Note: This event has been indefinitely postponed (get well soon Vivian!!!). Check back at the CyberKrib for news on rescheduling...

After years of being rooted in South Beach, Florida, Peter Thomas has decided to take the worlds biggest hip hop convention overseas, to London, England for 2000. Peter Thomas Entertainment is joined by Time Zone international in this year's venture, whose job will be to round up artists and hip hop heads from around the globe to this year festivities in the UK. The aim of this years event is to "Promote and showcase signed and unsigned artists, unify Hip-Hop and Urban music as an International cultural movement, bridge the gap between industry veterans and novices, and educate and accumulate knowledge through strategically built panels"

Peter Thomas is the founder of "How Can I Be Down?" which has had it's home in the U.S. since it's arrival in '93. The event has been highly successful in the past, attracting the biggest names in hip hop, both on the artist side and the business side. Time Zone International is a New York based promotion and marketing company, run by three experienced and well connected individuals, responsible for breaking North American artists internationally, as well bringing international artists into North America. Vivian Scott Chew is founder and principal of Time Zone International, who previously worked as a high-profile A&R at various major record labels. Sol Guy, hailing originally from Vancouver Canada, has moved his own label Figure IV Entertainment to Brooklyn, NY following a successful career as National Urban Rep for BMG Canada, and a brief stint as Director in International Artist Development for Arista. Third member, Cookie Pryce was recently appointed Director of New Development, following a short career with Polygram UK in The Cookie Crew, followed by a position at Universal Music in London in club and radio promotions.

This year's event will attract over 1200 attendees from around the world, held in the heart of London at the Cumberland Hotel on Marble Arch. The four-day event will include MC/DJ showcases, fashion shows, breakdancing competitions, world talent showcases, gospel performance, international film festival, and graffiti exhibition. The line-up of guest speakers and sponsors reads like a who's-who in today's urban music scene, in a conference that will surely be a coming out event for many skilled new artists from outside of the U.S., who would rarely get a chance to do so on an international stage.

Sponsors: The Source, Def Jam Records, Loud Records, Motown Records, Choice-FM (UK), Pride Magazine (UK), Figure IV Entertainment (Canada), HH Productions (France), Mean Fiddler Promotions (UK) and American Airlines.

Conference Chairs:

Steven Rifkind (Owner - LOUD Records/SRC)
Jocelyn Cooper (Senior Vice President - Universal Records)
Andre Harrell (President Bad Boy Entertainment)
Wendy Day (Founder of Rap Coalition)
Kevin Liles (President - Def Jam)
Kedar Massenburg (President CEO - Motown Records)
David Mays (Founder/Editor - The Source Magazine)
Charlie Stettler (President - Tin Pan Apple)
Tone and Poke (Track Masters - Executive Vice President - Columbia Records)

Honorary Chairman: The Legendary George A. Jackson