Street Sense: Explain how Art Start began and how it evolved.
Scott K. Rosenberg: I created Art Start in 1991 as a way to connect to children and teens denied opportunities and access to use the arts as a tool for change. Kids love the creative process and it's a real springboard for them feeling connected and engaged and giving them a voice.

The first program of Art Start was working with kids in homeless shelters. I just went to a couple of homeless shelters where there were kids and said, "I am an artist and I want to work with kids." And they said, "Cool." And I would go in and we would do on-going projects. In some sense, there is a model that would connect to what Street Sense is about. We recreated their work in a newsletter called the Art Start Paper and it was a tool to document work and give them a sense of empowerment and giving them a voice.

SS: How did the Hip Hop Project develop?

SKR:

And that is where I met Kazi. Kazi had been running the streets and was homeless but I could tell there was something special about this kid. And what happened was a bunch of kids were in a hallway would do a free style and rapping to each other in these groups called ciphers, and one day I brought them to a room and gave them a microphone and amplifiers and beats and they would take turns rapping and rhyming together. And the school shut it down. They said, "We don't like what they are saying, we don't understand it. We hear curses and they can't do that any more."

And that's when seeds of the Hip Hop Project were born. Both Kazi and I realized this would be a great way to reach young people, and reach them where they are and give them a voice. And he began to assist me with teaching and working with kids in alternative sentencing programs and kids in other last chance high school and to develop the Hip Hop Project.

SS: Where did the movie idea come from?
SKR: I had taken the kids to see "Hoop Dreams" and the theater would not let the kids in because they were a bunch of rough-neck black kids, as they saw it. And they didn't want the kids in the theater. I had to threaten to call the police and they finally let us in.

And when we left I could not find Kazi and I went back in and he was slumped in his chair and I figured he was asleep because at the time he did not have a home and was running the streets. So I touched him on the shoulder and said, "Kazi, we got to go." And there were tears streaming down his face. He was so moved by film and the power of film and telling the story in such a genuine way.

At that moment, we both knew there was going to be a movie in our future together.

So a couple years later, as Kazi started working with me and as he created the Hip Hop Project at Art Start, he began to document kids, he was already thinking and planning this dream of a movie and it became evident early on that there were some really amazing stories emerging. The beauty of these young people and the love stories and tragedies that came out were all themes that everyone can relate to.

SS: Where you thinking just a small independent film or national distribution?
SKR: We decided and knew from day one, that we were going to make a movie and shoot a film that is powerful and visually compelling. Our dream from the start was to make a movie that would become a movement and reach a global audience.

I have come to realize that in the film industry that is not the way things are done. But with Kazi's dream and vision and the potential of these young people, I felt that it was my mission to use the film to make an impact to reach people and connect with people. When people connect and come together and use their voice and share their stories, that's when great positive things happen and healing happens and we see great transformation.

SS: How did you recruit students for the Hip Hop Project?
SKR: Kazi went back to the last chance high schools talking about hip hop and asking, "Do you want to make music?" And that was the hook. But they did not realize they would spend the next few years doing some soul searching and learning more about who they were while also honing their skills as artists and learning about the business of the industry.

There were 30 kids at the beginning and 10 or so at the end. It is hard work and it's not all fun and exciting. But when they learned that there is a lot more to their lives and dreams than becoming a rap star, then they began to care and want to tell their stories that were very personal and meaningful and were not gratuitous or attention getting but had deeper meaning and value.

SS: While you are very involved in Art Start and the Hip Hop Project, you only appeared in one scene. Was this a conscious move?
SKR: I had and still continue to have such a dynamic relationship with Kazi, and I felt that story was already told. Oprah did a piece on Art Start, and Bravo did a documentary that featured a couple groups and showed our relationship. So I felt that Kazi's story standing on its own two feet and the story of the next generation was so compelling and so exciting that it needed to be told on its own.

And I felt it was critical to extract myself from the narrative of the film so that is why I decided to collaborate with filmmaker Matt Ruskin. He is someone that is utterly detached from the kids. And at first this seemed odd to them that Matt was so neutral but it works in the way I wanted to because the kids were left with not having much of a dialogue with the camera but left living their lives and putting themselves out there.

SS: Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah are listed as executive producers, can you explain their involvement?
SKR: You see Bruce Willis play into the stories and become a character intertwined with the lives of the kids in a pivotal way. It's exciting to see that play out on screen. And he just felt the film had such a powerful story that he wanted to lend his name to it as executive producer and that has been invaluable.

And then Kazi screened the film for Queen Latifah and she was deeply moved by the story and she also offered to lend her name.

And it has been tremendous with them lending their name and support to the film and it really catches people's attentions as something important that crosses a lot of different lines. We have these two icons in our culture that you would not necessarily put in the same sentence, yet they have come together and feel it's a deeply important issue. We are very thankful and appreciative to have them involved them in the project.

SS: What are your thoughts on the current focus on Hip Hop and its language in light of the Don Imus racial comment?
SKR: The current controversy around hip hop is disturbing. In many ways our popular culture has many images in the media of violence and degradation to women and to people of color and very stereotypical images. But hip hop is being singled out as the evil perpetrator of this.

All art has sides to it that can be harsh or offensive but hip hop is much a fuller richer culture. Now, I am not the spokesperson for hip hop but Kazi talks about bringing balance to it. And these stories of these young people really show the balance of the culture and the richness and beauty of the young African American men and women that are the heart and soul of this culture. The Hip Hop Project is very compelling bringing to life what hip hop is in a deeper truer sense.

SS: Have Art Start or the Hip Hop Project been replicated elsewhere?
SKR: There are all kinds of great organizations in D.C. and around the country like Art Start, but they are very specific to the communities, and that's what we want to do with "The Hip Hop Project." I believe each community has it own best way to reach people, so rather than replicating Art Starts everywhere, what we are doing is replicating the curriculum and educational materials and then they can take it to community and adapt it to what works best for them.

SS: All of the profits are going back to a select group of organizations that serves young people. Why did you decide to do this?
SKR: I was really inspired by Kazi's example, and I really admired his decision. So because of my unique relationship with Think Films, our distributor, we are to give the net profits back to the community. The film that opens May 11 and it's going to be a powerful tool for social change. Its and exciting and entertaining movie but underneath, it has this powerful story of transformation that is inspiring.

The tangible outcomes are change and resources for the community. So depending on how well this film does, it could mean tremendous economic resources that instead of going to the studio are going to the people.

SS: Where is the Hip Hop Project now and what is its next step?
SKR: Princess is now running the program and is on the road meeting people for the film and there are now about 20 kids in the program.

As for what's the next step, I will be spending the next few years sharing this film nationally and globally and going to refugee camps in Africa and to Europe, the Middle East and the Far East and letting this be a tool for connection and healing and a tool for change.