17 Dec 2012 11:00
Hip Hop is a global phenomena that reaches nearly all corners of the Earth. Starting in the projects of NYC nearly 40 years ago, struggling youth from Mongolia to Rwanda use music as a weapon to express their situations, hopes, and dreams. Though Hip Hop culture is new to Uganda, it is becoming popular with people of all ages, but with the youth in particular. Hip Hop music is reaching the smallest of villages, as I witnessed in the war-torn area of Gulu. Access to music is free, which is an essential aspect of why Hip Hop is spreading like wildfire.
In 2009, End of the Weak (EOW), a collaboration of MCs, graffiti artists, break dancers and DJs that spans 17 countries, reached Uganda. All chapters of EOW are involved with community outreach, workshops for youth and exude positive influence in their communities through Hip Hop culture. The MC Challenge is a competition wherein the winners gather at the World Finals, which are held in a different country each year. The MC Challenge is held in the central, eastern, western and northern regions of Uganda so that many different languages are represented in the competition. Winners of the MC Challenge are provided studio time, video production and photo shoots as a way to share and promote their music.
Here are a few faces of EOW UG, the next generation of Hip Hop in East Africa.