The Hip Hop Diplomacy Project
Spreading Free Speech & Democracy Since 2005
In a time when the failure of traditional diplomacy has resulted in seemingly endless and bloody conflict between the West and the Arab-Muslim world, The Hip Hop Diplomacy Project seeks to harness the global presence of Hip Hop as a tool for building bridges across these ever-widening cultural gaps.
The pilot program of this initiative took place in the summer of 2005, as
Moroccan and American Hip Hop artists took to the stage in the country’s first-
ever Hip Hop festival, called “I Love Hip Hop in Morocco”, a 3 city tour of free
concerts, reaching 36,000 fans, and millions more on television and the internet.
The festival also became the subject of an eponymous feature-length
documentary, reaching worldwide audiences through screenings and on DVD.
This first experiment in Hip Hop Diplomacy has demonstrated widely the power of Hip Hop to bring people together in celebration of its core values: freedom of expression, social and political awareness, and equality for all. These uniquely democratic values came through in both the lyrics of the songs, as well as in the tone of the entire festival, which was not only a first for Morocco, but the first time the American Embassy had sponsored an event with local artists. This too sent a message of respect and solidarity that had not been heard before.
The Hip Hop Diplomacy Project is now seeking partners to recreate this first program in other regions and continue to support the positive global force of Hip Hop, wherever it may take root. Please contact us to find out more about the
project and how you can get involved with Hip Hop Diplomacy.
