In this song, well-known Cameroonian rapper Askia teams up with Mamiso to create a braggadocio track that also encourages unity between two female artists in the Cameroon rap scene. The song, titled “2 MAMi”, is a play on both of their names, Askia being Mamibakala, and Mamiso’s name. The title itself lets me know that this will be an entertaining display from the two rappers. The video is fairly simple, and most of the talking is in the lyrics rather than there being a crazy music video with cars and mansions showing off everything they have. The pair takes turns talking about their accomplishments and how everyone else in the industry looks up to them and their talents, and I must say they have every right to brag.

Something I did notice however, was that in Mamiso’s verse, she says “Rien á envier au filles qui ce décape”, which translates directly to, “Nothing to envy of the girls who strip it”. This direct shot at the industry and the players within it takes a large stance against the hyper-sexualized norms that often appear for women, especially in the hip-hop industry. She takes pride in not having to feed into the role that women must play in the hegemonic masculinity within the industry. 

The two seem to be having fun showing off their emcee skills and go back in forth declaring “Na we dey here”, letting their audience know that it’s them that are dominating and they will stay exactly where they are. This type of energy is cementing their spots in the industry and certainly lets me know they know this to be a fact.

Askia’s verse proceeds, and we get to experience more of her dominating presence. Her flow, her cadence, and her overall presence stand out while she is rapping her voice. She eventually goes on to say that you’ll “need 2 scans just to know how her brain is wired”. I love this line and how she’s bragging about her intelligence and wit. Her confidence is amazing and her lyrics back up her claims. I also find it interesting how the background people in the video are all men, while Mamiso and Askia are the dominating presence. It says a lot about these two and their skill, and what this song is really about.

I enjoyed this song and its video, and I loved how they are going against the grain of what would be expected of them from the industry. Askia and Mamiso are real talents and I hope to see more collaboration from them in the future.