I can't say I've ever become a big fan of hip hop, but now I've found out how effectively the US State Dept. is and has been using it to effectively promote foreign diplomacy, I'm looking, listening in a new light.
Hip hop’s appeal to the State Department is actually easy to understand. It comes down to this. Hip hop is globally beloved; the United States government is not. And hip hop is well known to be the product of young, marginalized Americans of color who insisted on being heard and seen and who reveled in their survival. As the embodiment of struggle and celebration, hip hop resonates deeply with young people around the world. It’s the perfect vehicle for promoting a more nuanced and positive image of the United States and for connecting with populations that our embassies rarely engage. For hip hop artists, this work provides rare, paid opportunities to travel the world as artists, to connect and collaborate with people who face similar challenges, to represent their country as they want it to be seen, and to witness the amazing power of their art to tear down the walls that separate us.
https://blog.oup.com/2019/12/how-hip-hop-and-diplomacy-made-an-unlikely-partnership/