So check it out - the Field Museum is holding a two day conference on Hip-Hop and Social Change with a key note by Mos Def and Talib Kewli no less. It looks like the conference will feature rappers, activists, and academics and will cost no more than US$100 to attend the entire thing. Too rich for my blood - but it is always heartening when conferences like this come along that cross the academic/popular culture boundary and then commence to rawk out.