Hip-hop artists of the 90s will perform in favor of young black scientists | Music | Pittsburgh

Dr. Andre Samuel, founder, president and CEO of the first public life science lab in Pittsburgh, The Citizen Science Lab, watched the replays Jefferson, What’s going on !!and Sanford and son when he noticed that a topic had emerged. When someone from their community needed financial help, the heroes of the show gathered together to hold a charity concert.

“I grew up during Farm Aid and Live Aid, where charity concerts were held to solve world problems,” says Samuel. “I think we can do the same to solve problems at home in our communities, and that’s the kind of finish I was hoping to start with this type of fundraiser.”

Participate in the upcoming concert of The Citizen Science Lab Flying Beyond Intergalactic Boundaries Through STEM. Featuring some of the best hip-hop performers and rappers of the 90s – Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rakim, Das EFX and Positive K – the concert, scheduled for Sun May 29 at Stage AE, will help the lab continue its a mission to increase the number of underrepresented groups in the sciences.

“Music is what supports us, and it guides us many times,” says Samuel. “Make sure we connect through music and connect music with science, it’s a great way to keep in touch with the younger generations.”

The Citizen Science Lab, founded in 2015 in partnership with Duken University and the former nonprofit Urban Innovation 21, is essentially a platform for science and STEM. Their team creates science channels for diverse communities, providing students across the Pittsburgh region with access to practical and relevant real-life experiments – using the same equipment and subjects found in research labs at the industry or university level.

This year is the second fundraising concert held by the lab, and for the first time the event will be held in person; the inaugural show was scheduled just before the pandemic and eventually went into virtual form. The 2022 space theme “Flying Across the Galactic Through STEM” was chosen to remind minority communities that, like the recent influx of millionaires and entrepreneurs flying into space, they may also be part of space exploration.

But why retro hip-hop and rap lineup? Well, that’s partly because Samuel wanted to choose acts that people hadn’t seen in a long time, but he felt they wanted to see, “it’s not too late”.

“They were some of the greatest CUs and pioneers of hip-hop, and I grew up listening to them,” he says. “I wanted to keep us in touch with the ’90s and the roots of the’ 90s.” But the decision also stemmed from one of Samuel’s enduring goals: to dispel myths about black people in the sciences.

“One of these myths is that if you’re black and doing science, you’re a nerd and a geek, not in everything we [as Black people] tend to be cultural; which makes us unique wonderful people who we are, “says Samuel.” So why not come to some of the greatest MCs in the universe and bring people together to celebrate STEM? ”

The Citizen Science Lab program typically serves approximately 400 children throughout the year, and since 2015 they have covered more than 4,250 students. The next charity concert is one of the biggest fundraisers of the laboratory of the year, where they will cover the achievements of their students together with music. In addition, one graduate of the program, who is currently studying in a scientific discipline at the college, will receive a Maduro Prize consisting of a scholarship and a trophy made of blown glass, made by hand by black glass artist Percy Ecols II.

“It’s really important to get people to come out and support the event because all that funding goes directly to support one of those 4,250,” Samuel says. “This is actually what we are talking about. We are an organization that takes great care to open the door to career opportunities in STEM and STEM for our community. ”