SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) – Five of hip-hop’s biggest rap stars held class Wednesday for nearly 2,700 Syracuse high school students in an unprecedented session to promote the importance of education and civic responsibility.

The classroom was the Carrier Dome, where rappers Fabolous, Reverend Run, Doug E. Fresh and Raz B joined rap mogul Russell Simmons for two hours to answer questions from students from the city’s five high schools.

“If you don’t start somewhere, you don’t go nowhere. It’s about creating awareness. Hip-hop has tremendous power and we can use it to make positive change,” said Doug E. Fresh, a pioneering rapper who now writes children’s books which mix rhyming and rap.

The summit was put on by Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, which has staged similar rallies in 17 major cities in a drive to register two million young voters. However, Wednesday’s gathering was the first time a summit has been held in partnership with a school district as part of a school day.

“Everything the artists had to say was phenomenal,” said Natasha Alford, a senior at Nottingham High School who will pick between Villanova and Spellman College to study broadcast journalism.

“Today showed that we can come together, we can be positive. We can learn something from these artists, that they have something to offer other than what’s in their videos or on their records,” Alford said.

“It was very motivating and uplifting,” said Emmy Thatvihane, a junior at Fowler High School. “It’s good for us to see that they are real people. That they had obstacles and challenges. If they can make it, then we can make it, too.”

The summit started with a short documentary on rap and performances by two local groups. The remainder of the event – with a few interludes of music and spontaneous dancing – was devoted to questions and answers.

Several students asked about hip-hop’s place in school and its educational value, but other questions dealt with topics ranging from racism in the rap industry to whether the hip-hop voting block could be a factor in the upcoming presidential election.

Two female students asked about the violent and sexually explicit lyrics contained in some rap songs.

The rappers defended their lyrics saying they were doing nothing more than reflecting the reality of the world they came from.

“I try to talk to my generation in a language they understand,” said Fabolous. “Where I’m from, where they come from, they understand what I’m trying to say. Sometimes it comes out a little harsh, a little strong, but its real talk, and they understand it that way.”

Despite some public criticism, Syracuse Superintendent Stephen C. Jones decided to host a hip-hop summit as a tool to reach students the district traditionally has had trouble connecting with: kids who are at risk.

About 60 percent of the district’ high school students attended the summit. The remaining 2,000 students had a half-day of class.

In preparation, many teachers provided special curriculum using rap in their classrooms over the past month, Jones said.

“It shows our youth that we celebrate them. That we respect them. That we believe in them and they have a message that they can give to us. This was school for us, even the adults,” said Jones, adding he is already planning to host another summit next year.

Simmons acknowledged registering students to vote gave the summit a political edge, but that it was not at conflict with the educational system.

“The idea of taking responsibility … registering to vote is the first step in realizing you are part of a community not just some locked-out individual. Society needs young people to realize they are connected,” he said.

Not everyone, however, embraced the summit. Some opponents – including teachers, administrators, and parents – felt it was a distraction that had no educational value.

Some also were concerned it was condoning rap’s use of explicit lyrics dealing with sex and violence, while others worried about violence and weapons at the summit.