Category: Benin
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HHAP EPISODE 59: Moonaya on Dakar’s hip hop collectives, hip hop Pan Africanism, & Western imperialism in Africa.
Moonaya is an extremely talented MC in one of the strongest hip hop scenes in the world. A Pan Africanist, her background represents her political views. Moonaya is originally from Benin, but she grew up in Senegal. While her father is Senegalese, her mother is Togolese, and one of her grandmothers was Nigerian. She grew up in a musical home where she heard a range of African music, as well as music from across the Diaspora. While she went to school to study law, she’s been writing hip hop music for almost 20 years. Her debut album, A Fleur 2 Mo was released in 2009. Her more recent project, the EP Petit Oiseau, was released in 2019. In 2017, she became the 1st Senegalese artist to sign with Sony. Over the years, her music has dealt with a range of topics. In “J’déprim” (I’m Depressed) she discusses the impacts of depression, in “Il est temps” (It’s Time) she talks about Pan Africanism and Black liberation, and in the song “Qui” (Who?) she samples Malcolm X’s speech and talks about self hatred and Black peoples. Moonaya also spoke a lot about European, American, and even Chinese imperialism in Africa. She spoke about the exploitation of Africa’s resources, European hands in African conflicts, and the continued colonial relationship between France and francophone Africa. She also spoke about the struggles being faced by Black people all over the world. “We are the richest continent, but we are the poorest people, and this is not normal!” Moonaya In this interview we also discussed the hip hop scene in Senegal. Senegal has a few women’s hip hop collectives, which have served as a resource for artists willing to work to build their careers. Moonaya talked about her experiences with these collectives as well as how helpful they have been to other artists. We also discussed the influences on her work, especially the growth of her own social and political consciousness. We also discussed the role of Western researchers in Senegal. Senegal has one of the most researched hip hop scenes, outside of the United States. Most of these researchers are White, and come from Europe and the US. A lot of the research that is produced on Senegalese hip hop is problematic. There are some American researchers, like Catherine Appert and Colleen Neff, who have done extensive work on hip-hop in Senegal, and have also pointed out the problematic ways that other Western researchers have written about hip hop in Senegal. Often because of language, Black scholars often choose to go to anglophone countries, and few do work in Senegal. Moonaya and I talked about the fact that more Black scholars need to go to Senegal, and we discussed some of the ways to overcome the language barriers: Hire a translator! While there is tons of scholarship on Senegalese hip hop, there is a need for scholarship on hip hop’s Pan African connections in Senegal. On how through hip hop culture, the Senegalese are in conversation with the African Diaspora. To hear more of Moonaya’s music, she is on social media in all of the usual places: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTKkp-gOdxcmRBV7faC7w0Q https://www.instagram.com/moonaya221/ https://www.facebook.com/MoonayaOfficiel https://twitter.com/moonamuzik https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/moonaya/1435034416
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Dibi Dobo: Representing Benin
Dibi Dobo, one of Benin’s top hip-hop artists, has exceptional skill in his use of language. Rather than simply switch between his native tongue (Fon) and French as many other artists do, Dibi Dobo mixes Fon, French, and English in his songs. This is a deliberate choice, one reflecting the artist’s desire to incorporate traditional
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Moona: Representing Her Perspective
Moona (or also known as Moonaya), a Beninese hip hop artist currently living in Senegal, represents uncommon themes and unheard struggles in her music. Moona was born in Benin, and moved to Senegal for her studies. Despite living in Dakar, Moona is well known in the Beninese scene and represents Benin in the West African
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Cynicism and Reality in Hip Hop
Diamant Noir, a Beninese rap group, released the song Notre Monde in 2006. Notre Monde is sung in French and discusses a variety of social and political messages. Central to the song is a concept of blackness, and how that struggle is linked to oppression worldwide. Overall, a pervading theme of cynical analysis runs throughout
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Beninese Hip Hop and Activism: E-Ray
A longtime veteran of Benin’s scene, Régis Ezin ‘E-Ray’ is an Beninese activist rapper not afraid to speak out on social issues. His discography, ranging from 2005 to 2015, repeats his core messages of social change and personal progress. He released his first single in 2005 and has continued since. Recently, he has released singles
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Artist Music Review: “KMG” and “Yung Swiss”
I had the pleasure to review a song under Kalakuta music, which is the only Pan African and bilingual record label in the Ivory Coast.