Such academics as DePaul University�s Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; Harvard University�s Dr. Cornell West; Dr. Manning Marable of Columbia University; civil rights leader Martin Luther King III of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) and other elected officials spoke and listened with great concern to the issues discussed.

"I hope this array of celebrities attending this session will open the door to politically-minded members of the hip hop community that are not here today," award winning music producer and New York radio commentator James Mtume told The Final Call. "That will be the only way we can extend the rhetoric to political action that must happen in the hip hop community."

Mr. Mtume declined to name the leaders he was referring to.

"We will bring hip hop culture to Capitol Hill, and we will bring Capitol Hill to our neighborhoods," Mario Velasquez, executive director of Rock the Vote, said during the hip hop summit press conference on June 14 in the N.Y. Hilton Hotel. Rock the Vote, according to Mr. Velasquez, registered over a million youth for the 2000 presidential election.

Senator Joe Lieberman�s "Media and Market Accountability Act" has the hip hop community looking more to the political arena. On April 26, 2001 Sen. Lieberman (D-Conn.) introduced S-792 which says: "Targeted marketing to minors of an adult-related motion picture, music recording or electronic games shall be treated as a deceptive act or practice."

Sen. Lieberman�s message, censor yourself or we will do it for you, is very clear, say observers. "If the entertainment industry continues to market degradation and death to our children, paying no heed to the bloodshed staining our communities, then the government will act," the Senator has warned.

"This political thing is very serious," Luke, from the now defunct group 2 Live Crew, told The Final Call. "We now have government organizations like the Federal Communications Commission trying to take jobs away from Blacks," the veteran rapper said, referring to the FCC�s recent attempts to restrict how radio stations play hip hop music.

Summit organizer Russell Simmons has made public his dismay for the recent $7,000 fine by the FCC against a Pueblo, Colo., FM station for the playing of white rapper Eminem�s record "The Real Slim Shady."

At the press conference, a report titled "Hip Hop Summit Results and Resolves" was distributed that urged, "Now is the time to assume a strong political stance."

Three members of the Congressional Black Caucus that agree with this assessment are Representatives McKinney, Benny Thompson (D-Miss.) and Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.). They did not wait for the hip hop community to come to Washington; they came to New York to warn the hip hop community that the conservatives are serious about regulating their music.

"Washington can regulate you out of business if you do not know how to react," Rep. Thompson said at a press conference following the closed door meeting attended by the three officials. "The hip hop community must register young people to vote."

"We are not speaking for the CBC," Rep. McKinney told the press. "We are here because these are our constituents and we believe that hip hop should be given the opportunity to police itself."

"If we don�t wake up, the government is going to steal the industry from us," agreed rapper Shakim. "While we are chasing materialism, the politicians will replace all of us. A lot of it has to do with [race]."

Hip hop summit moderator Min. Benjamin Muhammad of the Nation of Islam announced that a coalition of organizations had formed during the summit that would empower not only the hip hop community politically, but will include the communities at large.

"We are establishing a national Political Action Committee (PAC) that will work to educate our constituency on the issues. Our PAC will also choose candidates that we are going to work to put in office, and we are going to oppose candidates that oppose us and put them out of office," Min. Muhammad told reporters.

But there is an old saying that all politics are local, and Russell Simmons brought that idea right back to New York City, reminding the press that there was a mayoral race taking place and the hip hop community was well aware of what was at stake.

"Many in hip hop are interested in unity and bringing the races, Black and white, together. To that end, we are endorsing mayor Mark Green," Mr. Simmons told a stunned audience.

The rap mogul explained that there is a poor people�s movement already in motion, and there is concern in the hip hop community for people that are suffering.

"Whoever is chosen�because we might change our minds�that person will stand up to their responsibility to us," Sean Combs told reporters, cautioning the press to take what Russell Simmons said seriously. "You are going to see the difference in the numbers that we turn out to the polls. Beyond that, though, you will see the power and strength that we have in the marketing arena.

"This is not just about political enlightenment. These candidates must come to the hip hop community to listen to our concerns and the concerns of the poor people all over this city," Mr. Combs told reporters.