Saison Hip-Hop en Seine-Saint-Denis

Saison Hip-Hop en Seine-Saint-Denis: the 93, world capital of hip-hop

The Saison Hip-Hop en Seine-Saint-Denis is an initiative led by the Department of Seine-Saint-Denis, in partnership with the towns, associations, and cultural venues of the territory. Each year, from September to June, it brings together all the hip-hop events offered in the department under a common banner, offering unprecedented visibility to the richness of the 93 hip-hop scene.

A territory that invented it all

Seine-Saint-Denis has a unique relationship with hip-hop. The department is one of the cradles of the French hip-hop movement, from the first battles in the parking lots of housing estates in the 1980s to today's stadium concerts. Many of the biggest names in French rap, breakdance, and graffiti were born or grew up in these cities: NTM in Saint-Denis, Sniper between Nantes and the 93, Médine in Le Havre but trained in the 93...

The Saison Hip-Hop affirms this heritage and identity: the 93 is not simply the birthplace of French hip-hop – it is still its beating heart.

A multidisciplinary program throughout the department

The Saison Hip-Hop covers all disciplines of hip-hop:

• Rap and music: concerts in the department's venues, from small community stages to large national venues
• Hip-hop dance: battles, choreographic performances, artist residencies
• Graffiti and visual arts: exhibitions, murals, discovery workshops
• DJing and beatmaking: technical workshops, showcases
• Slam and spoken word: oral poetry performances, writing workshops
• Hip-hop cinema: screenings of documentaries and fiction films about hip-hop culture
• Conferences and debates: history of hip-hop, cultural issues, social questions

Highlights throughout the year

The Season is structured around recurring highlights:

• Festival Hip-Hop de Saint-Denis (October): the department's benchmark hip-hop week
• Festival Tanz (May-June): two weeks of hip-hop dance around the CND in Pantin
• Festival Kalypso: hip-hop dance for all audiences
• Terres de Hip-Hop (November): creative rap at MC93 in Bobigny
• One-off events in cultural centers, media libraries, and public spaces

Structural support for cultural players in the 93

The Saison Hip-Hop does more than just program events: it supports associations, artists, and cultural structures in the territory by offering them increased visibility and dissemination means. It thus contributes to consolidating a vibrant and sustainable local hip-hop ecosystem.