A blog and podcast on hip hop in Africa
Ghanaian artist Wanlov The Kubolor speaks on the effects of colorism on people in Africa and his personal experience with it in 2008 with song My Skin. The video for this song is not professionally shot, but rather just him and his camera in the comfort of his own home, so it seems. There are … Continue reading “Wanlov The Kubolor Addresses Colorism through Personal Experience in “My Skin””
This month we’re featuring a conversation with Ghanaian artist Wanlov the Kubolor. In the interview we talk about Wanlov the Kubolor’s experiences, his music, the controversies, and his evolution into Wanlov the Kubolor, the African Gypsy.
Wanlov the Kubolor is a smart, introspective artist who is very much aware of the social relevance of his music. He often makes social commentary, whether via his music or social media, and infuses that social commentary with humor. Wanlov’s humor (and he’s genuinely funny) often has fans laughing before realizing that there is a message in the madness. Wanlov has detractors, people who take issue with his music or behavior. But, agree or disagree with his views, Wanlov the Kubolor is not afraid of expressing himself in unconventional ways.
Wanlov’ the Kubolor’s music reflects his diverse background and experiences. It is difficult to put Wanlov the Kubolor into one category of music. He is an MC, but he also blends several different sounds and styles in his music. He’s a versatile artists who has crafted a career as a successful, internationally known artist.
His solo albums are Green Card, Yellow Card, Brown Card: African Gypsy, and Orange Card: Fruitopian Raps
Wanlov is also one half of the group Fokn Bois (his partner is M3nsa), which has released two films film Coz ov Moni and Coz ov Moni 2. They also released the soundtracks to Coz ov Moni and Coz ov Moni 2. The groups also released FOKN Wit Ewe and FOKN Ode to Ghana. Wanlov has also released several EPs.
Wanlov the Kubolor’s music can be found on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/wanlov-the-kubolor/id455218010
He’s also on social media Twitter: @wanlov and Facebook: Wanlov the Kubolor
Episode Playlist
:40 “In Ghana”
2:53 Episode Intro
6:48 “Sometimes”
8:00 “Brkn Lngwjz”
10:00 “Mek We Rap”
11:58 “Trotro Blues”
13:25 “No Borders”
14:58 Interview with Wanlov the Kubolor
Emmanuel Owusu-Bonsu, also known as Wanlov the Kubolor, was born into a Ghanaian-Romanian family in Ghana. After years of living in Ghana, he moved to the United States to study Computer Science and Business Administration at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor. Two years later, in 2002, he dropped out in order to become fully … Continue reading “The Diaspora as depicted in Wanlov the Kubolor’s “Smallest Time””
The song BRKN LNGWJZ by FOKN Bois is a song that really embodies the discussion revolving around the use of different languages in social settings. FOKN Bois is a Ghanaian rap group that consists of Wanlov the Kubolor and M3nsa. In this song, Wanlov and M3nsa talk about what makes them who they are and … Continue reading “Dialects of Hip-Hop”
Index of artists mentioned in the book 2C | Liberia Abramz | Uganda | @AbramzTekya Amkoullel L’enfant Peulh Baay Bia | Senegal | @baaybia Balozi/Dola | Tanzania Black Bird | Zimbabwe | @blackbirdafrica Blitz the Ambassador | Ghana | @BlitzAmbassador Burni Aman | South Africa | @BurniAman Cindy Rulz | Tanzania | @CindyRulz Daara J | Senegal | @daarajfamily Da Brains … Continue reading “Index of Artists”
This is an overview of the chapters in this book. The link to the chapters provide further details about the specific resources available in those chapters. Chapter 1: “Boomerang”: Hip Hop & Pan African Dialogues “Often when we speak of Pan-Africanism it is through the diasporic gaze, through the diaspora reflecting on African connections. We … Continue reading “Chapter Overview”
Chapter Overview This chapter focuses on the relationship between hip-hop and African migrants who now live all over the world. The songs of migrants often speak on the conditions in Africa that led to them to leave. They speak of the stress of being away from their homeland, and the possibility of their return. This … Continue reading “African migrant experiences”
Hali Halisi (1999: Tanzania): Hali Halisi, which means “the real situation” in Swahili, is a documentary about rap as an alternative medium for urban youth in Tanzania and Zanzibar. This 30-minute documentary was filmed in 1999 by the Madunia Music Foundation, a non-profit non-governmental organisation based in the Netherlands that promotes African music and supports local initiatives of … Continue reading “Films on Hip Hop in Africa”
There’s two types of people in this world: those who conform to the rules set by society and those who rebel against it. In their collaborative hp hop song “Gentleman”, rappers M.anifest and Wanlov the Kubolor come together to tell you that they’re the ladder and not ashamed of where they’ve come from. For today’s … Continue reading “Different Country, Same Attitude”
FOKN Bois is a hip-hop and hip-life duo comprised of Ghanaian musical artists Wanlov the Kubolor and M3nsa. As we learned while studying their musical Coz Ov Moni in class, this duo is known for engaging sociocultural and political issues, themes of identity, and themes of migration and internationalism in their music. They are also known … Continue reading ““BRKN LNGWJZ” – FOKN Bois”
