Can You Hip Hop for Food?

Hip-hop artists are helping the hungry by raising funds for the Northeast Iowa Food Bank with a show at Octopus College Hill.

Artists from Minneapolis, Iowa City and the Cedar Valley are performing at “Will Rap for Food” on Jan 23. Proceeds from the show go to the food bank.

Waterloo rapper and musician Sotr Caf coordinated the event. He said he wanted to hold a show for a good cause but initially wasn’t sure what the cause would be.

Then he came across numbers about hunger in Iowa.

“I was surprised when I saw the number of people who use the food pantries in Iowa,” Caf said. “We can all sit around and want to help people or we could actually do something.”

Each year, the NEIFB and its partner agencies provide food assistance to about 16,000 children and approximately 4,000 seniors, according to the NEIFB.

“You don’t really understand how big the problem is until you start looking at the numbers,” Caf said.

Caf will be joined by Toki Wright and Big Cats of Minneapolis.

Caf said getting Wright on the bill was a long-shot and a hope.

“I was actually surprised we were able to book Toki Wright,” Caf said. “It’s hard sometimes to book people at his level.”

Romulan and Johnny Sixx of Iowa City hip-hop group AWTHNTKTS also will perform.

Barb Prather, executive director of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, said events like this are helpful because they also raise awareness along with resources.

“It shows the community really does understand hunger and wants to do something about it,” Prather said.

Cover for the show is $3 at the door or three nonperishable food items.

“I hope most people bring food,” Caf said.

The Northeast Iowa Food Bank provides food to partner nonprofit organizations and individuals in a 16-county area in Northeast Iowa.

By John Molseed

Source:
WCF Courier