Category: Australia
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Mixtape: The African Queens of Hip-Hop
Introduction Throughout the hip-hop industry women are constantly fighting to come up on top, no matter what country or continent they are on. With the patriarchal structure, it is usually difficult for women to make music the way they would prefer or most resembles who they are because they fear it will not be received
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HHAP EP 71: Multiple Diaspora Cultural Experiences Influencing the Creativity of Sampa the Great
Born in Zambia, Sampa the Great lived in the United States, Australia, and Botswana. With multiple African and Diaspora experiences, her music and style are very Pan African. Her work is Pan African in a very organic way. It does not claim to be conscious or preach about Pan Africanism, it just is. Because of this, as a listener, there is joy in listening to music that speaks to our multicultural Black identities. In this interview, she talks about existing as a Black person in different cultural spaces and her interactions across the continent and in the Diaspora. Sampa the Great also talks about her experiences with racism and self-identification while studying in the US in the early 2010s, and later after she moved to Australia. She also talks about the differences between racism in the US and racism in Australia. She delves into the differences in the social unity of Black people in the US and in Australia, where in the US there is a division between Black immigrants and multi-generation-US-born Blacks and in Australia there is an understanding of the importance of Black unity in the face of living in societies that are held up by institutional racism. As an artist, Sampa the Great released her first mixtape in 2015 while living in Australia. Several singles, EPs, and mixtapes later, she released her debut solo album, The Return, in 2019. The album peaked at No. 12 on the Australian music charts. She went on to win Best Hip Hop Release at the 2019 and 2020 ARIA Music Awards, Australia’s top music award. In 2020, she also won the ARIA award for Best Female Artist and Best Independent Release. Sampa the Great has been very outspoken about racism in Australia through her music and performances. She has also been outspoken about the role of women in hip hop and the importance of representation as an African artist on an international stage. Sampa the Great in Instagram and Twitter as @Sampa_The_Great This episode is the last of the special series that we did in partnership with Words Beats & Life. The series was recorded and live-streamed with students in the Hip Hop in Africa class at Howard University and George Washington University.
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Connecting Your Worlds: Intersectionality
I grew up as a military kid. My ma and dad were in the military so even though they were separated, I was always on a military base when I moved in between them. I grew up in a pretty shelter environment for the first half of my life until I reached middle school. I
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Sampa The Great’s Representation of Blackness in “Final Form”
Sampa The Great raps about the process of growth in her 2019 song “Final Form.” The Zambian Australian rapper includes references to ‘Black Power’ and pop culture movies such as the Matrix in the song. At its core, “Final Form” celebrates Blackness. The song’s title implies that the complete acceptance and appreciation of Blackness is
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sampa the great: omg
Sampa The Great‘s “OMG” is a celebration of women and womanhood. Throughout the song, Sampa The Great uses lyrics that amplify the strength, beauty, and power she has. She unapologetically celebrates her life as a woman in Africa empowering the listener with every beat. “Dripped in melanin, galaxy’s finest Put a bit of pressure on
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Sampa the Great: “Time’s Up” – challenging industry norms and racism through self empowerment
Sampa The Great serves as a prominent example of a female African hip hop artist that gained traction and success as a member of the African diaspora, while maintaining her roots and using her art as a vehicle for social and political commentary. Born in Zambia and raised between there and Botswana, the majority of
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Afrocentric Aesthetics in Sampa The Great’s Videography
Sampa The Great has been one of the artist that I seem to cannot get enough of. Her style, and delivery and flow is so unique and eccentric it is hard to not become a fan! and want to listen every word she raps. Sampa The Great the type of rapper that makes you want
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Sampa The Great and her Motherland
Sampa The Great is probably one of the most internationally well-known African artists in the world. She is an artist from Zambia but based in Australia. Her distinct color of music and her rap style gain worldwide attention that even I also knew about her before taking this class. She can be considered as a
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HHAP Episode 50: The Mixtape Episode P. 2
This episode is our second mixtape episode. The episode features the most recent works of 23 of Africa’s fiercest lyricists. All of songs featured on this episode were released in 2018 and 2019, and features women from across Africa, and African women who reside in the Diaspora. Some of the artists are fairly well known to followers of African hip hop scenes, while others are more up & coming. Some of the artists, like Burni Aman, EJ von Lyrik, and Jean Grae have been active for two decades. Others are new to the game, and quickly making a name for themselves. They also are diverse in their styles and the languages they rap in. The artists also differ in terms of content, some of the songs offer social commentary, some are displays of braggadicio, and some are simply about having a great time. The common thread is that they all represent some of the best lyricists out today. It was important that all of the artists and songs in this episode be submitted and voted on by serious hip hop heads, people who are active in hip hop communities. So, thank you to the hip hop heads and experts who contributed to making this mixtape possible: Mikko from Planet Earth Planet Rap Ikenna aka Bionic from Rap Radio Africa Seth Markle, Associate Professor and Faculty Advisor for the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival at Trinity College in the United States Nimoh from Sauti Za Mabinti Buddha Blaze, podcaster & talent manager Xuman, Senegalese hip hop legend, pioneer, and avtivist Elom 20ce, Togolese hip hop artists and activist and founder of Arctivism Track List Sampa The Great “Final Form” from The Return (2019) (Australia/Zambia) EJ von Lyrik (with Roufaida) “Ego” (2019) (South Africa & The Netherlands /Morocco) Burni Aman & Jean Grae “Masters of the Humanverse” (2019) (Switzerland/South Africa & U.S./South Africa) Little Simz “101 FM” from Grey Area (2018) (UK/Nigeria) Isatta Sheriff “Beat Therapy Freestyle” (2019) (UK/Sierra Leone) Blaise “Hennessy Cypher” (2019) (Nigeria) L-Ness “Freestyle ‘Peers w/Bars’” (Kenya) Rouge “Rouge Freestyle on Sway” (2019) (South Africa/DRC) Xtatic “Reignition” from Tatu EP (2019) (Kenya) Abena Rockstar “Politically Incorrect” from Harvest Season (2019) (Ghana) Eva Alordiah “Solo Life” (2019) (Nigeria) Phlow “Hiphop” (2019) (Nigeria) Lauretta Yemoja “Inferno” (2019) (Nigeria) Moonaya “Il est temps” (2018) (Senegal) Mina la Voilée “Girl Power” (2019) (Senegal) Sista LB “Ji gën – Ladieme” (2019) (Senegal) OMG “Lu Ci Sa Yoon” (2019) (Senegal) Flash Marley (with Vicky R) “La Madre” (2019) (Togo) Assessa “Izangoma” from Ugogo Ep (2018) (South Africa) Kanyi Mavi “Umsindo” (2019) (South Africa) Gigi Lamayne “Winnie” from Job Woods (2019) (South Africa) Yugen Blakrok “Carbon Form” (2018) (South Africa)
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Various Interpretations of the Same Lyrics
Kween G, Photo from Daily Maverik Kween G is a hip-hop artist of Ugandan heritage who is based in Australia. As is the case with a multitude of emcees of sub-Saharan African heritage based in the diaspora, her two identities are on display in her performances. The two unique identities of Kween G, Ugandan and