If you haven’t figured it out by now, hip hop culture has reached the hearts and minds of individuals across every hemisphere. If you ever watched the cyphers on the BET Awards, you will see MCs from both the USA and exotic new talent from overseas. Despite any language barriers, you can tell some of these artists still keep the fundamental confines that made the hip hop genre such a significant plateau in entertainment. In countries like Japan, Africa, Germany and others the different social classes deal with some of the same socio-economic injustices and racial disparities experienced by some in this country.. and they rap about it.
Japan– One of the hot hip hop group in Japan is called Dragon Ash. This group mixes hip hop with rock and actually played a huge part in making hip hop mainstream in Japan. They were brought together back in 1996 and are the recipients of numerous MTV music awards.
Germany– Artists like Sido, Manges and Chakuza have been some of the main influences in German hip hop and deserve some accolades for spreading the culture. Sido has been rapping since the early nineties and he is currently signed to Universal Music Group and won Best German Act in the European MTV awards.
India– If you thought India doesn’t have some of the most incredibly talented mc’s on the mic then you didn’t hear artists like Honey Singh, Blaaze or Hard Kaur who brings their own style from the northern hemisphere
Australia– I know when you think Australian hip hop you get the picture of a tall blonde rapping with a southern accent. Truthfully the land from down under is rich with it’s own hip hop culture that stands on it’s own. Artists like Shannon Power and Chelsea Lane and just a few of the females who are bringing it in a male-dominated industry. Sound familiar?
Africa– Africa may have not birthed hip hop directly,but African influence has deep roots in hip hop from the breakdances that ties back to rhythmic patterns used in festive traditional celebrations. Artists like Dirty Paraffin, Outspoken and MCK are a few artists who speak the voice of the regions they come from.
Influence isn’t measured by how much money is made from a culture. Influence is the impact and messaging that can be transferred from one group to another and still keep the ideology intact. The concept of speaking up against what one group sees as wrong is essentially what hip hop was born from. It is only natural that other countries want to speak on their own views in the universal tongue of hip hop music.
