Ambassador Helps Inaugurate Hip Hop Akademy

Ambassador Helps Inaugurate Hip Hop Akademy(Dept of State)

Ambassador Helps Inaugurate Hip Hop Akademy(Dept of State)

On January 19 – 20, the urban youth association AfriCultUrban celebrated 6 years of existence at its home in the Pikine community center, officially known as the Centre Culturel Leopold Sedar Senghor.  As part of this celebration, AfriCultUrban opened up the Hip Hop Akademy, made possible with the support of several partners including the U.S. Embassy.  The Akademy, the first of its kind in West Africa and perhaps beyond, features recording studios, classroom and conference room space, digital equipment, a library, and an office for its founder, the rapper known as Matador.   Students who are competitively selected can take classes free of charge in arts such as poetry slam and DJ skills.  A first class of trained DJs received its diplomas last week, and a new class will start soon.  On the occasion, Ambassador Lukens, accompanied by his university-aged daughter visiting from the United States, inaugurated the center and unveiled a plaque showing appreciation to the U.S. Embassy.  Ambassador Lukens told the AfriCultUrban members how impressed he was by their initiative and resolve to create such a space and initiative in an area as vital as Pikine, the largest suburb of Dakar, which some say is home to 2 million people.  The Akademy will help train Pikine youth in skills that are both interesting to them and useful in the employment market.