Hip Hop Activism

Hip hop has always been a movement of activism in some way or another. Of it's many forms, graffiti is one of the media which lends itself to this. Today, graffiti--like all forms of hip hop--doesn't exist just in the inner-cities of the U.S. This new video from Time Magazine shows how graffiti artists in Ramallah are using the Palestine-Israeli separation barrier almost as a meta-commentary on the walls presence. A group of artists at www.sendamessage.nl are posting any message for a price of $40 that doesn't promote hate or racism. They've also started a project using 400 cans of spray paint to tag an essay by a South African antiapartheid activist. The video is a little dry coming from Time, but it's still pretty interesting and you can see some of the works they've done on the wall. Check it out here.