Just as the Nile River Valley gave birth to the culture of pharaohs and hieroglyphics, the Bronx is the motherland for M.C.s and graffiti.

Throughout the month of November, the Bronx Museum of the Arts will celebrate the special role the borough has played in the development of Hip-Hop culture. Hip-Hop History Month will feature a series of panels, performances, screenings, poetry and musical events at the museum.

"We decided this year to really go at it full force," said Ron Kavanaugh, director of marketing and public programs at the museum. For the last few years, the festival was not as extensive. The celebration ends with the "World Up!" concert Nov. 19 featuring acts from around the world, including Africa, Mexico and the Caribbean.

"The concert speaks to how hip-hop is becoming a world culture," Kavanaugh said. Ultimately, the goal of the month is to acknowledge and celebrate the Bronx's role in hip-hop's history.

The idea of a month dedicated to Hip-Hop history comes from rapper KRS-One, who founded the Temple of Hip-Hop, at which he is the "teacha" of "hip-hop beyond entertainment." The month's designation is now officially recognized by the United Nations and celebrated worldwide.

Hip-hop is more than a genre - it is a culture. KRS-One said in his song "Hip-Hop Knowledge," "We are advocating that hip-hop is not just a music, it is an attitude, it is an awareness, it is a way to view the world. So rap music is something we do, but Hip-Hop is something we live."

The four widely recognized elements of hip-hop culture are MC-ing, DJ-ing, break dancing and graffiti. Kavanaugh says the Bronx Museum's celebration expands the definition to include poetry, film and other art forms.

The Bronx Museum kicks off the month with H2Ed: Hip-Hop Education Summit. H2Ed is a New York City-based organization dedicated to bringing together a community they call "T.O.P.S.Y." (teachers, organizers, parents, social workers and youth) to use hip-hop as an education tool.

The Education Summit takes place Nov. 4 and 5 featuring keynote speakers, a variety of workshops, a town hall symposium and screenings of new hip-hop documentaries. Interested participants can visit http://www.h2ed.net/index.php to register.

From Nov. 7 through Nov. 11, the museum presents H2O Hip-Hop Odyssey International Film Festival presented by the Freshest Youth Program. The films are all produced, judged and curated by youth involved in the program.

The biggest event not only of Hip-Hop Month, but of the entire year for the Bronx Museum is Universal Zulu Nation's Annual "Meeting of the Minds" Conference on Sunday, Nov. 13 from 2 to 7 p.m.

The Bronx Museum is located at 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street. For more information about its events and a complete Hip-Hop History
Month schedule call (718) 681-6000 or visit www.bronxmuseum.org. Suggested museum admission is $5, and on Wednesdays is free.