In the heart of Rome’s eastern suburbs, at the ÀP – Antimafia Pop Academy, hip hop has rediscovered its most authentic dimension: collective, educational and political.
As part of the European Soundroutes project, six workshops have transformed this cultural space into a laboratory of citizenship and creativity, where words, sounds and bodies have become instruments of expression and social justice.
ÀP, which defines itself as a “pop academy”, has been working for years to promote rights, participation and anti-mafia culture through education and creativity. Its mission is to transform territories, giving young people the opportunity to imagine concrete alternatives and build new spaces for civic engagement from the bottom up.
In this context, the encounter with Soundroutes was natural: both share the vision of culture as a driver of change.
Two series of workshops were held during the year — “Hip-Hop: From the Street, For the Street” and “Hip-Hop: Beyond the Street” — involving rappers, B-girls, educators, trainers and film-makers. The activities covered rap, dance, writing and collective reflection, exploring hip hop as an educational language and a space for community activation.
During the meetings, participants shared experiences of marginalisation, resistance and creativity, accompanied by a cultural mediator and professional rapper who facilitated dialogue between artists and young people. The writing, breaking and discussion sessions gave shape to a choral journey, where each voice found its place in a common rhythm.
‘Hip hop here is not just a musical genre — it is a popular pedagogy,’ say ÀP. ‘A way to learn how to be in the world, to understand injustices and to imagine how to overturn them.’
The success of the Roman Local Hubs confirms the strength of this alliance between culture and education. The workshops have created bonds, strengthened artistic skills and opened up new professional opportunities for young artists who often find no space in traditional circuits.
Some of them will now have the opportunity to participate in Soundroutes’ international boot camps in Belgium, Spain, Greece and Italy, bringing their voices to European stages and collaborating on the creation of a collective album.
From the suburbs of Rome to Europe, Soundroutes demonstrates that hip hop can still be a political act, a space for emancipation and a community practice.
A language that continues to say: “from the street, for the street” — but also beyond.
