In terms of style and delivery AKA is almost synonymous with Jay Z in that their familiar rap patterns let you know that this track is about to be amazing. Meanwhile Drake has developed his own sound within Young Money under Lil Wayne and with a similar connotation to the naming of the tracks we can see that Thank me Now would be just as effective as Congratulate me. In Congratulate me AKA has to take the time to congratulate himself for how far he’s made since he started, Meanwhile, Drake in thank me now comes of as a little more cocky and prepared, thanking the listener directly and giving them ample opportunity to thank him for a song well done. While the topics are very similar, as previously dictated in the post, the way they give permission to give them thanks and a pat on the back for a job well done, couldn’t be any more different in their delivery. “Hold your applause, this is your song, not mine,” “On the bed, on the floor, now congratulate me.” The songs are also a critical look at self from Drake and AKA analyzing the lives that they lead up to this point in their respective careers. As can be expected of any performance art there are times that an artist can perform in front of 40 people or 400 people either way they need to perform as if they’ve packed out Maddison Square Garden. There is also the process of becoming a household name which takes not only time but proper preparation and relationships. Now that AKA can be heard on the radio as well as Drake, at least in the context of this post, you can feel the similar motif which is simply support and congratulate both artist on a job well done.
Category: South Africa
Nadia Nakai – Like Me vs Nadia Rose – Station
This post is dedicated to the comparison of two talented female emcees, from two different countries that share a first name. Nadia Nakai and Nadia Rose both speak on the fact that no one can step to them, whether lyrically or otherwise. With upbeat rhythms and fast rap patterns one could definitely draw a comparison between their styles of delivery and topic choice, however the visuals to accompany the video could not be more different. Nakai brought the b-girl aspect of hip hop to her video, whereas Rose’s Station is literally at a train station saying that she has the go. Station starts with a uptempo boom-bap pattern beat, and a song that would leave you understanding that she won’t be in the same position, space or even place as she is always on the go. Meanwhile, you cannot forget Nadia Nakai, nor can you get close to have the relentless flow that she professes to use throughout the track. Typical in Nakai fashion Nadia flaunts what she has and challenges anyone who thinks that they can step to her about it.
Meanwhile, Nadia Rose calls out fans who talk about her as if she wont talk about it to their face, and when they do reply they want to keep up and if it weren’t obvious at this point, they cannot. Even down to the more specifics of the beats that they decided to use for the songs are tough, as Nakai’s beat for Like Me sounds like a Swiss beats classic and, Rose’s beat selection sounded like a Neptune’s sound. The overall message trying to be conveyed as previously mentioned is that you cant step to these talented ladies with anything short of amazing. Both Femcees also defy the standard representation of what’s ladylike for an emcee, with the overaggressive crumping in Like Me, and to the aggressive styles in which she tells you that you can’t see her in Station.
Sammy Vomits – M.I.A
The song I chose to analyze is M.I.A by Sammy Vomits, a South African hip hop artist. The song begins with a period of straight rhythm, no words just beats. Immediately you begin bobbing your head. Then in comes Sammy Vomits, “They say I’ve been missing in action,” at just the right moment. In M.I.A Vomits addresses and denounces the rumors that he has been slacking, while those around him have been busy grinding. Vomits states that he hasn’t been missing but instead he is keeping his plans on the low. Yes, he’s putting in work but he’s not on scene stunting and flaunting all that he’s doing. This song is Vomits way of flexing on his haters: putting in work, by producing music, and still and still belittling his critics. While others are busy focusing on what all he is doing and accomplishing, he’s making moves whether they see notice them or not. I believe Sammy Vomits embodies all that in the delivery of his song. His voice is rough, harsh, and it beats up the track. Vomits is letting all those who ever doubted him know it is not appreciated. I am a fan of roguish, hard music so I really took a liking to Vomits’s song. I especially liked the fact there was a reason to the rhyme, his message served a person. Sammy Vomits did not just wake up one day and decide to brag about all that he’s accomplished, he woke up one day and decided enough was enough. It’s time they know what I’ve accomplished, time they know that I’ve been putting in work. I believe sometimes is to speak your truth when so many of peers believe otherwise. I also believe that’s what hip hop is for, for black people to speak their truth.
Black Girl Magic
The power of women on the hip hop scene is growing each day in Africa. Female hip hop artist often struggle to get there music and art pushed into the mainstream of a genre that has been historically male dominated. I believe this is the reason that these women are producing more revolutionary hip hop art. Two artist that have made particularly creative music videos are Little Simz, who hails from London but is born to Nigerian parents, and Patty Monroe, who was born and raised in South Africa. These artist show very different sides of the artistic spectrum in the themes they convey and hopefully this blog can give some insight into their messages.
ShabZi Madallion Holy Key
True to the form of South African hip hop, Holy Key (Remix) by DJ Khaled ft. Kendrick Lamar and South African artist ShabZi Madallion, is an example of conscious rap. As the song opens, ShabZi Madallion immediately erupts, issuing a powerful first verse laced with metaphors and ill punchlines. Madallion talks about the corruption of prominent people in positions of power and how they are taking advantage of the citizens. But, he even discusses how sometimes it is not the rich and powerful, but merely are own peers who sell us out for profit or gain, yet in reality all they obtain is a loss a freedom. Madallion’s verse highlights many of the key issues that plague the black community. First, we (the black community) are our own worst enemy. In his verse, Madallion states “they breaking even with demons,” illustrating that greed is the seed of all evil. Continuously it us who send our own people to their demise, trying to increase our own social status. Next he discusses how those in power are manipulating and deceiving the people, which has in turn led to anger and mistrust. Soon, there will be no more obedience amongst citizens. Madallion acknowledges that the black community is fed up with government corruption and will soon decide to discontinue being misled and mistreated. Finally, ShabZi Madallion highlights how the churches are exploiting the black community, fooling them to believe they have their best interest at heart but instead are contributing to the success of the exact leaders that are taking advantage of the community. Overall, I believe Madallion’s verse was the best on the song. He made me really feel everything he was saying. It was powerful, real, and the delivery was impeccable. Even though his lyrics were conscious, they were still engaging and riveting.
Nigerian, South African/Kenyan connection. The battle of the “Koolest”
Today on The Hip-Hop African Blog we analyze the comparison between Nigerian rapper Davido’s song “Coolest kid in Africa” featuring, awesome, South African rapper Nasty C and Kenyan pop singer/rapper Stella Mwangi’s song “Koolio.” Both songs are exciting and begin with catchy beats, however, where Davido’s “Coolest kid in Africa” starts low and slow, with heavy bass and a sick trap beat drop, Stella’s “Koolio” picks up the pace with a faster electro-hop beat that is reminiscent of Pitbull’s I” I Know You Want Me.”
In Davido’s song “ Coolest kid in Africa” he describes that the reasons that he is the coolest are that he is both rich and connected, has enough money to change your life, if you let him, and because of the amount of women who choose to accompany him wherever he goes. Whereas, Stella in “Koolio” describes her “Koolness” as a product of her awesome life, which you should already know about, because of her gangsta style, though she does profess to not be a gangsta. Additionally, she suggests that you should not try to hinder her style or movements, because she keeps her Kool cooler that Coolio, which is not only a metaphor for being the pinnacle of coolness, but also a reference to famous 90’s Hip Hop Artist Coolio, who was known for not only his Coolness but his gangsta lifestyle, point of reference “Gangsta’s Paradise.”
The biggest comparison between the two can be found in Nasty C’s verse on the “Coolest kid in Africa” which connects the party vibe of knowing how cool he is, much like how Stella professes her coolness as a fact before the song, to the concept of finding out how cool he is like Davido suggests throughout the song. Two braggadocio songs professing to how cool the other is based on previous memory of their exploits.
We Must Hustle as a Society!!!
The song I selected for this assignment was Hustle by Justeez Leauge of Riches. He is a South African artist. I enjoyed how the song started off with the long instrumental in the beginning, just to gain the attention of the audience. One must respect the message of the song which is hustle. This song can fall in the motivational category, with the way he advocates his music throughout the song. He questions why individuals would not want to hustle to achieve their goals. He talks about how people must hustle every second of the day, to achieve things such money, cars, and houses. Justeez says you must hustle if you want to eat and truly be successful. Through Justeez’s track one can learn they may not want to hustle but they must understand it. He also goes in to them talking about why people would want to hustle all their life, then to be controlled. He ties this in with individuals going to college who still must follow certain imaginary rules after they earn their bachelor’s degree. This can relate to a job not hiring someone because they have tattoos or dreads, when they are clearly qualified for the job. An event like this happened to my football coach because he had his whole neck and arm covered in tattoos. This resulted in him losing out on a 400,00 thousand-dollar coaching job, just because he had tattoos. We should be able to hustle and achieve anything we want if we truly deserve it. Justeez desires to work for himself, so he can make his money. From listening to Justeez song, one can see that he is educated and knows what to do when it comes to being successful.
Gender Roles of Women Around the Globe
The two videos I selected for my fourth blog was Kisses by Fifi Cooper and Skwod by Nadia Rose. Fifi Cooper was born in South Africa and Nadia Rose was born in London, England. I selected these two artists for very specific reasons. They were chosen as the focus of my post because of the ways differences in the ways in which they express their womanhood. Fifi Cooper upholds the roles of what many would expect from women throughout the world. Cooper constantly sings about love. However, Nadia Rose, on the other hand, in the song Skwod displays a very hardened and masculine image, often frowned upon in many societies. In the videography, Rose wears a jump suit, as she raps about her crew. In her lyrics she states that she has the capacity to kill anyone with her flows, and that her rap verses are like punch lines. Rose was not afraid to tell people that she was their worst nightmare.
Society often forces people into particular boxes. Those who do not agree with or are unable to fit within these categories can become ostracized and judged for their decisions. Women all around the globe often find themselves considering the impact of their decisions on their friends, family, and society. This same pressure is often not placed on men, who are frequently encouraged to act on their impulses and enjoy the wonders of life. Rose strays very far from traditional ideologies of womanhood, but comfortable in her aggression and independence. The artist, Cooper, differed entirely from Nadia. as deemed for women. Even her style differs from Rose, she spends time to ensure she appears beautiful and even wears clothing to show her body; this differed significantly from Rose who style of choice was loose clothing and sneakers. Even in Rose’s musical lyrics she discusses hanging with her crew and getting into fights, this is behavior Cooper would never agree with. On the alternative, Cooper discusses love and kisses, throughout her entire song.. In the opening seen of Cooper song Kisses, she is applying lip stick and constantly looking at herself in the mirror. They even emphasize her vanity by showing her with a telephone shapes as a pair of lips. When comparing the two women, Cooper seems to comply to societies typical gender norms, which describe women as being emotional creatures, unable to separate their emotions from their normal day to day activities. These two videos were both very interesting to compare, as they showed differences in gender roles within society.
Student podcast “South African vs. American Hip Hop” #TheSimilarities
A look at hip hop in South Africa and in the United States.
Student Project: The Nature of Hip Hop in South Africa, a Podcast by Gabrielle Oliver
Songs Mentioned:
K.O (Feat. KiD X) – “Caracara” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrDGwR7lv7M&w=640&h=360]
~ 2014
Youngsta CPT X Stilo Magolide | “Sleep is for the Rich” #SIFTR [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioLEYpyc0dQ&w=640&h=360]
~ 2016
