Shefik And Toni Knight To Host Live Stream For DJ-Con, Presented By City Council Member André Wallace

Rapacon (https://www.facebook.com/rapacondjcon) is a first of its kind hip-hop experience. Founded by Curtis Sherrod, the annual event has grown to become a staple in honoring the hip-hop culture, while offering artful performances, mindful panel discussions, and priceless networking opportunities. With particular emphasis on celebrating the role of DJs in the culture, the essence of hip-hop is explored via "unending" cyphers, through the companion event titled DJ-Con.

This year, "DJ-Con: The Impact of House Music on Hip Hop" returns to Mount Vernon, New York, where the annual event will once again be presented by City Council Member André Wallace. The event celebrates the hybrid of Strictly Rhythm beats and hip-hop breaks, responsible for some of the funkiest moments under the mirror ball from the 1980s to today.

"Hip-hop and House are both from the same canon of black culture, but they come from different places," says Curtis Sherrod, Founder at Rapacon. "When they meet, they prosper, and at 'DJ-Con: The Impact of House Music on Hip Hop', the styles will collide for that always special vibe."

"This annual event is something that the hip-hop community and the City of Mount Vernon have come to look forward to," says City Council Member André Wallace of Mount Vernon, New York. "It really has set a standard for grassroots, multigenerational community events."

The event, which is free to attend, will be held on Saturday, September 8, 2018, from noon to 6 p.m. ET, at 28 East 1st St., Mount Vernon, NY 10550.

Throughout the day, multiple DJs will spin, as part of a non-stop cipher-style presentation that Rapacon and DJ-Con are known for. Media personality Shefik (http://shefik.info) of "Shefik presents Invocation" (http://invocation.co) will be taking the helm to host the event's live stream, where he will be conducting one-on-one interviews with many of the event's participants. Shefik will be accompanied by hip-hop connoisseur Toni Knight, who will serve as co-host.

The live stream can be viewed at Rapacon's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rapacondjcon), with broadcasts scheduled throughout the entire day. Baroness Olga Papkovitch, Vincent Iiyambo, Marvin Jay, and Rui Benros will be on-hand as Production Assistants, as they aid in the coordination of the broadcasts.

"I look forward to once again supporting the community activities of Mount Vernon, New York," says Shefik. "DJ-Con has set the stage this year to remind us of our musical roots," adds Toni Knight. "Those of us that love and respect hip-hop for not only being a genre of music, but a complete lifestyle and culture, have come to appreciate House music in the same way. We pay homage to the original hip-hop DJs - DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Grand Wizzard Theodore - for helping to ignite a culture. We must also respect House music originators - Frankie Knuckles and Mr. Fingers - for their contributions."

Shefik is a Professional Member at the New York Chapter of National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NY Emmys), as well as a National Associate Member at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Primetime Emmy Awards). The organizations are dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational, and technical achievements within the television industry. They recognize excellence in television with the coveted Emmy Award. Recently, Shefik was appointed Official Member to the Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives. Membership is based upon professional accomplishments, and the council is comprised of a diverse, innovative, and extremely well-connected network of top-flight technologists. Shefik joins other Forbes Technology Council members, who are hand-selected, to become part of a curated network of successful peers and get access to a variety of exclusive benefits and resources, including the opportunity to submit thought leadership articles and short tips on industry-related topics for publishing on forbes.com.

Shefik is currently celebrating over 20 years in the professional workforce. He began his career as an entertainment publicist, working with companies such as Motown Music Publishing, Island Black Music (Island Records), and Double XXposure, as well as high-profile recording artists, such as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee The Isley Brothers, 5-time Grammy Award winner Dionne Warwick, and Tony Award winner and 4-time Grammy Award nominee Melba Moore. Shefik later expanded his skillset to technology, where he worked as Technical Producer at TIME magazine. Afterwards, he worked as Web Developer and Engineer at Condé Nast Digital (Vanity Fair, GQ, Wired), Vimeo, Columbia Law School (Columbia University), Publicis Modem (LG, Sanofi Pasteur), HUGE, and Penton Media, among others. Additionally, he has held senior-level positions at many celebrated brands, including IBM, NBCUniversal (CNBC, Syfy, Chiller), MTV World, Merck, Merriam-Webster, and Wolters Kluwer. It is apparent that Shefik is on the cutting edge of multimedia, as he also serves as Executive Producer and Host of the nationally syndicated radio show and internationally syndicated video series, "Shefik presents Invocation". Shefik uses this media platform to amplify the voices and acknowledge the thought patterns of people across a variety of ages, ethnicities, occupations, creeds, and belief systems. The radio show is oftentimes aligned with Shefik's various philanthropic endeavors and alliances with non-profit organizations.

As of this writing, "Shefik presents Invocation" has won a total of 34 industry awards (for audio, video, and website), many of which were awarded at the highest level. When packaged as the radio show, "Shefik presents Invocation" is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking journey through musical discovery and appreciation that spans the decades. Each one-hour episode, executive-produced and hosted by Shefik, highlights one relatable focal point (chosen by Shefik), along with an accompanying playlist of songs (curated by Shefik), encompassing a unique thematic concept that invigorates the audience with creative impact. Top recording artists, actors, business executives, politicians, community leaders, and other special guests are invited to offer their own commentary on the topic, as a supplement to Shefik's engaging mindset. The radio show is currently broadcast on 21 terrestrial radio stations and frequencies throughout the United States.

The radio show's online hub at invocation.co serves as a conduit for discussion of the show, while featuring related videos and auxiliary content. Through various distribution agreements, Shefik also produces accompanying video content (similarly titled "Shefik presents Invocation"), which can be viewed internationally on Amazon, in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, as well as via other notable outlets worldwide, such as FUBU TV. The video content can also be viewed throughout the United States via a variety of outlets, inclusive of storefronts, medical offices, car dealerships, restaurants, salons, urgent care centers, pharmacies, malls, sports arenas, and more. Particularly, Shefik's video content can be viewed at heavily trafficked locations, such as the 10,000 seat Webster Bank Arena (Bridgeport, CT), and the casino Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, CT). As an award-wining videographer and producer, Shefik's work has been featured in television broadcasts and video productions for TIME magazine, The Washington Center, "Unsung" (TV One), Broadway World, and a major news station in New York City. Additionally, his photography has been featured in print and online publications, such as Daily Mail, Harvard Kennedy School Magazine, Playbill, and China Press. The journey continues right here and everywhere.

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