The final two lines of this rap capture the essence of her message to the audience: be aware so that we may unite and make a difference.
Stella Mwangi, a Kenyan rapper now living in Norway includes a theme of social change and awareness in her uplifting song “Identify Yourself”. The music urges the audience to learn and pay attention to what is going on in the world to make a change.
Though she is now based in Norwegia, her music often highlights what is going on in her hometown of Kenya where she spent her childhood. In one of the first lines of the song Stella Mwangi raps, “The music don’t stop, it sings to an action. Who are you? Better know your reaction”. This line addresses the central theme of the song being that music can make a change in the world. The following line asks the listeners to look within themselves for a deeper understanding and awareness of the world.
Stella Mwangi also refers to her roots in Kenya and how that inspired her dream in music, “I was before birth, No curse can change that. From a powerful source” (Stella Mwangi 2016). This line shouts out Kenya as a “powerful source”, her pride and love for her country is evident throughout much of her music. The second line speaks to her confidence, she is born to make a change in the world through music, the lyrics imply that she was destined for this path and nothing can change that.
The flow of Stella Mwangi as well as the beat of the song make “Identify Yourself” enjoyable to listen to and view. Her music was meant to inspire and can be a somewhat refreshing difference from more mainstream music. At the end of her video Stella Mwangi raps “Renew your mind, so we can reunite”. The final two lines of this rap capture the essence of her message to the audience: be aware so that we may unite and make a difference.