Cultural Diplomacy in Action: The United States’ Export of Hip Hop to the Muslim World

Abstract

Among its other manifestations, the globalization has brought unparalleled development of the music platforms, logistically supported by the widespreadness of Internet. Th is article elaborates on the specific type of music-based diplomacy: hip hop diplomacy. After placing in the theoretical and practical context, the author analyzes the usage of hip hop diplomacy by the United States, particularly, in the Muslim world. I argue that while hip hop diplomacy seems to be a smart ‘new edition’ to the US cultural diplomacy portfolio, it suffers from the same systemic paradox as its Cold War’s predecessor - jazz diplomacy.