Where Hip-Hop Brought Down a Government

In Senegal, Hip-Hop Artists Have Gained Exceptional Political Influence.

In a country where journalists are banned from saying or writing what they want, hip-hop artists have stepped up to speak for those who can't.

Moussa Lo, a.k.a. Waterflow, is one of Senegal's most famous hip-hop artists.

He said he became a hip-hop singer not for success or his own glory, but to be "the voice of the voiceless."

"Hip-hop in Africa needs to grow," Waterflow told ABC News, "because we are the journalists for the people."

While Senegal's daily papers praise the government's action - new roads being built for a recent summit, urban renovations -- Waterflow denounces the corruption and the poverty that plague his country.

"Most people," he said, "the masses, don't have everything they [need] to live a normal life. They don't have running water, often they don't have electricity."

With more than 2,500 groups that enjoy increasing popularity, the hip-hop scene has gained exceptional political influence.