THE EAST COAST-WEST COAST KILLAS: 90s HIP-HOP EVOLUTION, 1995

Topic Summary

It's 1995 America, and hip-hop is in the limelight like it's never been. For the first time, hip-hop and r&b songs are hitting Billboard's No.1 and new rappers are appearing on the scene more than ever, producing revolutionary music and genius ideas. 

Plaguing– or promoting– this renaissance, however, are the rising tensions between the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes. With the release of popular albums in LA and the founding of the Death Row record company, New York City’s Bad Boy Records is facing a contender in the battle for hip-hop supremacy. Tension peaks when LA-based rapper Tupac “2Pac” Shakur is shot five times in November of 1944 while visiting New York City and pins it on New York City rappers Christopher “Biggie” Wallace and Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs. With an amalgamation of bloodshed, assassination attempts, cheating, allegations, arrests and distracks, hip-hop has become engulfed in crisis. Now, the major players of the feuds have agreed to come together with moderators for four days to attempt to ease the tension before things are taken too far. This new committee has the opportunity to create a united front of hip-hop music that can work together to spread its popularity world-wide. The fate of hip-hop music will be decreed by these committee members and the legacy of this committee and its decisions will hold long into the future.

Director’s Letter

Dear Delegates, 

I am so excited to welcome you to the East Coast/West Coast Hip-Hop Wars at Harvard Model United Nations 2024!! 

My name is Asher Montgomery, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College studying Integrative Biology with a secondary in History, maybe. I am from Tampa, Florida, the best city in the state, where my mom owns a Shuffleboard Bar and my dad owns chickens. My first MUN experience was in fifth grade where I represented India in the Committee on the Status of Women and had no idea what was going on. I took an eight year hiatus from MUN until last year when I served as an Assistant Director to an SA committee about pirates and had an amazing time. From there, I joined the traveling MUN team and now compete for Harvard. 

At school, I also write for the news and arts board of the Crimson, our daily newspaper, bartend at the student run pub, and practice with the Harvard Boxing Team. In the little unstructured time I have, I like playing guitar, having long conversations, walking, and of course, listening to hip-hop music. 

In our committee, we are focusing on a key moment in American music and pop culture. The East Coast West Coast killas now have the opportunity to come together and make peace when tensions are at their peak, navigating award shows, rap battles, bad press and competing record companies. Crisis arcs are essential to the path of this committee, the fate of hip-hop is in your hands. If you don't know, now you know. 

I am so excited for the fun we’re going to have in this committee and looking forward to the creativity and chaos you will cause. 

Asher

Crisis Director’s Letter

Dear Delegates,

It is my pleasure to serve as your crisis director for this amazing committee! My name is Sahil Kuchlous, and I look forward to serving as your director. I am a sophomore at Harvard College concentrating in Computer Science with a secondary in Mathematics. I grew up in Bangalore, a city in South India, and began my MUN journey as a freshman in high school. My school had an amazing and passionate culture of MUN, and my seniors inspired me to try it out myself; I have not looked back since. In high school, I participated actively in the MUN team and helped organize our own MUN, serving 3 years on the secretariat. I have now chaired multiple conferences at Harvard as well, including directing UNSC at HNMUN 2023 and DISEC at HMUN India 2022, one of our international high school conferences. I also compete on the Harvard MUN team!

Asher and I have spent countless hours planning this unique committee, and we can't wait to see the directions you all will take it. I hope you enjoy the crisis breaks the back room manages to concoct!

Sahil Kuchlous

Crisis Director

Harvard National Model United Nations 2024