The countercultural sibling to graffiti, hip-hop’s beginnings are undoubtedly rooted in the fabric of the U.S. and its heavily urbanized and underfunded spaces. Despite the city’s heavy techno influence, a hip-hop open mic night has flourished in a small corner of Berlin for the past 12 years. The Swag Jam, hosted by the six members of the Swag band at Badehaus in the R.A.W. Gelände, has successfully brought together people looking for the undulating beat and referential harmonies of hip-hop, rap, R&B, and afrobeat music.