tha global cipha

The “cypher”, a spontaneously formed circle in which MCs gather for freestyling, has become a global phenomenon. Arthur Jaffa (USA) has described “flow, layering and ruptures in line” as constants that function as a form of ‘lingua franca’ in Hip Hop, transcending language and ethnicity. What are the non-linguistic codes – gestures, clothes and movements – through which Hip Hoppers all over the world understand each other?

Followed by a performance with Amigo

Participants

H. Samy Alim is Associate Professor of Education and (by courtesy) Anthropology and Linguistics at Stanford University, where he directs the Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA) and the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Language (CREAL). Some of his most recent books include, You Know My Steez (2004), Roc the Mic Right (2006), Talkin Black Talk (2007) and Global Linguistic Flows: Hip Hop Cultures, Youth Identities, and the Politics of Language (2009). He is also co-author of Tha Global Cipha: Hip Hop Culture and Consciousness (2006) with James G. Spady and Samir Meghelli.

Kadir Memis aliasAmigo came to Berlin when his family emigrated from Turkey. Inspired by the Hip Hop culture of the 1980s, he taught himself to dance and set up a range of dance projects. In cooperation with various theaters and HAU Berlin, Amigo aims to establish Urban Dance as a contemporary dance form.

Chefket Der Rapper lebt und arbeitet seit einigen Jahren in Berlin. 2009 veröffentlichte er sein Debütalbum „Einerseits Andererseits“.

Eva Kimminich is a cultural scientist and expert in romance studies who has written works on Rap and dance styles in Hip Hop culture

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Klein, director of the Zentrum für Performance Studies, specializes in dance, movement and performance studies, along with pop culture.