What exactly is hip-hop? Is it a style of music? A fashion movement? A form of storytelling? A political voice? Why has it become one of the most influential cultural forces on Earth—and one of the most misunderstood? Whether you know nothing about it, a little or a lot, this fun, cultured and intelligent session is designed for you!

In this guided discussion, we'll explore hip-hop as both music and culture, tracing its roots, its evolution, and its enormous impact on the world. We'll look at how hip-hop became a voice for communities, a global movement, and a way for millions of people to express identity, ambition, frustration, creativity, and hope. More importantly, we'll ask what hip-hop can teach us about understanding people whose lives and experiences may be very different from our own. To understand hip-hop is to understand a history, a culture, and a huge part of the modern world—and that gives us a powerful way to connect with other human beings. Hosted online by DJ BO, an expert in music, music history, and cultural studies who has lectured at universities and embassies across Asia and the United States, this session promises to be fun, welcoming, eye-opening, and packed with fascinating stories. Joining us from the road during his train-only DJ tour across China and Russia, BO will guide an inclusive conversation where every question is welcome and no prior knowledge is required.

嘻哈到底是什么？它是一种音乐风格？一种时尚潮流？一种讲故事的方式？还是一种政治表达？它为什么成了地球上最有影响力的文化力量之一——同时也是最容易被误解的之一？无论你完全不了解、只知道一点、还是已经很懂，这场既有料又有趣、还不失文化含量的活动，就是为你准备的。

在这场引导式讨论中，我们会把嘻哈同时当作音乐和文化来聊，追溯它的根源、它的演变，以及它对世界的巨大影响。我们会看看嘻哈是怎么成为社群发声的渠道、一种全球性的运动，以及几百万人在表达身份、野心、挫败感、创造力和希望时的一种方式。更重要的是，我们会问：嘻哈能教给我们什么——关于如何理解那些生活和经历可能跟我们截然不同的人？搞懂嘻哈，就是搞懂一段历史、一种文化、以及现代世界中很大的一块拼图——而这给了我们一个强有力的方式去跟他人产生连接。本场线上主持是DJ BO，他是一位音乐、音乐史和文化研究方面的专家，曾在亚洲和美国的大学及使领馆讲学。他此刻正在一场只坐火车的DJ巡演途中（穿越中国和俄罗斯），会连线加入。BO会引导一场包容的对话——任何问题都欢迎，不需要任何前置知识。