Author: T’Keyah Hayes
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Christoph Remains Chill as a “Gbanna Man”
Many African artists travel overseas to places such as the United States and Europe to expand their careers and, sometimes, to live a better life. Some artists return back to their home countries to with new ideals and a new outlook on other cultures to implement into their own music.…
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Little Simz Reflects On Her Struggles in “Gratitude” Visual
UK-based rapper, Little Simz, chronicles the struggles both herself and her community face in the video for her 2015 single, “Gratitude.” Little Simz, originally from Nigeria, connects with her African heritage throughout the video. She utilizes clips of student protests that took place in Cape Town in 2015 to further…
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Diamond Chanel Weds The Rap Game in “Bachelor Life”
According to society, women and men have different roles and expectations they are to live their lives by. Many women, for example, are expected to marry a man and have kids while the man is the provider for the family. Seems normal, right?
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Pochano Reflects on the Past and Present of Liberia in “Product of a Failed State”
Liberian hip-hop artist Pochano discusses the aftermath of Liberia through his 2012 song, “Product of a Failed State”. In his visual for the song, he incorporates clips from both the past and present of Liberia, including footage from the civil war. The footage of Pochano rapping is shot in a…
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Kpanto Preserves Rap’s Raw Existence in Single “Real Rapper Come Last”
In the era of “mumble rap”, as society has named it, there is a select few rappers who intend to keep the raw culture of lyricism in hip-hop alive.