In your midweek rap round up get Barack Obama's take on Hip Hop, the latest on Remy Ma and Kelly Rowlands on tour collapse

Barack Obama on Hip-Hop
The youngest Presidential candidate in the US election has recently been talking about Hip-Hop and its effect on the youth of today in America where Hip-Hop is a multi billion dollar industry. The media and certain organizations have often condemned the music and it's culture for issues pertaining to the younger generations"I don't think that the Hip-Hop community is responsible for youth violence, but I think they haven't fully stepped up to the responsibilities to change the attitudes among youth," he said. "I think that the Hip-Hop community musicians have such sway over our young people. That's where so much of their information is received." Obama gave his speech in his home city of Chicago where the church has recently voiced its distaste with Hip-Hop by putting up billboards which show rappers who have shown tendencies to promote misogynistic lyrics. "There's enormous potential for a positive message to be transmitted,' he explained while talking to reporters.
Witness says Remy Ma didn't shoot
An anonymous witness has stepped forward and told AllHipHop.com that Remy Ma was not the person responsible for shooting Makeda Barnes-Joseph after a night out in Manhattan on early Saturday morning. The rapper who is set to appear in court on April 14th was released from Rikers Island after her manager used his home as collateral to make the $250,000 bail. Remy Ma, born Remy Smith was charged on Sunday after she surrendered to local authorities with attempted murder, assault and weapons charges.

Kelly Rowland collapses
Member of Destiny's Child Kelly Rowland who is currently on a world wide promotional tour for her new album collapsed while performing on stage in Nigeria's capital, Lagos at the This Day Music Festival. The cause for her collapse was dehydration according to her manager and the singer who released her Ms. Kelly album, her second solo album last month.

Rowland was allowed to leave the hospital after being checked over. Other performers at the Nigerian festival were Latin sensation Shakira and the chart topping Rihanna.

Hip-Hop Honorees
The fourth VH1 Hip-Hop Honors award show in New York City which will air on October 8th of this year will be acknowledging the talents of Snoop Dogg, Whodini and Missy Elliot in the fourth year of the show.

The show which has been critically acclaimed for recognizing Hip-Hop will also pay homage to Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell for their involvement in the emergence of New Jack Swing, a hybrid of Hip-Hop and R&B which became increasingly popular in the late 80's early 90's.

The event will take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in the heart of New York City.

Melanie J Cornish