Biz Markie to Tour Country Touting Clean Energy

Everyone loves a little Biz Markie and now fans will be able to catch the legendary beatboxing DJ, rapper and crooner on tour with the Hip-Hop Caucus. The journey kicks off Feb. 18 in New Orleans and will snake through Little Rock, Columbia, Indianapolis, Bloomington, Columbus and Washington, DC preaching the importance of clean energy initiatives in urban communities.

"The Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now! Tour will amplify and unite the voices of young people, African Americans, the Hip Hop community, and the faith community, around the critical need for clean energy jobs now and a clean energy future for our country," said Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., president of the Hip Hop Caucus. "We are excited to work with the Alliance for Climate Protection and numerous national and local partners on this historic effort. We anticipate this tour will go a long way to educate and mobilize communities for a brighter future through policy that will reduce poverty and pollution at the same time."

With the importance of both creating new jobs for out of work Americans and reducing our carbon footprint, the Caucus predicts that as many as 1.9 million jobs could be created around clean energy. They also point out that this will lower energy bills and pollution -- two perks that could help urban communities quite a bit.

"The clean energy choices we make today will have a profound impact on the environment of our young people and communities of color -- the very people this tour is bringing together and the voices we need to hear," said EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "We're going out and meeting people where they live, work and learn to talk about how we create clean energy jobs, protect our planet and break our dependence on foreign oil."

Here are your dates:

Little Rock, AR: Friday, February 19

Columbia, MO: Saturday, February 20

Indianapolis, IN: Sunday & Monday February 21-22

Bloomington, IN: Monday, February 22

Columbus, OH: Tuesday, February 23

Washington, DC: Tuesday-Wednesday, February 23-24