Awadi is one of the most popular and well-respected rappers in Africa. He’s originally from Cape Verde and Benin, but lived most of his life in Senegal. Many of his songs starts with clips of speeches made by famous Black or African leaders–eg: Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King. His lyrics are written in Wolof, French and English, but he addresses many problems that are unique to African nations. For example, in his new album, he dedicates a song to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 called “Comme Nasser” (“Like Nasser”).
Awadi hopes to use his success to bring people together and help in the creation of a unified African state. He has been heavily praised for his song “Sunugaal” (“Our Canoe” in Wolof) which examines issues related to immigration. Awadi says that many Africans risk their lives to move to Europe. His song addresses the political corruption in African countries that fail to offer citizens adequate opportunities. People then risk their lives to go to other countries in search of a better life. His song has had over 100,000 views, with many people praising him for bring awareness to this issue.