Ideas worth spreading

How hip-hop can make climate action cool

1,533,723 views | Samir Ibrahim, MyVerse and Kristen Warren • TED Countdown New York Session 2022

Music can amplify social issues and inspire people to care about new (and sometimes unexpected) topics. But can it take something as dire as climate change and make it mainstream? With artists MyVerse and Kristen Warren as an inspiring opening act, social entrepreneur Samir Ibrahim suggests hip-hop and its stars can help us move from talking about the problem to rapping about (and acting on) solutions.

Music can amplify social issues and inspire people to care about new (and sometimes unexpected) topics. But can it take something as dire as climate change and make it mainstream? With artists MyVerse and Kristen Warren as an inspiring opening act, social entrepreneur Samir Ibrahim suggests hip-hop and its stars can help us move from talking about the problem to rapping about (and acting on) solutions.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about how you can offset your carbon footprint — and if you're in the music industry and want to learn how to incorporate climate actions into your work, click here and we'll help!

Listen to "Mother's Mind," the song MyVerse and Kristen Warren perform in Samir Ibrahim's talk.

About the speakers

Samir Ibrahim

Climate entrepreneur

See speaker profile

Samir works to make business and technology climate solutions mainstream.

MyVerse

See speaker profile

MyVerse (real name Natalia Pitti) is a proud Boricua/Panamanian/Florida native who believes music should resonate with you.

Kristen Warren

See speaker profile

Kristen Warren is a jazz/neo-soul singer from Melbourne, Florida.

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"TED Talk: can hip hop help solve the climate crisis?" playlist

Jam out to the songs mentioned in our TED Talk.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about how you can offset your carbon footprint — and if you're in the music industry and want to learn how to incorporate climate actions into your work, click here and we'll help!

Listen to "Mother's Mind," the song MyVerse and Kristen Warren perform in Samir Ibrahim's talk.