Fifty years after its birth in the Bronx, Hip Hop has become a global force—shaping fashion, language, politics, and identity across the African diaspora. But with that influence comes a hard question: has Hip Hop—and the musical cultures it has influenced—become a net negative for the Black community?

In this episode of Sankofa Sessions, hosts Kofi Annan and Kofi Adih are joined by Sudan, aka One True Poet—DJ, artist, and cultural curator—for a candid, intergenerational conversation about where Black music is headed and who’s really steering it.

Together, they examine how the commercialization of Hip Hop mirrors similar trends in Dancehall, Afrobeats, Amapiano, and other diasporic sounds—from algorithm-driven hits and corporate gatekeeping to shifting values around money, masculinity, gender, and power.

Is today’s music simply reflecting lived reality, or reinforcing harmful narratives?
Do DJs and artists have a responsibility beyond the crowd and the check?
And as Black music goes global, what parts of the culture are being elevated—and what parts are being erased?

This episode doesn’t offer easy answers. It offers necessary questions about art, accountability, ownership, and the future of Black culture across the diaspora.

Every conversation is a step toward collective liberation.