VH1 in Sierra Leone This Week With Hip-Hop Artists Paul Wall, Raekwon and Tego Calderon Filming its Newest Rock Doc, 'Bling: A Planet Rock' (Tentative Title)
NEW YORK, July 12 -- VH1 is in Sierra Leone this week with
hip-hop artists Paul Wall, Raekwon (of Wu Tang Clan), and reggaeton king
Tego Calderon, to begin filming "Bling: A Planet Rock" (tentative title), a
new documentary under VH1's Rock Docs franchise. The film set to air on VH1
in early 2007 will take a hard-hitting look at the diamond trade in Sierra
Leone, West Africa, and how "blinging" in the flashy world of commercial
hip-hop played a role in the country's civil war.
The 11-year war was largely perpetuated by genocidal rebels and
primarily funded through the illegal trading of conflict or "blood"
diamonds. Wall, Raekwon and Calderon will hear first-hand accounts of the
atrocities suffered during this time and the role that diamonds played as
they visit mining communities and meet with local musicians, government
officials and children. Produced by Article 19 Films in association with
VH1 and the United Nations Development Program, "Bling: A Planet Rock,"
will capture hip-hop's reaction to the human violations, bring global
awareness to this issue, and educate Americans about how they can play a
role in eradicating the smuggling of blood diamonds.
SOURCE VH1
http://www.vh1.com
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