Founded in 2006, the Trinity International Hip Hop festival was created to tackle the segregation and violence of Hartford, CT and Trinity college. Focusing on hip hop’s global proliferation and power as a communicative idiom, the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival tries to unify Trinity College, the city of Hartford and the world.

Some folks argue that the corporate world of entertainment has played a major role in sapping American hip-hop of the positive energy that was once been represented in its roots stages. They also argue that American radio stations focus on the ‘consumer-driven’ choices of pre-selected hip hop tracks and carry play lists that only express views on materialism and use derogatory language. For them, it would seem that only outside the US have the majority of hip hop artists preserved its true form of expression, spreading a collaborative fusion of cultural influences and generally re capturing the cultures more positive elements. Whether or not this is true, those folks are going to love this year’s festival.

Talent from all over the globe — Israel, Puerto Rico, Liberia, Kenya, Brazil and many more — are representing this year to reinvigorate our faith in global hip hop’s ability to enlighten, empower and cross cultural borders.

The festival, which is free and open to the public, is taking place at Trinity College April 4th, 5th and 6th.

Check out the rest of this year’s participating artists, activists, graffiti writers and films here.

Bono and U2’s names are intrinsically linked to the ongoing fight against poverty and AIDS on the African continent. In recognition, Shout Factory released “In the name of love: Africa Celebrates” yesterday, a celebratory homage to U2 by some of Africa’s most gifted musicians.

It started off as a tribute to the Irish rock band, but the record quickly became a tour de force from an array of African talents, each succeeding in making the songs their own.

For producers Shawn Amos and Paul Heck - producer of the Red Hot - that task turned out to be easier than expected. “I was amazed when we approached the artists of how quickly they chose the songs they wanted to do,” says Heck. “Many of them grew up listening to U2 and knew the songs so well.”

Angelique Kidjo opens the album with a multilingual and inspiring cover of “Mysterious Ways.” Then Mali’s rising star, Vieux Farka Toure, delivers a bluesy version of “Bullet in the sky.” In Ba Cissoko’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” electric guitar riffs are replaced by the harmonious sound of the kora. Les Nubians turn the classic track “With or without you” into an authentic dance floor jam and Keziah Jones gives his Black Orpheus touch to “One.” The Soweto Gospel Choir interpretation of “Pride (In The Name of Love)” is simply breathtaking!

The album is an eclectic fusion of traditional African styles, rock, pop, hip-hop and so much more and an exquisite mélange of both U2’s popular hits and a set of more obscure materials.
In effort to give back to the community, Shout Factory has decided to offer a portion of the record’s profit to the Global Fund.

If you need to satisfy your culture cravings, look no further than 125th Street this week. On the ebb of some of the other major anticipated art exhibitions this spring is Flow. Opening today at the Studio Museum in Harlem, Flow exhibits the work of 20 artists of African descent, hailing from 11 nations and residing on 3 continents.

Most have earned international acclaim but have never exhibited or are not well known on American shores. According to the Studio Museum, “Flow will illustrate the individuality and complexity of the visual art produced by a dynamic generation of young artists.”

Flow follows in the footsteps of Freestyle (2001) and Frequency (2005), the first two shows of the Studio Museum dedicated to the work of emerging black artists in the U.S. Where Freestyle focused primarily on emerging artists and Frequency on the contemporary creativity of black American artists, Flow incorporates the two as a global take on both themes.

Flow features work by artists from across Africa and although the majority of the artists no longer live in their home countries, they return frequently, the cross-cultural experiences of their migration informing their work. Experimenting with photography, mixed media and watercolors, the artists comment on issues such as immigration, globalization, beauty, sexuality and rebellion.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Studio Museum features StudioSound, which invites musicians, producers and musical innovators to create original compositions inspired by the works on view. Up this month: DJ Kemit.

So get with the Flow and head uptown already!

Flow, April 2 – June 29
The Studio Museum of Harlem
144 West 125th Street
New York, New York 10027