photo by steed media service

Chris Robinson was 16 years old and saved diligently to attend the historic Fresh Fest concert when it toured through the country 25 years ago.

Now the creative director for Boost Mobile RockCorps (BMRC), Robinson taps into his music and film connections to give free concerts featuring hip-hop's biggest stars, as a reward for teens who participate in community service activities. "When you think about the concept; we put on major concerts around the country and we don't charge for it - that's huge," says Robinson. "[The kids] didn't win that ticket, they didn't get that money from their parents, they earned it and in the process of going to that show, they learn about volunteerism and that their four hours really do matter in the world."

Since 2005, RockCorps and Boost Mobile have encouraged more than 25,000 young people in 13 cities to contribute 100,000 hours of community service. "For us we want the youth to know they have the resources and they're able to make change in their community," says Antoinette Maybry, Boost Mobile marketing manager.

Robinson say he hopes that through the power of hip-hop, BMRC will become a movement. "When you're there and you get your hands dirty, you sweat and you see the difference that it made in somebody's life, that's when you know how powerful it can be, and that's why we think this program should continue to go on," says Robinson. "We're crazy enough to believe that RockCorps can change the world." -gavin philip godfrey

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