Nomadic Wax

Nomadic Wax is an international music, film, and events production company specializing in hip-hop and underground music.^[1]

Background

Ben Herson founded Nomadic Wax in 1999, while living in Brooklyn, New York. In the summer of 1999, Herson discovered the local independent hip-hop scene in Senegal and was inspired by the politically and socially conscious lyricism employed by the artists.^[2] Nomadic Wax was founded with the stated purpose of aiding artists and musicians who use art as a platform for social and political activism. Nomadic Wax expanded to include an office in Washington DC, run by Creative Director Magee McIlvaine.^[3]

Film and television

Nomadic Wax began working with film in 2007, debuted in the film “African Underground: Democracy in Dakar" ^[4] co-produced with non-profit film company Sol Productions. The film is a feature-length documentary that explores the role of youth hip-hop activism in the 2007 Senegalese elections. On December 11, 2008, “Democracy in Dakar” was screened on LinkTV.^[5] In 2009, it was screened on WHUT in Washington DC. Till then, “Democracy in Dakar” has been shown at film festivals and universities internationally.^[6]

“Democracy in Haiti” ^[7] is Nomadic Wax's third documentary project. It follows a variety of young people to examine why Haiti's youth have become so separated from mainstream Haitian society and the democratic system.