Nobel Peace Prize Forum: Brother Ali & Omar Offendum Hip Hop and Peace: featuring TED-style presentations and mini musical sets from hip hop artists Brother Ali and Omar Offendum. Following their mini-set, each artist will talk about their music, their roles as activists and humanitarians, the social and moral dimensions of their music as a force to unite communities, and whether artists have a special moral responsibility. Artist presentations followed by a moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Brother Ali Hip hop artist, speaker and activist from Minneapolis, Brother Ali’s distinguished resume includes six critically acclaimed albums, and mentorships with iconic hip hop legends Chuck D and Rakim. and performances on late night talk shows with Conan O Brien, Jimmy Fallon and Craig Ferguson. Ali’s latest album, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color, was issued in 2012 and is his commentary on the political, socioeconomic, and cultural suffering in modern American life. It also is a declaration of hope and possibility for a brighter future.
Omar Offendum Syrian-American hip hop artist, educator, speaker, and activist, Omar Offendum was born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Washington, D.C., and lives in Los Angeles. He has been featured on major news programs including Rolling Stone, PBS, Aljazeera, the LA Times, The New York Times, and more. He is an activist who helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for humanitarian relief, writes and sings about democratic uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa.
