Redefinition: African Hip Hop

In 2008, as we were still celebrating the 10-year anniversary of africanhiphop.com/, the African Hip Hop Foundation together with the Faculty of Hip Hop and Optimiste Production, its partners in South Africa and Senegal, produced the documentary 'Redefinition: African Hip Hop – perspectives from Africa and the diaspora', highlighting the recent history and achievements of the local hip hop scenes.

The triptych (a film in three parts) consists of three chapters:

What is African Hip Hop?
Directed by Shanaz Adams

100% Galsene
Directed by Cheikh Sene (Keyti)

Diaspora & Motherland: close twins or long lost brothers?
Directed by Senami Awunou, Amal Alhaag & Thomas Gesthuizen

A collaboration between African Hip Hop Foundation (Netherlands), Faculty of Hip Hop (Cape Town, South Africa) and Optimiste Productions (Senegal), ‘Redefinition: African Hip Hop’ sets out to highlight the recent history and achievements of the local hip hop scenes.

What role has hip hop played in Cape Town and Dakar in creating awareness and behavioural changes among youth at risk? And does the ‘African’ in ‘African hip hop’ have any significance to young artists in South Africa, Senegal and the Netherlands? In Amsterdam, the film also focuses on hip hop artists from the African diaspora, some of whom have never set foot on African soil, yet they get inspiration from their African heritage.

Produced with financial support from NCDO