CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival

The Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival and Conference is seeking submissions for performers and presenters for their 15th annual event to be held at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, on March 26-29, 2020. This year’s theme is “15 Years of Hip Hop: Past, Present and Future”. This year, the festival is honoring the roots of hip hop as a vehicle of empowerment and resistance for marginalized voices while celebrating how hip hop has also dynamically changed as a movement through time. Looking back in order to step forward, this 15th year’s focus is to honor the foundations of hip hop as well as to celebrate the artists that keep hip hop alive. We invite all artists from around the world to celebrate the roots, seeds, and branches of hip hop as we honor how it has existed, developed, mobilized, and sparked change throughout the decades.

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HHAP Episode 41: Teck-Zilla Talks Hip Hop, Str8buttah & Afropop Breakbeats

The DJ, producer, or beat maker is an important element in hip hop. The beat is the first thing we hear when a song starts, and it is the first clue that our favorite song is about to come on. Hip hop producers usually work with several artists, and some of the more well known producers have their signature styles. In Nigeria, one of those producers is Teck-Zilla, as well as other producers in the Str8buttah camp. Teck-Zilla is a hip hop producer and co-founder of Str8buttah, a hip hop collective that consists of several producers and MCs. In this episode Teck-Zilla talks with us about his own career & influences, the beginnings of Str8buttah, and his approach to beat production.

Teck-Zilla has a distinct style. Listen to his beats on his BandCamp page and you will hear his diverse musical influences, from soul and R&B, to Afrobeat, to hip hop. After DJing a breakdance battle in Nigeria, Teck-Zilla produced an entire mixtape of break beats, B-Boy Zilla (A B-Boy Breaks EP) in 2017. In the EP Teck-Zilla turns Afropop tracks into break beats! His BandCamp page also includes remixes and tributes dedicated to artists like Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5, and Nigerian music legends Fela Kuti and Sade. In addition to beats and remix EPs, Teck-Zilla’s work includes production projects with several established and upcoming hip hop artists.

Teck-Zilla moves between Nigeria, Canada, & the UK regularly. We were able to catch him while he’s in Lagos working on some new projects. We start the episode with his beat “Dear Summer”, then “Skelewu B-Boys” from the B-Boy Zilla EP. We end the episode with his beat “Summer Zilla” from his EP of the same name. Teck-Zilla also teamed up with Modenine for the recently release album Esoteric Mellow. All of these are available on his BandCamp page: https://str8buttah.bandcamp.com

Teck-Zilla is also on social media
SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/teck-zilla
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Teckzilla/
Twitter https://twitter.com/TeckZilla108
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/teckzilla108/

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HHAP EPISODE 40: Modenine Shares His Views on Hip-Hop Culture and Industry in Nigeria

The second episode of our month of Nigerian hip hop is a conversation with hip hop legend, Modenine. Modenine’s hip hop career began in the 1990s, and he has produced over 10 albums and mixtapes. Currently based in England, he talks about the early days of hip hop in Nigeria, as well as the experiences that influenced his entry into hip hop culture.

Modenine discusses the history of hip hop in Nigeria and the diversity you find across Nigeria. He also has strong views on the direction that hip hop is going in, as well as the music industry in Nigeria. This includes an interesting discussion on how Nigerian artists are treated compared to U.S. artists, and how some U.S. and Nigerian artists have handled that unequal treatment.

Modenine also retells his experience in Nigeria with WaPi (Words and Pictures), a program through the British Council that promoted hip hop culture through the British Council in several countries.

He also explains grime music! Grime a genre of music related to hip hop, which emerged among African and Caribbean migrants in England. Grime music is very similar to hip hop, and many grime artists are also hip hop lyricists.

You can find the new album, Esoteric Mellow, by Modenine and producer Teck-Zilla on iTunes music, Amazon music, and Bandcamp (https://str8buttah.bandcamp.com/album/esoteric-mellow)

Modenine is on social media at

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modenineofficialpage
Twitter @modenine
Instagram @modenine_polimaf

Nigeria has the largest Black population in the world, and has the 7th largest population in the world. The country’s music and film industries are two of the largest in the world. In the series of episodes on Nigerian hip hop, we get several different perspectives on hip hop in one of Africa’s powerhouses.

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HHAP EPISODE 39: Rap Radio’s Bionic on Hip-Hop in Nigeria

The first episode of our month of Nigerian hip hop focuses on the Lagos-based internet radio station, Rap Radio Africa with Ikenna Mbah aka Bionic. Rap Radio Africa is one of the first hip hop, African internet radio stations. The station is dedicated to playing all hip hop, all the time. Most of the hip hop they play comes from across the continent.

The conversation covers several topics, including the history of Rap Radio Africa and Bionic’s experiences in the Nigerian hip hop scene. Bionic discusses the programming on Rap Radio Africa, and how that came about, especially via connections with U.S. based artists like Chuck D from Public Enemy. Rap Radio Africa has partnerships with other internet-based hip hop programs, which helps diversify their content and gets their content heard on other platforms.

Bionic also discusses the differences between hip hop and the pop music industry in Nigeria. Nigerian pop music (Davido, Wizkid, P Square, etc..) is often labeled hip hop, which can be confusing when you’re trying to hear what’s happening in the Nigerian hip hop community. Bionic addresses those challenges and how those misconceptions are impacting Nigerian hip hop.

Bionic also discusses the future direction of Rap Radio Africa, and some of the things that are being planned. We also discuss some of the fundraising efforts that they are undertaking to help sustain and expand Rap Radio Africa.

You can find Rap Radio Africa on their website: https://www.rapradioafrica.com
They are also on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @RapRadioAfrica

*Intro beat by Duke Tachez: https://soundcloud.com/duke-tachez

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HHAP Episode 38: Keko on Hip-Hop V. The Politics of Sexuality in Uganda

Keko is a Ugandan MC and filmmaker who became involved in Uganda’s hip hop scene over than 10 years ago. Her career eventually took her to international audiences, in Africa and in Europe, and included a 2012 deal with Sony. In our conversation, Keko discusses some of the challenges she experienced while living in Uganda. Those challenges revolved around her gender, her sexuality, her international recognition, and her 2012 deal with Sony. We discuss the impact of patriarchy and homophobia on her ability to live and to work. Keko is now living in Toronto and is pursuing a career in filmmaking. Keko insists that she is not trying to be an activist, and is definitely not anyone’s “poster child” for gay rights in Uganda. However, Keko’s music, films, and her coming out are her unapologetically living her life. As a Ugandan woman, she is also using her own lens & perspective to contribute her voice as a creative.

Keko is on Twitter at @KEKOTOWN
Her film works can be found on VIMEO at https://vimeo.com/user85283017

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