Aiming to shine some positivity and hope on a host of tough cultural issues, local writers, activists, and hip-hop artists MC Solo Camp (a.k.a. Marion Gadsden) and Adofo (a.k.a. Darren Campbell) teamed up to form the group First Agenda and produce a studio album titled Stop Black Murder.
Produced by busy Charleston turntablist DJ AKFool, and funded in part by a grant from the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs and the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Program, the 11-song album kicks off with a mission statement: “First Agenda is more than a group; it’s a movement … we need your help to spread the word. The Civil Rights Movement did not get going until the youth got involved … today, we are fighting our final battle.”
Currently, the disc is on sale at Monster Movies & Music and Loco Records. In a press release, the group states, “We wanted to create something powerful to deal directly with the problem of black-on-black crime and murder. Our mission is to improve grades, self-esteem, and, subsequently, the behavior of disadvantaged African-American youth by broadening their perspective of black history and culture.”
This fall, First Agenda plans to personally bring their music and message to 19 high schools and middle schools in the state. Visit firstagenda.org for more info.
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