Chattanooga Hip-Hop Week closes Saturday with day of events and education

Chattanooga Hip-Hop Week is more than a celebration of music, organizers say, it’s an opportunity for local artists and others in the industry to learn about turning their love for hip-hop into a business.

The keynote speaker for the week’s Hip-Hop Summit was Dame Dash, entrepreneur and co-founder of New York City-based hip-hop record label Roc-A-Fella Records. The weeklong series of events ends with a full day Saturday.

“Get out your phone,” Dash encouraged several people in the green room of Chattanooga Theatre Centre soon after he entered Friday. He wants people to download America Nu, an online video platform he founded to break the stranglehold of Big Tech on artists, and one of Dash’s multiple business ventures.

Learning the focus and professionalism Dash demonstrates is one of the goals of Chattanooga Hip-Hop Week, according to Micah Chapman, the Hip-Hop Summit’s co-founder.