BBC Caribbean recently put together a great photo essay covering the people and politics behind the Cuban Hip-Hop scene. In addition to some vivid photography, the piece also gives the artists the space to say their piece.

Check out the full feature here.

There are also some great films out there that cover the same issues put forth in this feature. Check out trailers, and a short synopsis on each, below…

Cuban hip-hop bands Doble-Filo and Obsesion together to make up La Fabri_k, and take center-stage in this pulsating documentary. With no clubs to perform in, and no recording studios or major labels to promote their music, La Fabri_k still finds ways get out their socially charged hip-hop, blasting through obstacles of poverty, discrimination, and violence, leading to an explosive American tour that culminates in a roof-raising gig at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. With commercial success, though, comes all artists’ eternal challenge — one that the rappers of La Fabri_k do not take lightly — of never giving in to artistic compromise. For more info on the film and to purchase the DVD, click here.

Cuban Hip Hop provides a unique insight into the realities and politics of contemporary Cuba. Experience this as Inventos follows some of the pioneers of this musical movement to their homes, the stage and as they travel abroad for the first time. Inventos embodies the true spirit of Hip Hop, which is to build something that is powerful and useful out of what is seemingly impossible. The DVD is available for purchase at www.ClenchedFISTproductions.com.

Fifty years after the Cuban revolution, which prompted a U.S. embargo against Cuba, both Americans and Cubans remain far removed from each other’s realities. The documentary “Cuban Hip Hop: Desde el Principio (From the Beginning)” shows that one cultural link between the Cuba and the U.S. is Hip Hop.

The bilingual film features intimate interviews and performances by such legendary Cuban Hip Hop artists as Doble Filo, Obsesion, and Anónimo Consejo, who have all toured internationally. There is also never-before-seen footage of Common, M1 of Dead Prez, and political exile Nehanda Abiudun. You can find out more about the film through their MySpace page.

Tags: Ariel Fernandez, Asho, BBC, BBC News, BBCCaribbean.com, Cuba, Cuban Hip-Hop, Films, Hip-Hop, Movies, Music, News, Politics

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