A blog and podcast on hip hop in Africa
In our podcast on the discussion of hip-hop in Sierra Leone, we have come to the conclusion that hip-hop historically raises consciousness in its audience. Today, we see artists moving away from conscious rap to mote mainstream music in exchange for compensation. This migration away from the more conscious side of hip-hop is a representation of duality. In the case of Sierra Leone, Daddy Saj represents conscious rap while K-Man represents the hip-hop pop fusion. For the purpose of balance one can conclude that both sides of this hip-hop equation are necessary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXjwCPkebo0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Iu2GIKdMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jOqOlETcRU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnrbCNz2XcM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS2cuB414R4
Known by his stage name “Youssoupha”, Youssoupha Mabiki embodies the defining characteristics of progressive French rappers in his song Entourage. A captivating story of immigration, education, and social consciousness defines Youssoupha’s rise to prominence in a crowded French rap scene.
Youssoupha was born in Zaire (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1979 as the son of a Congolese musician and Senegalese mother. Similar to many adolescents in the francophone world, the family decided a western education was in order and sent Youssoupha to live with relatives along France’s Mediterranean coast. Youssoupha dedicated himself to his studies through graduate school, when he decided to dedicate his life to music. Continue reading “NGRTD”
