Press Release Author = Lyrical Knockout Entertainment
Industry = Entertainment
Press Release Summary = Jasmine Guy/Deejay Ra Release Literacy PSA
Press Release Body = Hollywood heavyweights Jasmine Guy, Giancarlo Esposito and Keith David have collaborated with Canadian music personality Raoul S. Juneja (a.k.a. Deejay Ra) for a series of Black History Month themed audio PSAs for Lyrical Knockout Entertainment\'s \'Hip-Hop Literacy\' campaign.
Juneja launched the \'Hip-Hop Literacy\' campaign February 2004 with support from American literary legend Elmore Leonard. An April 2005 \'VerveGirl\' Canadian youth magazine profile of the campaign took Juneja\'s reading list and writing workshop elements into classrooms for the first time, with VerveGirl\'s 180,000 bilingual student readers taking part in a poetry contest across 1,600 Canadian schools, sponsored by Canada\'s Indigo-Chapters bookstores and Juneja\'s award-winning Lyrical Knockout Entertainment label.
The following year saw the \'Hip-Hop Literacy\' campaign focus on live events, with Juneja\'s readings and book giveaways being featured at the Nelson Mandela Children\'s Fund Canada and CapAids \'HipHop4Africa\' February 2006 benefit. In December, the campaign continued its classroom programs with Toronto\'s Nelson Mandela Park school acting as a backdrop to Juneja\'s lessons, spanning from rap icon Tupac Amaru Shakur to world leader Nelson Mandela.
Recent spin-offs to Juneja\'s \'Hip-Hop Literacy\' campaign have included a comic themed endeavor with \"Spider-Man\" creator Stan Lee, as well as civil rights themed initiatives with the support of Malcolm X\'s daughter, author Ilyasah Shabazz, and Nelson Mandela comrade, author Mac Maharaj.
\"Start reading what you love first, then you will begin to learn and retain information in a fun way,\" writes actress Jasmine Guy in her \'Hip-Hop Literacy\' endorsement letter. Jasmine\'s former co-stars in over 75 productions since 1988 have included Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett, Wesley Snipes, Halle Berry, Robert Forster, and most memorably comedy legends Red Foxx and Richard Pryor in Eddie Murphy\'s Oscar nominated \"Harlem Nights\" film. In addition to recording a self-titled debut album in 1990, Jasmine published a book in 2004 of her conversations with civil rights leader Afeni Shakur, mother of best-selling rap musician of all time Tupac Amaru Shakur, entitled \"Evolution of a Revolutionary\".
\"Please keep reading, whether it\'s Muhammad Ali or any biography from your favorite movie,\" explains actor Giancarlo Esposito in his PSA recording with Juneja. In addition to playing Cassius Clay Sr. opposite Will Smith in Michael Mann\'s Oscar nominated \"Ali\" film, Giancarlo\'s former co-stars in over 100 productions since 1984 have included Ossie Davis, N\'Bushe Wright, Yaphet Kotto, Pam Grier and Mario Van Peebles among others.
\"Reading is fundamental whether it\'s Jam Master Jay, Lisa \'Left\' Eye Lopes, or any book about your favorite musician,\" adds actor Keith David in his PSA recording with Juneja. Keith\'s acclaimed roles in over 125 productions since 1986 have included portrayals of Charlie Parker\'s mentor Buster Franklin in Clint Eastwood\'s \"Bird\", and of Tiger Woods\' father Earl in Levar Burton\'s \"Tiger Woods Story\". In addition to narrating Ken Burns\' 2001 \"Jazz\" TV series, Keith won an Emmy Award for his narration of Burns\' 2004 documentary about Jack Johnson, the first African-American Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
2025
