The Hip Hop African

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Nadia Nakai is a South African born Zimbabwean Hip hop artist from Johannesburg. Growing up, she went to high school in Kenya and graduated from Monash University with a degree in marketing communications and media studies. After spending some time in the television industry, Nadia decided to focus on her music career signing with Family Tree Media in 2016. Today she is well known in South Africa as an amazing rap artist and fashion icon, receiving a brand ambassador deal with Reebok. Some of her popular songs include “Naaa Meaan” and “40 Bars”. Nadia says “I want to speak on different subjects, from a woman’s perspective. When you listen to my music it should feel like it’s you are embodying me”. Today we’ll be reviewing her song “Kreatures” ft. Kwesta and Sio. 

“Kreatures” reveals what it is like for artists in the music industry to be criticized on a daily basis by their own people. She speaks about constantly having to uphold a certain image and having feelings of insecurity each time she is criticized. She says “They taking Ls all them bitches are lames/ I lift my city bitch I’m the crane.” Nadia has brought a lot of recognition to female rap in South Africa and she has uplifted South Africa in the process. She has been extremely successful not only in rap but also in fashion and it seems as though no matter what she does it will never be enough for people to affirm her and her work. The song has a really good flow. It’s on the slower end, but this allows the listener to really process each word she has to say and it takes us into her thought process as an artist.

 The visuals for the music video are also very interesting. There is the continuous use of a phone camera taking videos of Sio, showing the constant pressure of being in the public eye at all times. There are several illusions portrayed in the video as well, showing the illusion of an image that must be upheld by artists regardless of what people say about them. They must fake the smile and continue going despite constant hate. Overall “Kreatures” was a very interesting take on what it is like for artists like Nadia in the public eye, especially being a woman in that space.