Hōʻokupu Hip Hop Project

The Hōʻokupu Hip Hop Project is a community arts initiative that uses original hip hop to tell Hawaiian history and stories, created by Hui O Kuapā and collaborators. Music videos and performances blend beats, chant, and imagery of land and water to highlight Indigenous resilience and ongoing struggles. Families with older tweens and teens can use these pieces to explore contemporary Hawaiian perspectives alongside textbooks that often stop at annexation. Parents appreciate how the project models art as a tool for cultural preservation and activism. Preview for language and themes, then pair with maps and historical readings for context.