| Compilations |
| Last Updated : 2004-01-30 13:12:52 (15733 read)
|
Africa Raps Africa Raps - Senegal, Mali and the Gambia Tracklisting: Africa Raps Review: Fifteen years ago I tried—and failed—to produce the first fully realized African hip-hop album. Me and my crew were Nigerian microphone fiends at a time when nobody in Africa cared much about rappin'. Not because (as we "heads" smirked among ourselves) it was too fresh and new for their "quiet storm" R&B-listening asses, but because it was considered passé. They saw a vestige of the short-lived breakdancing craze that went out with Ozone and Turbo poplocking alongside Lionel Richie at the 1984 Olympics. Besides, most of the few existing African rap experiments were bad (meaning "bad"); stiff AABB nursery rhymes (sometimes in pidgin English, of all things) set to tinny Casio-funk of the most faceless variety. We had a vision to bring bad (meaning "good") hip-hop to Africa, and we had fairly definite ideas of how hip-hop was supposed to sound. Which was, more or less, the sound of urban America: wordy, braggadocio-filled verses with complex rhyme schemes laid over beats and grooves torn from James Brown's Funky People. It would take a few years (and the rise of West coast rap, with its sunny textures, spacious arrangements and melodic flows) to open African ears on a mass scale to hip-hop as, you know, music. As opposed to just an accouterment to another imported fad that swept across without putting down roots in the soil and was then gone like the Twist or the Hustle. For the meantime, though, our music was too alien, too brash, too frantic, too cold, too postindustrial. It was as out of sync with the climate and rhythm of African life as our "authentic hip-hop" wardrobe of hoodies and winter coats. Despite all the stylistic and technical lessons we had mastered in the art of hip-hop, we forgot that central credo: You gotta represent your spot. It's still an issue all African rappers have to grapple with: how to craft compelling hip-hop that represents Africa, yet bangs as hard as the American shit. Africa Raps presents a survey of how rappers in the Mali-Senegambia belt have navigated that problem. Over the past decade, Senegal's capital, Dakar, has become the epicenter of West African hip-hop. There's a hip-hop group on every street in the city, living among the people, serving as their voice and conscience. Even politicians ignore their words at their own peril. Any Af-Am Studies prof will tell you the art of busting rhymes sprang from this central spot at the hub of an ancient oral tradition. So these modern-day griots had a centuries-old social space place waiting for them. Factor in the added advantage of being a largely French-speaking area. Unencumbered by the need to compete directly with American product, they've never allowed themselves to take directives on how hip-hop should sound. They rhyme in Wolof, Malinka, French, English and Jamaican patois. They sing in both R&B and jail styles. They maintain a reverence for the music that came before them, peppering their Rawkus-style beats and g-funk synths with the mellifluous tones of the kora and ngoni harp-lutes and balafon xylophone. The end result is a sound that is distinctly hip-hop, but still representing Africa to the fullest. Positive Black Soul, the ten-year granddaddies of the Dakar scene (as well as the first African rap group to release an album on a major multinational label, 1996's Salaam, on Island) best epitomize the old-new/African-Western fusion aesthetic. On "Boul Ma Mine," they update a classic Orchestre Baobab rumba with skittering beats, reggae-inflected flows and spicy Manding-style guitar licks. "Kay Jel Ma," looping a vibrant mbalax sample from Youssou N'Dour as Bibson (of socially conscious hardcore group Rap'adio) and Xuman (of more party-friendly rival crew Pee Froiss) team up to recount the grim life of an African immigrant in Paris (Shades of Youssou's own classic "Immigres"). But the balance between representing and rocking the spot can be a tenuous one. Gokh-Bi System, for example, err a bit too much on the side of tradition. Their song "Xaesal" builds on ornate koras, hand drums, chanting and singing. Beautiful piece of music, but with nary a boom nor a bap to be found, it's nothing I'd recognize as hip-hop if I bumped into it in the marketplace. C.B.V.'s "Art. 158" wanders too far in the other direction, completely eschewing African elements in favor of a droning track and overly "grimy" vocals reminiscent of Das EFX or early Redman. And then there's the Paris-based Djoloff, who seemingly revel in world music exoticism as they flaunt their traditional instruments and boubou robes. However, what all the groups on Africa Raps share is the common zeal and reverence with which they approach the act of rhyming itself. Whether they're attacking the politi-chiens (a play on the French words for "politician" and "dog") or condemning the justice system; whether they're lamenting the spread of skin bleaching, espousing religious unity, discussing the clubs where you can find the sexiest girls or just dissing wack rappers, there's the sense that they believe that their words do make a difference in the world, that talk doesn't have to be cheap. And that's a feeling that's been missing from most stateside hip-hop for a long time now. If I may take a moment for some dewy-eyed reflection upon the dearly departed ideals of the "golden age" of hip-hop, how dope is it that the Motherland's the place that the rap utopia we dreamed of back then actually has the potential to emerge? Rappers as prophets of the city, pulling strings politically. Consciousness is cool. Hip-hop music is truly the CNN of the streets. Remember Chuck D's pledge to create 20,000 Black leaders in ten years? Well, rap's only been big in Africa for just about a decade, and there are 2,000 rap crews in Dakar alone, with new ones forming everyday. We might be a bit behind schedule, but we're still getting there... |
Compilations: Petit Frère Albums: Petit Frere 1 (1997), Petit Frere 2 (1997)
The 'little brother' cassette compilations were released in 1997 with the backing of well known rap crew Sunu Flavor (whose name appears on top of the cassettes). Other than the 'Senerap freestyle' collection which borrows the music from US hip hop, the raps on Petit frere are over mostly locally produced instrumentals. Several of the rap acts that debuted here seem to have benefited from their appearance. We can name Ndiaf-a-ngara from the 1st tape, and African Mbolo, Bamba J Fall and Sunu Gaal from the 2nd - all of these now have albums out! The overall quality of the groups presented here is not bad at all. I like the Bamba J Fall track because it has some interesting Baye Fall-singing. |
Compilation: Senerap: freestyle no 1  A fresh compilation which shows the healthy state of Senegalese rap, in fact of the whole music business down there at the moment, is the cassette 'Senerap: Freestyle no 1' which was released in Dakar in February 1997. This compilation was the first ever to bring together some of more than 100 Senegalese rap groups that have started to do their thing in the last two years. Featured are some of the most well-known crews that have already shown their talent: PBS, Sunu Flavor, Pee Froiss... Others are not that well known but will be soon. The concept of the album is rather unique because it shows a dedication to one of the oldest surviving elements of Hip Hop culture: freestyle. Recent world tours have given PBS and Pee Froiss a lot of experience performing but also more insight into Hip Hop culture. After using the skills of French deejays Abdul and Cut Killer while on tour, PBS realised that they would have to teach the Senegalese deejays how to cut, scratch and backspin, so they brought Abdel to Dakar to do some workshops. This time they are hitting us with the freestyle flow. Rather than making new beats they chose to pick some US Hip Hop instrumentals. The ten groups (most are from Dakar, only Siki Saka are from Thies) stated that this album will be of great importance for the upliftment of Senegalese Hip Hop. PBS promised that soon a second compilation can be expected, featuring new groups from various regions of the country. |
Compilation: Senerap Act 2  Early June 1998, the second volume of this groundbreaking initiative dropped on the local market. The production by PBS meant to create opportunities for new groups to sort an album, and after 'no 1' indeed two groups - 'Boul n Bai' and Da Brains - have come out with a cassette. Now there's a new tape which apart from well-known PBS, Pee Froiss, Da Brains and Boul n Bai, features some 9 more tracks by Merguiklan, Kanthiolis, Slam Revolution, Domou Capsi, Mediklan, Peace & Peace, Xelmijo, Meloklan - all from Dakar. Also there's three groups named Yutom, Digital, and Wulaba from Ziguinchor. This time all tracks have been mixed in a non-stop sequence. It's dope... The tracks we like most are the one by old school group Kanthiolis, and the Wolof sung r&b track by Peace & Peace which uses that Usher hit. If you go to Dakar, go get it!! |
Compilation: D-Kill Rap Album: D-Kill compilation (1999)
|
Da HOP Compilation Da Hop Compilation Créé par Youssou N'dour il y a 3 ans, Jololi est un label contemporain dont la vocation est de révéler de nouveaux artistes et de promouvoir la musique sénégalaise d'aujourd'hui. Ainsi Jololi se veut porte parole d' une nouvelle génération : celle qui défend sa culture, ses traditions mais qui garde ses yeux tournés vers le futur ! Jololi, en Wolof, c'est le son d'une clochette que l'on agite ; comme si on invitait l'auditeur à prêter attention, à prendre conscience, à se réveiller… |
Dakar Raps Compilation  The Greenpeace-Magazin released a new african HipHop Compilation. Tracklist: 1. Abass Abass, Alif, Wa Geuble - L'Afrique Terre Mère (Freestyle) 2. Da Brains, Thione Seck - Assalo 3. BMG 44 - Def Si Yaw 4. Alif - Fokk 5. Xuman, Awadi, Miriam, Daddy Bibson, Pacotille... - Siensal RMX (Music: Pee Froiss) Order/Ordre: www.greenpeace-magazin.de |
The Rough Guide to African Rap rappers, rebels and
ragamuffins A musical revelation awaits listeners as they delve into The Rough Guide To African Rap, displaying the kind of grooves that are rocking twenty-first century urban Africa and the Diaspora. In Africa, wordplay has always been a great source of entertainment and social commentary, and rappers have responded to social and political issues by addressing such subjects as poverty, AIDS, famine, corruption and globalization at a time when the changing economic, political and media climate across Africa has resulted in less censorship and more freedom to be critical of people in power. Not all these tracks are strictly hip-hop but the rap element is ever-present. Some of the tracks are by world-renowned stars, while others have never been heard in the West. Rappers move easily across cultural divides; their community is a more global one and all these artists can hold their own whether outside Africa or within. Best known as the drummer who created the Afro-beat rhythms for Fela Kuti’s band, Tony Allen is a legendary name when it comes to Africa and beats. In ‘Right Here In Front Of You’ he creates a new mix between Afro-beat and London hip-hop (Afro-hip) with Unsung Heroes and Ty. Starting out in the townships of South Africa, Prophets Of Da City scored some of the earliest international acclaim. They released their first album in 1990, and in 1993 led the Rapping For Democracy voter registration tour and played at the inaugural celebration of President Mandela. Progressive and controversial, they have been censored more than once by South African Broadcasting. Hailing from Cameroon, Manu Dibango is one of few musicians who will automatically hit the target with whatever missile he is aiming to launch. ‘Senga Abele’ is taken from the album Polysonik, which was recorded in London in the early 1990s by producer Simon Booth, and features his guest MC Mell’O’ on the microphone. Probably the originals, the role models, the godfathers, of African Rap, Positive Black Soul emerged from Dakar, the capital of Senegal, rapping in Wolof, their main language. They released their first cassette in 1992, and in 1994 made a pioneering tour of Europe. ‘Boul Fale’ meaning ‘Don’t Worry’ accused national authorities of corruption and was their first big hit. During the 1990s in Ghana, a new musical fusion called ‘hip-life’ evolved. The ‘hip’ was taken from ‘hip-hop’ and the life from ‘highlife’, the popular dance music of the 1950s that became one of Ghana’s most enduring exports. Ghana’s hip-life king, Reggie Rockstone, was born in Britain, brought up in Ghana and studied in the USA. Rapping in Twi, the language of the Ashanti, and Pidgin English, his music has taken him to superstar status. In 1995 three childhood friends from the Malian capital, Bamako, created Tata Pound. Historically, Tata was the name given to the wall that protected the town of Sikasso, in the south of Mali, against invaders from Africa or Europe. Tata Pound take inspiration from the street and from scientific and historical texts. X Plastaz are one of the hottest musical acts in Tanzania, and ‘Msimu Kwa Msimu’ is taken from their first international release, due out in early 2004. Hard Blasters were among the first wave of rap in Tanzania, and ‘Blast Nuff’ is a good example of how Tanzanian rap started out. A musical collective from Mozambique, Mabulu sing and rap in a mixture of Shangana, Portuguese and English, educating as well as entertaining local people. ‘Ni Wakati’ is the title track off the Kenyan rap trio Kalamashaka’s first album, in which hypocrites, corrupt offices and unfaithful clergymen are all targets of their criticism. This track has an opening clip of a speech by Malcolm X. Angolan Das Primeiro released ‘Liberdade’ as his first single in 2002, which displays typically political lyrics. Pee Froiss have a big following in Dakar, thanks to their engaging rap techniques and lyrics, which criticize, denounce and moralize in the best traditions of neo-griots. Trybe are a versatile multi-ethnic band from South Africa, who sing, rap and rhyme in various local African languages including Shangaan, Shona, Sotho, Xhosa and Zulu. ‘Na N’Ko’ means ‘So What’ and is taken from Congolese K-Melia’s first album, before its European release. The Rough Guide To African Rap features some of the hottest rappers and some of the lesser-known gems from all across Africa. To receive press information via email contact press@worldmusic.net |
African Underground Vol. 1 HipHop - Senegal  An urban cultural revolution is sweeping through Africa. Over the past 20 years,
American hip-hop has made its way into daily African life by way of radio, cassettes,
CDs and TV. Influenced by this cultural power, African youth have created their
own local hip-hop cultures. They rap about their own experiences, life stories
and struggles in Africa’s urban ghettos.
This fall, on the heels of the 2004 Presidential election, Nomadic Wax LLC, a Brooklyn based record label/production company dedicated to producing and distributing Global Hip-Hop will be releasing "African Underground Vol. 1: Hip-Hop Senegal" a compilation CD documenting the underground Hip-Hop scene in urban West Africa. The CD will be serviced to radio and retail internationally and will be available online and in stores in November. Nomadic Wax LLC began when founder and CEO Benny Herson stumbled upon a thriving
hip-hop scene during a trip to Dakar in the summer of 1999. In 2001, Herson returned to Dakar with a portable recording studio and the help of ASCAP award winning engineer Dan Cantor of Notable Productions and began producing and recording groups in Senegal’s underground hip-hop scene. From 2001 to the present Herson has returned solo to Africa every year to produce and document hip-hop from all over the continent. To date Nomadic Wax has worked with over 60 underground hip-hop MCs from all over Africa and The Middle East. The latest release "African Underground Vol. 1: Hip-Hop Senegal"
represents the first year of Nomadic Wax’s recording sessions in Dakar,
Senegal’s capital. Originally released as a series of radio singles and
serviced to African radio, "African Underground Vol. 1" has since
landed a number of hit singles causing quite a buzz among Dakar’s hip-hop
heads. Although the general aesthetic of beats and rhymes is the same, there is a world of difference between African and American Hip-hop. In Africa, hip-hop’s politically conscious messages set it apart from the materialism and misogyny so common in mainstream American rap. In particular, Senegalese, rap lyrics have become highly politicized. In the year 2000, the rappers of Senegal literally changed the political landscape by contributing to the ouster of the Diouf regime in the first successful democratic election in Senegal’s history. All over Africa and other developing nations, hip-hop is sparking debate about
poverty, war, corrupt government and the threats of globalization. You can access more information about Nomadic Wax™ and the African Underground™
Series on its website at http://www.nomadicwax.com |
A truly underground compilation, with some interesting contributions, most notably the song '100 commentaires' by Iba and Maktar, 'L'Envahisseur' by Abbas and 'Ni gueun - si noun' by Omzo. '100 commentaires' has superb production too! Not all tracks are able to keep our attention for the full 5 minutes but overall this album is worth more than its 2 U$.
Comments