Meocha Belle 6/27
Today we went to the Paris Hip-Hop Block Party in Stalingrad. All the elements of the culture were represented. There was emcee'n, dj'n, graffiti writing and break dancing. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. We were outside and the sun was beaming directly onto my skin, but I did not mind because I was pleased with the entertainment.
I was captivated by the power of Hip-Hop and how it drew such a large congregation of various races and ages.
My favorite element was the rap freestyle show featuring French Hip-Hop crew: End of the Weak. Despite the language barrier, it was clear in the tone, delivery, mannerisms and call-all-response, what they were saying. I could still understand the message and appreciate the efforts of their crew without literal translation.
The fact that I was able to feel what was being said without knowing the French language is telling of the strength of the hip-hop language. In the hip-hop language, people immersed in the culture are able to send and receive information through gestures, pitch and response. This ability to communicate void of a nation's linguistic literacy is exclusive to the hip-hop culture.
See what I mean!
After hearing Hip-Hop historian and Paris Noir Alum, Samir Ali, equate hip-hop as our generation's Negritude movement, such a hypothesis is supported by the culture. Hip-hop allows for its followers to innovatively respond to global politics, while joining people to together that would otherwise never meet and unseen in previous generations. As Samir explained of its impact, hip-hop brings about a "solidarity unknown to their elders" (Mercer Cook). In true hip-hop, Todas Iguais- "we are all the same," which is a strong statement in Portuguese. A graffiti artist from Brazil dedicated his piece at the Paris Hip-Hop Block Party to further communicate this.
The crowds below were all formed in the celebration of Hip-Hop in Paris!
~Paris Noir 2010
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