PRESS RELEASE | PUBLISHED ARTICLES

In the mid 90's Hip Hop music took some of its first baby steps on Kenyan media, many doubted its legitimacy. Ten years later it's become a legitimate industry that's not only creating employment for the artists but for youth as well. Hip hop is the biggest culture in the world today.

In recognizing the significant accomplishment Hip Hop has had in our country. We made a film titled Hip Hop Colony that celebrates the genesis and continuous rise of Hip Hop in Kenya . This is a film of epic promotions, capturing and placing the Kenyan youth within a worldwide revolution with tremendous effects.

Growing up as youth in Kenya , we were to be seen and not heard. Hip-hop has given us - the youth, our own voice. As a result, it's become a strong cultural banner that serves as a bridge towards connecting the older and younger generation. Today, big business companies are learning to tap into Hip Hop's culture (youth) in order to sustain there brands.

Stemming from the above our objective is to nationally celebrate the contributions of Hip-hop as a culture to the betterment of the youth in our country. We believe that Hip Hop Colony's premiere will offer unprecedented efficiency and effectiveness in educating the public about Hip Hop as a culture, helping the older generation understand the young while bringing the gap between the two. 

Our mission is dedicated to enriching the cultural landscape of our country through films with exceptional merit and diversity.

PRESS RELEASE ::::::::::

AWARDS WON BY THE FILM
WINNER - Best Feature Documentary Award at the H20 International Film Festival.
WINNER - Best Urban Documentary Award at the Houston Black film Festival.
WINNER - Best Documentary Award at the Houston Black film Festival.
NOMINEE - Best Urban Documentary Award at the Sanfrancisco Film Festival.

SYNOPSIS
HIP-HOP COLONY takes you through a journey into the heart of East Africa, Kenya - a former British colony, where hip-hop has firmly established its roots amongst the local citizens. The film takes an intimate look at African hip-hop, while establishing it's genesis in Kenya .

The specific history of Kenya is forever connected to the colonial rule by the British government.  
Hip-Hop Colony visits the newer connections that have come about through hip hop, while highlighting the issues and politics that affect youth culture. Hip hop in Kenya , manifested in music and clothing styles that initially started as a form of imitation or what's commonly known as “biting” what's seen in America . It then developed into its own flavor that was no longer just hip hop, but a hybrid skilled art form incorporating the native culture. This unique genre of Hip-hop is what has come to be known as Genge Music.

Director Michael Wanguhu treats viewers to the beginning of a new rejuvenated hip hop culture, that's quickly emerging in Kenya as a result of the raw hip hop talent. The camera follows various hip-hop groups to their homes from the ghetto's to the suburban areas. We are introduced to subtle elements of Kenyan culture integrated through hip-hop. The audience gets to see various hip-hop acts on stage as the artists perform in front of thousands of devoted fans. Kenyan artists are starting to reap rewards as they are rapidly occupying slots on radio and TV – positions that were formerly preserved for U.S. artists like Jay-Z, Nelly, Tupac Shakur, 50 cent, Eve, Ludacris, and Eminem among others.

Hip-hop artists are changing the World, one colony at a time. Like a moth to a flame, Hip hop's grip on the world tightens because it's not just music it's a way of life and for that reason… "Kenya is not just about Lions, Giraffes and fast running men… it's also about Studios and Hip-hop" - Tedd Josiah, Music Producer

FILM FESTIVALS TO SCREEN HIP-HOP COLONY:
WINNER!!! H2O [Hip-Hop Odyssey] International Film Festival - New York
WINNER!!! HOUSTON BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
NOMINEE! SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION BFM INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST - LONDON
OFFICIAL SELECTION OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST
OFFICIAL SELECTION VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL HIP HOP FILM FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION CAPE TOWN WORLD CINEMA FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION US VIRGIN ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION HIP HOP ODYSSEY FILM FESTIVAL- New York
OFFICIAL SELECTION HUTUZ FILM FESTIVAL - Rio de Janeiro/ Brazil
OFFICIAL SELECTION PITTSBURGH HIPHOP FILM FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION BLACK SOIL ROTTERDAM FILM FESTIVAL- Netherlands
OFFICIAL SELECTION BLACK SOIL AMSTERDAM FILM FESTIVAL - Amsterdam
OFFICIAL SELECTION HIPHOP FILM FESTIVAL - UCLA
OFFICIAL SELECTION PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL - Los Angeles

SPECIAL VIP/PRESS SCREENINGS
San Francisco Premier Screening @ the Delancey Street Theater – May 05
Los Angeles Special Screening @ the Arts hare Gallery-August 05
Atlanta Vip/Press Screening - October 05
Minneapolis Special Screening - October 05
SPECIAL SCREENING Washington DC/Baltimore Area - October 29th 05

RADIO INTERVIEWS
The film is steadily gaining popularity and has been featured in different Radio Stations across the globe while other radio presenters continue to book dates to interview the Director Michael Wanguhu and writer Russell Kenya

94.1 FM Hardknock Radio with Anita Johnson (no#1 hip-hop talk show) -June 05
106.1KMEL San Francisco Chuy Gomez show (no#1 Hip-hop & RB) June 05
90.7Kpfk Los Angeles the show known as Some of us are Brave- July 05
90.7 Kpfk The Jerry Quickly show August 05
Youth Radio www.youthradio.org September 05
1503am Nubiart radio London September 05
104.4fm London www.resonancefm.com September 05
BBC 1Xtra DNA w/Dj Edu September 05
BBC Radio FIVE with the famous Geoff Trout September 05
BBC World Service UK September 05
KMOJ 89.9 FM - Minneapolis interview with Omar Yousuf - October 05
VOICE OF AMERICA (VOA) Hip Hop Connection Radio Show with host Rod Murray October 05

TV INTERVIEWS
Access time on Sky TV (channel 223 - UK) http://www.obetv.co.uk/ September 05
ABN America http://www.abnamerica.com/ - October 05
PURE PHAT on GoTV Network - Sprint PCS Phone video content http://www.gotvnetworks.com/home.php
BLOW Magazine and DVD interview - New York - Jan 06

PUBLICATIONS
EAST BAY EXPRESS Rap It Up 2005 Report
http://www.hiphopcolony.com/newspost.php/press_ evemagazine .html
http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=5062
http://wayneandwax.blogspot.com/2005/10/thats-trackback-jack.html
http://www.sfbayview.com /060805/hiphopcolony060805 .shtml
http://music.eastbayexpress .com/Issues/2005-06-08/music /close2thaedge.html
http://www.dailyrepublic.com /articles/2005/07/18/features _top_stories/feat01.prt

XXL Magazine October Issue pg 58 which has World wide distribution

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Hip-hop Colony has been rated as a film that is both educational and entertaining. The director Michael Wanguhu has had the opportunity to lecture and screen Hip-hop Colony at different forums like the ones below .
Berkeley High School California - June 05
Youth Uprising California – September 05
Harvard University – October 05
Metropolitan State University - Nov 05
University of California , Los Angeles Jan-06

PUBLISHED ARTICLES::::::::::

Click to view

EAST BAY EXPRESS Rap It Up 2005 Report
Hip Hop Colony in the December issue of Eve Magazine
ALLHIPHOP.COM
WHATCHUSAY.COM (Interviewed by Kwan Booth)
THE DAILY REPUBLIC - SOLANO COUNTY
SAN FRANCISCO BAY VIEW NEWSPAER (Interview with producer/director Michael Wanguhu)
EAST BAY EXPRESS say's...