A powerful new video from Eyewitness, of Senegal's Wagëblë, with Cameroon / Switzerland based hip hop and gospel singer and social activist Olivier Cheuwa.

Putos Inmortales, a spoken word video developed from the album Sinergia by Capitan Humano, featuring the voice of Al Kronstadt (Pipas de Coco).

French emcee Pumpkin performs her Rose Combat piece acapella. Bastien Burger’s chiaroscuro film brings it all back to the elemental, the voice and the face and the energy.

Two Sydney artists, two great communicators, have joined forces to inspire us to action. Candy Royalle & Kween G combine - and seriously, what a combination! - for a confrontational, unapologetic track about racism in Australia and the world over. 

A spoken word video of Melbourne rapper 1/6 is being shared far and wide today and that fact gives me hope. That when truth is simply spoken it resonates. That we stop and listen. That we take it as meant, and work together to manifest more truth in our daily lives. This piece, writes 1/6, "was inspired by and in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. It's purpose is to help raise awareness of the ongoing race issues happening not only in America but worldwide."

Accra-based poet, musician and filmmaker GhaliLeo released this video a few days ago, influenced by African-American jazz, hip hop, metaphysics and neocolonialism

Released in September this year, a full concept spoken word album from Bologna’s Matteo Buratti.

Released today (May 1st) the new album from Greek-Australian poet Luka Lesson takes great leaps musically. Refreshingly mutable, fluidly shifting through styles, musical and poetic ideas, EXIT is an album with a heart of uncompromising truth.

Last week, Puerto Rican hip hop artist Ikol Santiago released this video for a track from his April ’13 album Iguacas.

Essential hip hop. Pataphysics is Pat Marks, Melbourne-based soulful guerilla hip hop artist. Musician and revolutionary poet with insightful rhymes, in both English and Sri Lankan. Latest video hits home, hard.

Essential hip hop. Senegalese activist hip hop collective Y’en A Marre (Fed Up) have united with Amnesty on the single ’100 COUPABLES : Impunité! Nous avons besoin de Justice’.

A new track from Ghana’s Mutombo, first release from an album coming in 2013. This time – and foreshadowing many collaborations – Mutombo works with M3NSA.

“I get most of my wisdom from woman. I practice it on my brothers.” In the track Us, Aja Monet roll-calls her women as the track cites James Brown’s It’s a Man’s World … “my litany for survival”. The track sets up an album that quietly but firmly secures Aja’s place in my own roll-call of inspirational women.

If you want a global update on the hottest women Hip Hop artists right now, check this generous mixtape from Nomadic Wax.