Category: Pidgin English
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Think before you underestimate Little Simz, she is as British as she is Nigerian and isn’t afraid to tell you why.
London-born Nigerian rapper Simbiatu “Simbi” Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, better known as Little Simz, emerged into the British rap scene years ago, and since became very popular. In 2022, she won the Brit Award for Best New Artist and the Libera Award for Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record. In her song, Point and Kill, she is “tapping into…
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HHAP Ep76: FOKN Bois on Satire and Music as Social Commentary
Ghanaian hip hop duo FOKN Bois use satire to convey important social commentary on religion, politics, and sexuality. In this episode, they share their experiences and the thoughts that have gone into music and the messages they deliver. The duo talks about their decision to rap and write in Pidgin English, which they say stems…
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What Happened to Nigerian Female EMCEEs?
Nigeria, popularly known for its catchy Afrobeats by the likes of Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy was once booming with female EMCEEs. What happened? It is not to say that there aren’t any women in the industry now, but the scene has changed drastically since the early 2000s. Take Sasha P, for instance. She was…
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Vector “No Worries” ft. DJ Magnum
A Song for All Nations! Olanrewaju Ogunmefun David’s (aka “Vector”) 2020 hit single “No Worries” featuring DJ Magnum,” explains the frustrations, difficult times, and bad things that happened, especially at night, in Akure, Nigeria. In the rap, Vector is asking God, “Are you there? Can you help? Are you hearing our cry?” Vector is one of many…
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CFP: Politics of Language in African Hip Hop
The question of language in African literature was debated in the 1960s and 1970s. At the heart of the debate was: who qualifies as being an African writer? and what qualifies as African literature? African authors like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Chinua Achebe weighed in on different sides of the debate. Today a similar debate…
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A kaleidoscopic, stream of consciousness musical tumble down the continent
“I don’t think of myself as a ‘global citizen’. I am just an [African] who’s comfortable in other places.” – Chimamanda “A new generation of Africans and people of African descent with a very global outlook,” says CNN analyst Mark Tutton in an attempt to describe the emerging African identity. It has taken on…
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Social Political Rap in Nigeria
‘Jaga Jaga’, which was released in 2004, tackles the various socio-political problems in Nigeria like social inequalities, and bad government and expresses it as a chaotic country. It uses Pidgin English, a language commonly spoken by lower income populations, to convey its political message to the masses. It is a protest song as it speaks…
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Political rap across Africa…Keeping the legacy of it alive
In Africa, it is very common for artists to rap about the political climate of their countries. They do this to try and bring awareness and a call for change on issues within the countries. In Africa, hip hop artists are some of the biggest voices that influence the public’s thoughts, actions, and views on…
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Skylett White Brings Liberia to the East Coast
Hailing from the West African country of Liberia, hard hitting MC Skylett White utilizes a unique spin on her native tongue while sharing diasporic inspirations, namely from Black America. In her music video ‘Literaly Music’ (2018), White raps a significant portion of her bars completely in Liberian Kreyol, the creole dialect unique to the Liberian…
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Taking Over – The New Age of Ghanaian Rap
In March of 2017, Ghanaian hip-hop sensation Shatta Wale formerly known as Bandana released the hit “Taking Over” featuring fellow Ghanaians Joint 77, Addi Self and Captain. This smash hit, produced by Willisbeatz, boasts the beauty of the nation. With each artist comes their own interpretation of what makes the nation as beautiful as it…