Category: Women MCs
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Ivorian Doll: A Star In The Making
Ivorian Doll born Vanessa Mahi is a German-born musical artist that relocated to East London at the age of three. Mahi was a Youtuber before “accidentally” stumbling upon her now-successful rap career. Her stage name is a direct link to her Ivorian heritage. She made her musical debut with a collaborating artist, Abigal Asante. HerRead…
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Changing the African Narrative: Aya Nakamura
Aya Nakamura has been writing and releasing music on Youtube since 2016[1]; the Mali-born French musician would make her entrance into the international music scene in 2018 with the release of her second album, NAKAMURA. This album gained international popularity with the hit song “Djadja.” In an interview with The Guardian[2], the artist elaborates onRead…
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Bringing Ethiopian Vibrancy to the COLORS Stage
Alewya was born in Saudi Arabia raised in Sudan then relocated to the United Kingdom. Although her upbringing was highly diverse the Ethiopian roots of her mother have still shone through in her childhood. This is expressed through her most recent single entitled “Ethiopia”. She was given the opportunity to perform this song on theRead…
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People (Check on Me) by Libianca
By Shanell Holback If I had to pick a song that was relatable to millions around the world, especially in modern times, “People (Check on Me)” by Libianca would be my pick 100 percent. Born Libianca Fonji in St Paul, Minnesota the singers parents immigrated to the United States before she was born, but movedRead…
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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 intoRead…
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K.Keed Challenges the Competition Through Trap Music
By Shanell Holback As one of South Africa’s most promising young talents, K.Keed has been impressing fans and critics alike with her attention-captivating freestyle skills. In the visual for “P-ta,” Keed showcases her skill as a freestyle artist while hanging out in different chill locations. The visual imagery complements the song’s moody, and braggadocious vibe,Read…
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Yazzavelli
Yazzavelli’s EP is similar to what is discussed in the current readings of my class. When we look at “lyricism of female emcees in Africa, we must translate the meanings of the words, the purpose of the text. This goes beyond language translation and is an analysis of the subtext understood through the artist’s useRead…
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Shaybo teams up with dreamdoll in “Broke boyz”
by Zainab Ahmed Nigerian British rapper Shaybo collaborates with American (with British descent) rapper Dreamdoll in new song “Broke Boyz.” The two rap about what they need a man to do for them in order to not only get in a relationship with them but to keep them as well. Shaybo and Dreamdoll make sureRead…
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Congo’s Rap Queen
Kinshasa-born female rap artist and emcee, Sista Becky is one of the few in her domain that raps about struggles within the country and the issues she faces as a woman. She uses her song “Plusqu’un rêve” (More than a Dream) to demonstrate braggadocio, which is a style of rap that emcees utilize to bragRead…
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Muthoni Drummer Queen’s Power
Women have faced oppression and suppression for centuries across the world. This is reflected in the hypermasculinity and the portrayal of women as sexual objects, gold diggers, and dependency on men as common themes in the Hip Hop genre. However, these narratives have been challenged by women MCs and rappers in their lyricism and artistry.Read…