Longing for Summer? The H2O: Hip Hop Odyssey Awards honored Hip-Hop filmmakers, industry professionals, and pioneers in the Hip-Hop game, leaving me star struck.

As a self-proclaimed granddaughter of Hip-Hop, I was excited to attend the closing award show for the Hip Hop Odyssey International Film Festival that took place in New York City this past summer, but I could not have predicted how amazing the event would be. The intimate affair took place at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in Times Square.  The lights were down low, candles lit, and the DJs were setting up the 1s and 2s. The whole vibe of the event was intimate, comfortable, but full of that energy that hip hop is all about. I was most surprised about how real and welcoming everyone was. Being in a room full of the people I listened to growing up to and looked up to, I was awestruck and I could barely talk as abrazos and besos were passed around.

I got a chance to catch up with Iris Morales, the Puerto Rican heavy house who made waves in her award-winning documentary "Palante Siempre Palante!" about Puerto Rican activism during the 1960s and 1970s. It is amazing to hear about the long journey that is undertook to make a strong political statement about the state of our community. I asked Morales what advice she would give to young Latinos as we go into the workforce and pursue our dreams. She stressed the importance of really learning our history and "where we come from and where we are going because we have a beautiful and rich history, and although people attempt to diminish us" we must not allow our voices to die down or be over-powered.

Later that night, Abiola Abrams, host on BET J, said "Until lions tell their own stories, stories of the hunt will only glorify the hunters," which echoed Morales' call to remember the past in our work on the future. And Abiodun Oyewole of the Lost Poets said, "We are the answer for whatever the problem is."

I also got a chance to meet my beautiful long-time idol, and poet, activist, reggaetonera among other things, La Bruja who was killing it with her outfit. She also heads up a program called Latino for Life where she goes in and talks to middle school and high school students about the "straight statistics" and "how to face it powerfully." Her advice to young Latinos trying to make it anywhere is to" say something different. And to my mujeres out there, do not be afraid to be intelligent and show off your intelligence." Also she expressed the need to be involved in something because you love it, because it is your energy that drives you. You can not just do something for the money or the fame, you need to be passionate.

As the pioneers and greats were honored, we looked to the present state of hip-hop. Many times throughout the night, the question was asked "Why are we calling all the Queens the B-word?" and Cold Crush warned that Hip-Hop was a way of making a negative situation into a positive one, and "don't let them take it back to the negative."

That night there were a lot of powerful Latino, Black, Asian, and White Queens and Kings. And, I was just happy to be part of it all. Lucky for you the Hip Hop film festival is apporaching its 6th year and going strong.

Now it's your turn to take the words of the great and apply it to your life, and come out for the show this year!