Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that was formed following the defeat of the African Revolution of the 1960s. Its poetics, aesthetics, and politics reflect African life under the US counterinsurgency.
The conditions that define the moment hip-hop arose were: increased privatization, mass unemployment and poverty, increased colonial violence and a decrease in mass mobilization. Hip-Hop shares these conditions with other African art forms such as the blues and calypso, of an earlier period, and reggae music of the 1970s.
Hip-Hop’s enduring character is attributed to its origins in the African working class.
Hip-Hop and rap music has, at times, offered political prescriptions to the African Working Class. More than often, rappers and other cultural workers have reflected the revolutionary upsurge amongst the masses.
Historically, the most remarkable rap group was Dead Prez. As this episode's guests noted, Dead Prez did not just rap about political topics, they had excellent skill and production but were also African Internationalist organizers. This year is the 20th anniversary of Dead Prez’s album Let’s Get Free.
In 2020, rappers and African cultural workers have entered into political debates over police violence and electoral politics. As we see in this episode, their conclusions are not always what we expect but, as our guest Professor Fanon Che Wilkins notes, we should continue to engage rappers and Hip-Hop as an arena of struggle.
In this episode, we do just that.
Hosts Dr. Matsemela Odom and Muambi Tangu talk with:
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The People's War Radio Show, Episode #26: COVID-19 and the Black Ankh free Telehealth program
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #24: Police containment of the black community is genocide
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #23: Black athletes stand against police violence
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #22: Black Power and the struggle against gentrification
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #21 "Black and Brown Unity - the time is now!"
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #20, "Black August and the struggle to free political prisoners"
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #19 "Black Power in the Great White North: a report from Toronto, Canada"
The People's War radio show, Episode #18: Black Community Control of Schools
The People’s War Radio Show, Episode #17: The struggle for Black Power in Brazil, from the Quilombos to the Favelas
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #16: Corporate scramble; they must pay!
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #15: Black Community Control of the Police
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #14: African women must lead
The People's War Radio Show, Episode #13: Black Power Matters in the NYC
Chairman Omali Yeshitela’s message on the colonial murder of George Floyd and the righteous revolutionary resistance of the African Nation
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The People's War Radio Show, Episode #11, "Reports from the ground: Haiti"
The People’s War Radio Show, Episode #10: “Reports from the Ground: The Pandemic and George Floyd protests in California and Mexico.”
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