New film: Hip Hop Colony

Michael Wanguhu’s lively documentary celebrates the recent emergence of hip hop youth culture in Kenya, a nation still emerging from the hangover of British colonial rule.

Michael Wanguhu’s lively documentary celebrates the recent emergence of hip hop youth culture in Kenya, a nation still emerging from the hangover of British colonial rule. It introduces us to the movers and shakers of the scene, such as the new wave of record producers like Tedd Josiah of Bluezebra records and Steve Ominde of Soul Child records and artists such as Nazizi, Big Mike and DJ John. Originally inspired by the fashions and musical styles of the American scene, Kenyan hip hop has quickly established its own voice, with its artists rapping in both Swahili and English and dealing with topics relevant to their everyday lives.

Wanguhu’s camera follows his subjects from their homes in the ghettoes and suburbs of Nairobi through their producers’ studios all the way up to their live performances in front of thousands of avid fans, giving us a unique access to the broader picture of the culture and society of this vibrant country than we’re usually afforded. As Tedd Josiah says, “Kenya is not just about lions, giraffes and fast-running men.” Once considered a passing fad, local hip hop artists are now giving their foreign rivals a run for their money, and are now a phenomenal presence on Kenya’s TV and radio airwaves. How long before they take over the world?

Posted by Anna Nathanson