LORD Yoda X of Universal Zulu Nation believes hip-hop culture can bring peace to the world.

“We were killing the hell out of each other in New York back in the 1970s. Young people having hip-hop in their lives gives them a choice, that they don’t have to be a certain way to fit in to society,” says the popular emcee from New York.

Zulu Nation was formed in 1973 as a grassroots community-based organisation started by artiste Afrika Bambaataa, then a young student, in a notorious part of New York City called the Bronx.

As he slowly became internationally known as the Godfather of hip-hop culture, Afrika sought to empower communities by getting kids off the streets and out of trouble and uniting people through hip-hop.

The New York-based group has since continued its drive for equality and empowerment, while advancing the elemental aspects of hip-hop – deejaying, emceeing, b-boying/b-girling, graffiti and knowledge.

Zulu Nation’s activism through events, mentorship programmes, holding benefits and many other activities is instrumental in creating the hip-hop phenomenon the world over.

Hip Hop Awareness organisation Universal Zulu Nation's (from left) Orbitron, DJ Gumbeaux, Lord Yoda X and King Khazm lent their emceeing, breakdancing, deejaying and art skills to participants at the Strictly Street event at e@Curve (formerly Cineleisure Damansara) last weekend.

Thirty-six years later, Zulu Nation has reached Malaysian shores (although this was not the first visit by members of the group); last week, four members such as Lord Yoda X, DJ Gumbeaux, King Khazm and Orbitron formed an official Malaysian chapter for the purpose of raising social awareness through expressing yourself viahip-hop.

They spent the weekend overseeing the Strictly Street 2009 event in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, giving b-boying workshops, art demonstrations and judging the Floor Combat b-boying competition.

These four members of the internationally renowned organisation have deep faith in what they do, and personally testify to the power of hip-hop.

“I used to get into a lot of trouble where I’m from (New Orleans, Louisiana),” says DJ Gumbeaux. “I was influenced at a young age, and made some mistakes.”

He eventually heard about Zulu Nation, and found out about its positive influences. “I started to see gang mediations, where natural-born enemies became friends, and through the music and culture and lifestyle of hip-hop, I started making positive changes in my life.”

Orbitron, who was already a dancer before he joined Zulu Nation, heard the organisation being referred to extensively by emcees out of New York, and decided to become a member.

“Hip-hop changed my life, it kept me out of trouble. The organisation binds people of different cultures together, and it seemed only logical to be a part of it.”

Artist, emcee and activist King Khazm formed 206Zulu in his hometown of Seattle in Washington, and has listened to hundreds of stories from youths whose lives were changed by the culture.

“There’s a magnetism that draws us together – it is a universal appeal that people all over the world can relate to. We realise then that we have more in common than we are different,” says Khazm.

Yoda recalls a moving experience he had in Iraq last year, one he calls the best performance of his life.

“We were performing for US troops in the desert and these kids came out of nowhere; they had that haggard look in their eyes but when we got on stage and performed, their beats came on and you could see the light in their eyes as they got into the music,” recalls Yoda.

“It was surreal, people dancing in the desert. The music took everyone away from the war for a couple of hours,” he adds. Ultimately, Zulu Nation aims at letting youths know they have a choice and that they don’t have to be in gangs, be involved in crime and violence, or let themselves be brainwashed by stereotypes.

“We want to bring back a balance through hip hop culture; educating youths about the old school stuff and encouraging them to be creative,” says Yoda.

To find out more about Zulu Nation, visit www.zulunation.com or e-mail zulumalaysia@yahoo.com for information on the newly formed Malaysian chapter.

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