Foreword

The Afrikan Hiphop Caravan is an annual project run by various Hip Hop activist networks spread across the African continent and the diaspora. Despite the fact that Hip Hop has been used as a tool for mobilising toward social transformation and to contest authority, oppression and power, as, for instance, during the presidential elections in Senegal in the early 2000s, elements of the culture, particularly rap, have also been appropriated by the ruling elite (see, for instance, Kellerer this volume) and underwent commodification, or, in other words, were adopted into mainstream pop culture in many places. The key aim of the Hiphop Conference is to create a platform for Hip Hop scholars, cultural activists, artists and community organisers to critically analyse current debates surrounding African Hip Hop, to deepen the understanding of Africa\u27s urban youth cultures, and to share strategies and experiences in mobilising young people for social justice and transformation