Hip-Hop Is Alive & Well In Haiti. Now Outsiders Can See It In Living Color (Video)

The global influence of Hip-Hop culture has reached every corner of the globe, one could argue easily. From international breakdancing competitions to the international fashion market, hints of its four elements have touched the cultures of other nations, even on the other side of the planet from the United States, its birthplace. However, for many Americans, its prevalence in places much closer to home have not been fully explored for outsiders to see, due mostly to socio-political barriers and other aspects that make the exchange between certain countries difficult, at best. Take for instance Cuba, where a decades-long embargo prevented the U.S. from intermingling with the island nation in the worlds of trade, politics, and even musically. Now that tensions between the two are seemingly melting away, the days of contention between the two neighbors could be over for good.

Similarly, relations between the U.S. and Haiti have been somewhat muted, despite their being in relative proximity to one another. While enormous Haitian communities exist in American cities like Miami and New York, few Americans include Haiti on their list of must-see destinations, allowing for Haiti’s Hip-Hop scene to go virtually undiscovered. A new mini-documentary hopes to change that by visiting the country that is so often known more for its devastating history and natural disaster than as a hotbed for Hip-Hop talent. Crazy Hood Film Academy, an organization co-founded by longtime activist DJ EFN and rapper/director Michael Garcia, is getting ready to release their third installment of “Coming Home,” a series of short films that explore Hip-Hop and its presence in communities not often shared in global conversations about the culture. Thus far, they’ve aired episodes in Cuba and Peru, and now their cameras are pointed towards Haiti. On October 29 (7pm EST), Revolt TV will air “Coming Home: Haiti,” for which the trailer can be seen below. Check it out to see a glimpse of life for Haitians, many of whom are youth whose self-expression through Hip-Hop serves as one of the only bright spots on any given day.

Related: Cuba’s Hip-Hop History Resonates In The New Culture Exchange (Video)