“Hip Hop” between the nations

By: Dustin Looney
Features Editor

Tomorrow afternoon (Saturday, Nov. 4), a well-known film director, Michael Wanguhu, will visit Monmouth College.

Wangahu’s film, “Hip Hop Colony,” was released in 2005 and it will be played at 1 p.m. in the Hewes Library Barnes Electronic Classroom. Wanguhu will be present to answer questions and lead a discussion after the film, which recently received some major recognition.

“Hip Hop Colony” won Best Urban Documentary Award at the Houston Black Film Festival in addition to top honors at H20 (Hip-Hop Odyssey) International Film Festival in New York.

The film is brought to Monmouth College as part of the first Western Illinois African Film Festival: Two Campuses, Two Continents, One Festival.

This festival is jointly hosted by Western Illinois University and Monmouth College, and it has been ongoing since Monday, Oct. 9.

All in all, 10 films will be shown at the two schools during the festival, and four of the filmmakers will be present at their film’s showing.

“Hip Hop Colony” was filmed on location in Kenya, and the subject matter is Kenyan Hip Hop. The film explores the culture of hip hop in Kenya and how Kenya is striving to gain legitimacy in the hip hop world, as well as the hip hop genre’s ability to break down borders and unite people.

Wanguhu was born and raised in Kenya and said directing a movie about Kenyan Hip Hop was interesting to him.

In an interview with the Oakland Post, Wanguhu said: “I’ve always been intrigued by African Hip Hop since my first visit to Kenya in 1999 after about three years away. When I left home/Kenya, there was no such thing as “Kenyan Hip Hop” and in only three or so years away, it was a whole new world out there.”

He also received some inspiration from a famous American hip hop artist. “However the main inspiration came from watching 8 Mile. In the film, Eminem plays an aspiring rapper struggling to find the strength and courage to transcend boundaries that define his life.”

“Hip Hop Colony” will be one of the final film shown in the Western Illinois African Film Festival, which has lasted for about four weeks. The movie is open to the public to enjoy. Admission is free.