Will hip hop make a difference in Zimbabwe?

A four-day international hip hop and spoken word festival is under way in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, to celebrate and develop music with a message.

Since its birth in the Bronx, New York, in the 1970s, hip hop has been a voice for the voiceless, and it is credited with playing a part in the recent Arab spring, especially in Tunisia.

But how effective can it be in Zimbabwe where censorship is strong and many artists operate in a climate of fear?

Steve Vickers sent this report from Harare for the BBC's Network Africa programme.

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