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November 4, 2026

Hip Hop & Hope Homecoming in Phnom Penh

On Saturday night, Hip Hop & Hope finally came home. More than 70 people filled Meta House for the Cambodian launch of Romi Grossberg’s memoir, a crowd as mixed as Phnom Penh itself. Artists, former street kids, NGO workers, friends and neighbours from every part of the city stood side by side to celebrate a story that belongs to all of them. It was a huge success, and a reminder of the community Tiny Toones has built over the years.

Among the guests was Honorary Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, Derek Yip, who joined the evening and helped make it a special one. Book sales were strong, and 50% of all proceeds go straight back to Tiny Toones. A huge thank you to everyone who came, and to Meta House for hosting us so generously.

If you missed the night, you can still pick up a copy. Hip Hop & Hope is available internationally or locally at Monument Books, Kinokuniya, and Relay at both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap International Airports, as well as in ebook and audio. Every copy sold supports the kids, the artists and the future of Tiny Toones.

Photos: Ambassador Derek Yip and Romi, Romi signing copies of her book, speech, Former Tiny Toones breakdancers Kha and Homie with Romi.

September 29, 2026

Hip Hop & Hope – Book Launch

Join us at Meta House on Saturday 31st October at 7pm for a one-night only book launch of Hip Hop & Hope: One Woman’s Journey in the Slums of Cambodia.

Part memoir, part history, part travelogue, it is a portrait of a Phnom Penh that is impossible to forget. Of street kids who became artists. Of breakdancing its way onto the TEDx stage. Of trust, friendship and believing in yourself when the world is against you.

Come and meet author Romi, Tiny Toones founder KK, and many of the kids from the story, now very much grown up.
Hip Hop & Hope will make you laugh and cry as Romi shares with brutal honesty the highs and lows of life for the forgotten in Cambodia. Don’t miss it.
After climbing to Amazon’s #1 New Release in Cambodia and Travel, Romi Grossberg’s memoir Hip Hop & Hope has toured Australia and Asia to packed rooms. Now, for the first time, it is coming home to Cambodia.
50% of all book sale proceeds go back to Tiny Toones.
MORE INFO: HIP HOP & HOPE BOOK LAUNCH

August 5, 2024

BOOK RELEASE: Hip Hop & Hope

We are excited to announce the release HIP HOP & HOPE, One woman’s journey in the slums of Cambodia, released Aug 1st, 2024.

50% of all proceeds from the sale of paperback, ebook and audio, go back to Tiny Toones centre.

Part memoir, part history, part travelogue, this is the inspirational story of one woman’s journey in the slums of Cambodia.

When Romi Grossberg decided, at thirty-five, to give up her job as a social worker in Australia for a two-year contract at Tiny Toones, a hip hop youth centre in the slums of Cambodia, she could never have imagined that the experience would change her life forever.

Hip Hop & Hope is part memoir, part history, part travelogue, and completely engaging. Its portrait of Phnom Penh is complicated and indelible. Its story of work in an NGO is inspirational. At Tiny Toones, Romi evolves from a frightened burrung to a respected manager who knows the words, the tunes, and the moves.

This is the story of trust and friendship, faith, and belief in oneself even when the world is against you. NGO’s founder KK, Romi, and their kids forge unbreakable bonds and eventually breakdance their way onto the TEDx stage and to sold-out performances in Australia.

Hip Hop & Hope will make you laugh and cry as Romi shares with brutal honesty the highs and lows of life for the forgotten in Cambodia.

“A must read for those believing in hope and making a difference in the world we live.”

—PRINCESS SOMA NORODOM, Princess of Cambodia

“A powerful heartfelt memoir.”

—AKIL TALIB of Jurassic 5

“Fierce, full flight and full of love and courage… Grossberg shares their extraordinary story.”

—DR SALLY BREEN

“A delight to read, full of tragedies and triumphs that will make you cry but leave you feeling ultimately optimistic, as lived by real people you will fall in love with as you read.”

—JAMIE GILL

“Rich with character, incident, and insight, with hip hop as its lingua franca, Hip Hop & Hope is a hugely compelling read. It made me laugh, cry, and dance as I tore through its pages.”

—TIM TOMLINSON

Romi Grossberg is  the former General Manager, and current Board of Directors member.  She spent the last ten years working on her memoir. This is her true story of work at Tiny Toones, and life in Cambodia.

OUT NOW and AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE

Amazon       List of outlets

June 30, 2024

And The Winners Are …

And the winners are ….Bboy Suicide and Bboy Freeze!
Suicide and Freeze, who are both Tiny Toones alumni, just WON the Breaking Battle at the IFC –  Institut Francois Cambodge in Phnom Penh. This was a really big competition with some incredible breakdancers. Their skill and raw talent saw them take it over the line. We could not be more proud of the dedication, resilience and perseverance of these two shining role models and dancers.
And as if the prestige and recognition is not enough, their prize, as outlined by the IFC is that, “They are going to France in October for two weeks as well as participate in the Trophy Masters Competition in Toulouse…. The Trophy Masters Competition will be amazing, breakdancers from all around the world will be there to compete.”
This is incredible exciting news for the boys and also for Tiny Toones centre. We are always so thrilled to see our kids thrive and to show the young ones, the next generation, that anything is possible.
What we (the Board of Directors) love most about this? Well there is SO much to love about this, but … the very first thing that these two boys, or we should say, young men, did was drive with DJ Kdep (a famous local DJ and also Tiny Toones alumni) straight to KK’s house to share the news and celebrate with him.
A huge congratulations goes out to Bboy Suicide and Bboy Freeze and best of luck for France.

December 13, 2023

New Documentary on KK underway

We were so honored to have the incredible Kevin Frilet and Nicolas Petris, two talented French movie producers, visit our centre at Chba Ampoev. They are here making a documentary about Tiny Toones Founder, Tuy Sobil – better known as ‘KK’, and his influence on the hip hop and dance community in Cambodia.

KK started breakdancing at 8 years old in Long Beach, California. When he was deported to Cambodia in 2004, he brought his dancing experience and skills to Phnom Penh, where Tiny Toones was born. KK’s influence in Cambodia’s hip hop culture is undeniable and through his resilience and reputation, he not onl started this centre but also started breakdancing championships, international breakdancing competitions, and much, much more.

We, Tiny Toones, are so excited about this documentary. Although we are only in the beginning stages right now, once it is complete it will be featured in Radikal Magazine or @RadiKal_Magazine (on Instagram) and beyond.

Congrats to our Founder on this wonderful opportunity for him to, once again, share his love of hip hop, breakdancing, creative art, and continuing to help the Tiny Toones students and community.

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