Meet the Policy Day Panelists: Hank Shocklee, Super Producer

In case you were wondering if anyone from the urban/electronic music community would be at our upcoming DC Policy Day, no worries — production legend and FMC advisory board member Hank Shocklee will be ready to represent in Washington on Wednesday, February 11.

A Long Island native and two-time Source Magazine “Producer of the Year,” Hank is currently president of Shocklee Entertainment — a music, film media and technology info portal through which users can exchange information and discover valuable tools to advance their own careers.

Hank revolutionized the sound of hip-hop with his production unit the Bomb Squad, introducing the world to Public Enemy with their 1987 debut, YO! Bum Rush the Show. Hank’s deft touch helped elevate the role of the producer in hip-hop music — after Hank and the Bomb Squad hit the scene, it was no longer just about the MC. Hank’s unique production style became a cornerstone of the classic Public Enemy sound, and paved the way for a whole new generation of producers from the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA to Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg.

During his rise to prominence, Hank also extended his production skills to such artists as Madonna, Janet Jackson and Peter Gabriel. He’s also scored and produced film soundtracks for movies like Juice, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Dangerous Minds and most recently, American Gangster — which earned him a Grammy nod.

Currently, Hank is working on a series of projects that he calls the Future Frequency. “I’ve always had a good sense of where entertainment needs to go next and right now I’ve honed in on the next dimension of sight & sound,” he says. Hmm, if you add “mind” to that mix, you’d be in the Twilight Zone! Bad jokes aside, we’re psyched to have Hank at DC Policy Day — he’s got a brilliant mind for media issues, and brings a whole range of perspectives often lacking in the stuffy world of public policy.

Hank will join moderator and FMC Technologies Director Brian Zisk, Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott, New America Foundation’s Sascha Meinrath (one of Ars Technica's "Tech Policy People to Watch") and Consumer Electronics Association Senior Vice President, Government Affairs Michael Petricone for the “Broad-band: Internet and Spectrum Policy and the Creative Class” panel. The conversation will examine how broadband policy intersects with intellectual property concerns and other issues likely to be tackled by policymakers in 2009. The clock is ticking on registration — reserve your spot now!

DC Policy Day
When: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Time: 9:00 AM — 6:00 PM with cocktail party to follow from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Where: National Geographic Music and Radio and National Geographic Live!
Registration: $50 through February 9 11:59 pm ET.
Registration with 6.0 CLE credits: $200 through February 9 11:59 pm ET.

Onsite registration and onsite CLE sign-up will also be available.

This event has been approved in Virginia for 6.0 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit. Additionally, CLE credits from Virginia can be claimed in the states of New York, California, Delaware (additional fees apply), North Carolina, Pennsylvania (additional fees apply), and West Virginia.

Have you already registered but want to upgrade your registration to qualify for CLE credits? Click here to upgrade.

Can't make it to Washington, DC? This event will be webcast live on February 11.