Hip-hopping for the vote

If T.I., Ciara and Flo-Rida - no, not the state - are not part of your lexicon, you probably were not the demographic targeted for yesterday's well-attended star-studded hip-hop summit in Philadelphia.

Using music celebrities as a lure, organizers assembled a lineup of more than a dozen performers for the Philadelphia Hip-Hop Team Vote Summit, a nonpartisan effort to motivate young people to vote. And even though the event did not begin until 2 p.m., people got in line at Temple's Liacouras Center as early as 9:15 a.m.

"This is all about getting the largest youth vote in history," said Benjamin Chavis, president and CEO of the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund, one of the sponsors.

The free program got its impetus from the 2004 election, Chavis said, when some suggested that the increase in young voters during that contest was "a fluke."

His organization decided to prove people wrong, and it has been aggressively pushing voter registration. Since January, his group has registered 120,000 people in Pennsylvania, he said.

The state reported on Friday that 218,923 new voters have registered since January.

Emceed by Chavis - with assists from Radio One's 100.3 the Beat and Clear Channel's Power 99 - the program mixed a pep-rally atmosphere with an educational forum.

After Chavis introduced the artists, some to thunderous applause, they shared thoughts about the value of making one's voice heard and later answered audience questions.

T.I., a rapper with a rap sheet, had to get permission from Georgia authorities to travel to Pennsylvania after an October arrest on gun charges.

Describing himself as "a felon two or three times over," the platinum hip-hop star/actor emphasized the importance of voting.

"It's very, very important to fulfill your obligation to your nation," he said.

By not voting, he added, "you lose your right to complain."

R&B/pop star Ciara said: "You can be part of making a difference."

And that difference could span generations, said Flo-Rida: "Here's the chance to make your children's children's world a better place."

Russell Simmons, the rap producer introduced as the "godfather of hip-hop," participated in the forum even though he took a leave of absence from the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network after recently endorsing Sen. Barack Obama.

Like other participants, all of whom volunteered their time, Simmons' comments amplified the empowerment of voting, not a specific candidate.

"I think people are seeing the impact of the youth vote," he said. "You are going to make the critical difference."

His point resonated with Myesha Donovan, 18, of West Philadelphia.

"This is a good way to get people to vote," she said.

Sixteen-year-old Madonna Brown of Sharon Hill agreed.

"They had really great speeches," she said.

Darryl Brown, 21, of West Philadelphia, had no quarrel with the messages; however, he said he had heard them before.

"I'd mix in some entertainment next time," he said. "Maybe they could come out and do a song or two."

Jody L. Miller, a spokeswoman for the event, said attendance exceeded 7,000.

"It was a very successful day," she said. "We can't wait to see what happens in the primary."