Category: Gender & Sexuality
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HHAP EP. 63: Gigi Lamayne on Representation & Dismantling Respectability Politics
This is the first in a special series of episodes being recorded lives with African Studies students at Howard University and George Washington University. The series is co-hosted with Words Beas & Life, who is also live-streaming the episodes on their Facebook page (facebok.com/wordsbeatslife) on Wednesday nights at 5pm EST. The schedule is on our website at hiphopafrican.com. A part of the “born free” generation, Gigi Lamayne grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa after the fall of apartheid. She graduated from Wits University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media and Anthropology in the midst of the #FeesMustFall movement. Rapping since high school, she released the powerful track “Fees Will Fall” just months after graduation. Considered one of South Africa’s best lyricists, her music addresses topics like Black pride, gender-based violence, feminism, sexism, and the shadiness within the music industry. We first interviewed Gigi Lamayne in 2017. She has continued to find mainstream success while addressing serious topics in some of her songs. In the conversation, she talks about her career, her views on the resilience and activism of South African women, race in South Africa, the relationships between women in the industry, and the stigmas and views around mental health in Africa. The video version of this and other episodes are on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC43HnRR6MNq5DePBVKZZ7LQ Links https://www.gigilamayne.co.za/ https://www.facebook.com/Queen.Gigi.LaMayne https://www.instagram.com/gigi_lamayne https://www.twitter.com/gigi_lamayne https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRvC54bgRUtn48RbCvuZJZA https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/gigi-lamayne/1455356528?ign-gact=3&ls=1 https://open.spotify.com/artist/3405LTbL2jP8J0gVQK3087?autoplay=true
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HHAP Episode 60: The Dope Saint Jude Episode
Dope Saint Jude is a South African hip hop artist who was born and raised Cape Town. A former Political Science student at the University of Cape Town, she started her hip hop career in 2011 as a drag king. Her drag king persona was Saint Dude, and resembled rapper Lil Wayne. After releasing several singles, Dope Saint Jude’s first EP, Reimagine, was released in 2016, Her second project, Resilient, was released in 2018. It included the song “Grrrl Like”, which opens this episode and has been one of her biggest hits. The song was also featured in the teaser for the Netflix original series Blood & Water https://youtu.be/OV9Ma4F_xyA. Dope Saint Jude has also performed at Afropunk, been featured in Vogue & Marie Claire, and been part of major advertising campaigns. In this conversation we discuss the social relevance of her music. Well versed in the politics of intersectionality, Dope Saint Jude is very intentional in what she does. In her music she weaves intersecting identities into lyrics that challenge listeners to reconsider their ideas about who they think Black, Coloured, queer South African hip hop women should be. You can find Dope Saint Jude’s music on streaming platforms. She is also online at dopesaintjude.com, twitter.com/DopeSaintJude, instagram.com/dopesaintjude, and youtube.com/channel/UCdGiyFXiSgtTCXu1AGUeK3A. For more scholarship on Dope Saint Jude’s work: Chapters 24 “Queering Hip Hop, queering the city: Dope Saint Jude’s transformative politics” by Adam Haupt and 29 “Building an international profile as an artist” by Dope Saint Jude, Blaq Pearl, Black Athena, Jean-Pierre, Lyrical Deezy with Emile YX? in Haupt, Adam, Williams, Quentin, Alim, Samy H., Jansen, Emile. (2019). Clark, Msia Kibona. (2018). Feminisms in African hip hop. Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism, 17 (2), 383-400.
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Queer Hip-Hop Artists of South Africa
I chose the theme of my mixtape to be “Queer Hip-Hop Artists of South Africa” to not only introduce Queer artist of South Africa to the world, but to celebrate who these artist are and what they represent. Traditional hip-hop music isn’t known promote the LGBTQ community and culture, and there was a time when
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I like it like this.
Women in hip hop. The concept isn’t a new one in this day and age but the industry’s acceptance has been slow, demonstrating that this concept will indefinitely be looked at as something abnormal. The hip hop world is a male heteronormative dominated space since conception, relying on lyrics and swag to brag about their
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Mixtape Project: South African Female MCs Addressing Gender Based Issues and Empowering Women.
Female MCs in Africa have long faced barriers in trying to enter a male-dominated industry that doesn’t take them seriously or believe that can create a lasting impact. As female artists are now on the rise more than ever, they are using their craft to shed light on social and cultural issues faced by women
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Using Gayle to “Keep In Touch”
Dope Saint Jude has always been one to break down barriers and push boundaries, so it’s no surprise that she chose to use the language “Gayle” to portray her message in her song “Keep In Touch.” According to her music video, “Gayle” is a gay slang used in urban communities of South Africa.I believe she
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“Grrrl Like”…. this song is FIRE!!
Dope Saint Jude is always breaking down barriers and pushing boundaries with her daring lyrics. Her song “Grrrl Like” is nothing short of that! The music video was also just as captivating as the song! Dope Saint Jude starts the song off with a powerful drum as she steps on the beat with confidence! Her
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Make Room for Women In Hip-Hop: Mina la Voilée
Aminata Gaye brings a feminist flair to Hip-Hop in Senegal with her conscious rhymes and unapologetic messages. 27-year-old Gaye is a veiled rapper in Dakar, Senegal who goes by the stage name Mina la voilée (Mina the veiled one). In the early stages of her career, the backlash from the public was very harsh and
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17th Annual Historic Hip Hop Celebration in Uganda
THE B-GLOBAL INDIGENOUS HIP HOP GATHERING 2019 by Bwette Gilbert Daniel, UG HIPHOP ARCHIVIST As we gear up to celebrate 17 years of Hip Hop in Uganda it seemed only appropriate for us, the Hip Hop Community to introduce a unique gathering. Our aim is to develop beyond the local impact and to connect with