Want to learn about hip hop or the hip hop music industry?

This weekend provides a perfect opportunity--the Sacramento Chapter of the Hip Hop Congress will be holding its first awareness festival May 22 through May 24 at the Washington Neighborhood Center at 400 16th Street in midtown Sacramento.

Hip Hop Congress is a nonprofit organization that identifies itself as "an international grassroots network that educates, empowers, and unites individuals...preserv[ing] and evolv[ing] hip hop by inspiring social action and cultural creativity within the community." The organization claims more than 50 chapters nationwide, in addition to chapters in Europe and Africa.

Vanessa Amarro, co-chair of Sacramento's recently formed chapter and also known as Lady Vex, explained that the purpose of the awareness festival is to introduce Hip Hop Congress to Sacramento while educating and bringing the community together with hip hop culture.

"Hip hop is a beautiful culture that brings so many nationalities together...but it gets a bad rap because there are people that don't understand it," explained Amarro. Hip Hop Congress strives not only to educate the community about hip hop culture, but also uses hip hop to educate the public on serious issues such as AIDS awareness, she added.

On Saturday, the festival will host a music industry panel with experienced industry members in order to educate aspiring hip hop artists about music business law, marketing, copyright and business practices.

"There's a lot of artists that are coming out into the hip hop scene but they're not business savvy," said Amarro.

The festival will also feature a showcase of the elements of hip hop, including live DJs, live urban art (art pieces will be made on the spot), MC cyphers, and b-boys, or "breakdancers."

Performing acts at the festival will include Akil, former member of hip hop group Jurassic 5, in addition to local acts such as Verbal Venom, Righteous Movement, and DJ Oasis.

The festival will be held between 8 p.m. and 12 a.m. on Friday, and between noon and 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are $5 per day or $10 for a three-day pass. Tickets can be purchased in advance at United State, located at 1014 24th Street in midtown Sacramento.

The proceeds from the event will go to "the Foundation," an urban arts afterschool program at Natomas High School.

For more information about the event, visit: http://www.myspace.com/sachiphopcongress

For more information about Hip Hop Congress, visit: www.hiphopcongress.com