Hip Hop Summit in L.A.

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West Coast rappers who weren't able to attend the National Hip-Hop Summit in New York last summer will convene next month in Los Angeles.

The artists will discuss conflict resolution and other issues pertaining to the West Coast hip-hop community on February 13 and 14 at an undetermined location, according to a spokesperson for the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, which is organizing the event.

The network, launched last year by hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons (see "P. Diddy Joins Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network"), will hold its second national summit in Los Angeles in June, the spokesperson said.

Last year's summit gathered artists such Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, LL Cool J and Ja Rule (see "P. Diddy, Luther Campbell On Hand As Rap Summit Begins") and resulted in the formation of a mentoring program and an agreement on a new set of marketing guidelines (see "P. Diddy, Jermaine Dupri Help Announce Hip-Hop Initiatives").

Hip-Hop Summit Action Network also established Nu America, a political action committee that will provide political contributions to candidates who take a strong stance on freedom of speech and who are supportive of political issues affecting the hip-hop community.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, was one of the early supporters of the network and is scheduled to attend February's summit, as is Minister Ben Muhammad, president of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. No artists have been confirmed yet, the spokesperson said.

February's meetings will take place behind closed doors, though results will likely be announced at a press conference on February 15.