Join Dr. Msia Clark in this episode of the Hip Hop African Podcast for current African hip hop news.

Information discussed in the episode:

Congratulations to Blitz Bazawule

director of the upcoming film The Color Purple, one of the most important books/films/plays in American history.

A Huis Clos, a play by French rapper Kerry James. 15 November – 3 December at Théâtre du Rond-Point in Paris France

A new play by French rap legend, Kery James and French director and writer Marc Lainé. In À huis clos, Kery James plays Soulaymaan, a lawyer whose brother is murdered by the police. Soulaymaan decides to take justice into his own hands and takes the judge who released his brother’s murderer hostage. The play debates ideas around democracy, love, and forgiveness; and two visions of the world collide at the heart of a fascinating political drama.

Golden Hip Hop Anniversary Conference | November 6-7 | Georgia State University in Atlanta

Held during the congressionally recognized Hip-Hop History Month, this conference will take place in Atlanta, GA on November 6- 7, 2023.   The goal of this conference is to celebrate, acknowledge, and promote the importance of Hip-Hop culture in our lives and society. Specifically for this conference, we are interested in highlighting questions around Hip-Hop culture’s inclusion in different regions, southern women emcees and Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop’s future including the role of AI, the continued global expansion of the genre, and numerous other topics. This conference is especially beneficial and relevant in Georgia as Atlanta is now deemed the “Hip-Hop Mecca.” 

Global Conference on Hip Hop Education | November 8-10 | California State University Long Beach

The 2023 Global Conference on Hip Hop Education will expand upon our previous theme, which focused on the foundation of the culture and explore how this culture both migrated out of New York to states like California (i.e. the Golden State) and into popular culture and academia in the late 1970s to mid-1980s. Our conference theme “From the Golden Era to the Golden State,” will guide us as we explore the foundation of this culture, understand what brought about an increase in cultural diffusion, and how lessons learned from the golden era can inform current pedagogies, interventions, research, scholarship and practices.

Hip-Hop Diaspora: Archiving and Celebrating 50 Years of the Culture | November 9-11 | University of Toronto

From Toronto to Havana, to London and Stockholm, we will consider the relationships between hip-hop street culture practices, archiving, and preservation. Hip-Hop Diaspora: Archiving and Celebrating 50 Years of the Culture will focus on how global hip-hop voices collective marginalities through decolonial historiographic efforts and forges lasting people-to-people relations that echo economies of Black teaching beyond US borders.

Howard Journal of Communications Special Issue: Exploring the Past, Present and Future of Hip Hop

Whether analyzing issues related to its past or looking forward to what it might be in the future, this special issue is critical to documenting and celebrating the various aspects of Hip Hop culture. With its massive appeal and global influence, the potential of paper topics is vast. What is below is by no means an exhaustive list of ideas, but the following topics offer a general framework to spark ideas and interest. Editors: Dr. Tia C. M. Tyree, Howard University: ttyree@howard.edu and Dr. Roger Caruth, Howard University: roger.caruth@howard.edu

The Galsen Hip Hop Awards: The GALSEN HIP HOP AWARDS was created in 2015 by the POINT BLANK PROD label to reward and celebrate Hip Hop culture in Senegal.

The World Cup of Hip Hop: A global organization dedicated to celebrating & promoting hip hop culture. The primary goals are to foster unity, provide education, support artistic growth, and create economic opportunities within the international hip hop community.

SUA: Street Art Celebration of Peace|Love|Unity & Happiness under The Okoa Mtaa Foundation

Mützig Amabeats: A DJ competition held in Rwanda

Mkuki an Nyota’s Kalam Salaam: A monthly celebration of Swahili Literary Culture. This past October the event celebrated 50 years of Hip Hop.

Zimbabwe Hip Hop Awards: The Zimbabwe Hip Hop Awards, which will be held this December, is the first hip hop awards show in Africa.

The B-Global Indigenous Hip Hop Gathering: This is a yearly celebration of Hip Hop in Uganda, held every December.