Skat Nati is an Ethiopian artist whose popularity grew when he released “Sira” in 2018. His genre of hip hop has grown over the years in Ethiopia. Hip Hop hasn’t always been very common in Ethiopia, but throughout the years it has gained a lot of attraction. Ethiopian artists like Skat Nati have been inspired by Afrobeats, American Hip Hop, and American trap music.
Skat Nati’s new song “Kuru” was released in January and has already blown up in Ethiopia. The song centers around the theme of pride for his love of the girl who has caught his attention. “Kuru” directly translating to proud in the chorus he says, “ Kurowbesh, Kuru, Kuru, Kuru..” which means “I am proud of you, proud, proud, proud…”. He discusses how before even seeing her his heart was marked by her already. He’s proud of who she is in the inside and out. He discusses how much he admires her imperfections, her cultural clothing, and her physical appearance.
“Kuru” is filmed on a rooftop in Addis Ababa starting by showing three Ethiopian women wearing cultural dresses and alternates to night scenes in where they were in regular attire. In these scenes, Skat Nati incorporates dancing, and in the chorus, he does a dance where he moves his shoulder and body to the left as he says “Kuru”. This dance has ignited attention within the Ethiopian youth. It has become a trend on social media especially TikTok. Skat Nati is slowly becoming one of the most popular rappers in Ethiopia as his songs are used for trendy dances and in the clubs.
The song “Kuru” is rapped in Amharic the beats for the song have an’80s-’90s American vibe to it which isn’t the traditional Ethiopian beats. This exemplifies the difference between Skat Nati and traditional Ethiopian Hip Hop artists. As Skat Nati’s songs all have varying beats they don’t have the common Ethiopian beats. His song “Kuru” has had several reviews internationally and has grown outside of Ethiopia.
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