In Macky 2’s “HOPE” (released 2012), he addresses issues Zambian society faces through the lenses of a kid from the streets, as well as his sister. Before each verse in Chichewa which represents the perspective of each character in the song, Macky provides a brief introduction to what he is going to rap about.
In the very first verse, Macky raps from the perspective of a kid he meets on the street. He raps about growing up without a father and not being able to go to school. He brings up the struggle that the youth faces as a result of improper policy and leadership within the government.
Zambia’s low literacy rate, which sits at 55.3% as of 2019, has been attributed to a culture that does not encourage and invest in reading and writing resources in schools by Minister of General Education, Dennis Wanchinga.
During the introduction for the second verse, Macky mentions his charity, the Macky 2 Hope Foundation. This charity was established by Macky 2 in order to provide resources to orphans and vulnerable children. He says “I feel like I can use my music and my influence to talk about things that people are not ready to talk about”, such as gender-based violence. He speaks to when he found his sister crying, and proceeds to rap from her perspective.
Macky raps about abuse and the struggles that women face in a male-dominated society. Gender-based violence has been an important issue in Zambia. In 2017, the country saw a 18.6% increase in GBV cases, which equates to about 50 cases per day. In rapping about gender-based violence, Macky certainly is able to bring forth an issue that many are afraid to talk about — a principle he mentions valuing at the beginning of the song.
Macky closes out the track in English, calling for Zambians to unite and fight social injustice. He says that freedom of speech not existing in Zambia causes for people to be afraid of the truth. He sings “I AM FROM A RICH COUNTRY WHERE POOR PEOLE LIVE”, and dives into his motivation for making music. He raps that instead of caving to popular demand and creating popular hits, he would much rather “make a song, that will make my people strong”.
He closes out with
“This one is dedicated to all the freedom fighters.
I believe they never died in vain.
One day we’ll be together.
Let’s fight for a better Zambia”