helping out the displaced community is something that’s common during this time of year, so initially wasn’t my first choice. However, it wasn’t until I started thinking about the students that I was working with at the time, that I started to think differently about the stereotypes of homeless peeople and how that community isn't what the media portrays. For some, it can look like sleeping on a couch or running away and staying with friends. I realized homelessness can and does impact the high school students I see and work with on a daily basis. After that epiphany, the purpose of my philanthropy fell into that category.
How does music provide a gateway to people better understanding and wanting to help the homeless?
Giving back to the community through the arts is at the heart of what I do and disguising it as a benefit concert softens the blow and creates an incredible amount of accessibility. If you go back to the hip hop era from the late ‘80s and the early ‘90s, you’ll see that hip hop was one of the only genres that really had its roots in the community. It was an intentional cultural haven for BIPOC members of the community and was designed to uplift it. We were raised on the idea of not knocking the community down. You don’t rob someone within the community that has less than you. Hip hop was made for the neighborhood. I think there is just some natural goodwill that is embedded within it that makes it a vessel to give back to the community. Hip Hop for the Homeless is special in that it can be really hard to get rappers to perform for free, but we’ll have artists wanting to play more shows. The feeling they get after performing with us is different from what they might experience all year.
How has Hip Hop for the Homeless specifically benefited the cities it tours? What organizations do you partner with and how is the money being used?
For every city, we pair a specific food pantry with a specific homeless shelter, so none of the rappers or the DJs take any money. All the money raised in that city goes directly to these amazing organizations that are working with these folks year round. We figure out exactly what to suggest attendees to bring, whether that be non-perishable items, canned food or toys. Over the past 9 years, we’ve raised $35,954.
Both the hip hop and homeless communities are largely misunderstood and stigmatized. How does this common ground unite them?
I’ve been to a lot of different shows from rock and punk to ska and hip hop concerts are the only ones where the media will wait for a fight to break out or something bad to happen. There is such a negative stigma placed on hip hop that all the media wants to focus on is violence. With Hip Hop for the Homeless, we’re reworking that stigma and changing the narrative with a series of charity concerts and good deed events. You can see this spirit of goodwill trickle down and stay strong over the years as we’ll get people who come year in and out, wearing merchandise from past concerts. Oftentimes, people want to give, they just need a gentle reminder or a little push.
