Tag: Feminism
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Toussa, or all-inclusive
Who is Astou Gaye, and how did she set the contemporary precedent for aspiring female rappers in the banlieus surrounding Dakar? Better known by her stage name Toussa Senerap, Astou began her career calling out a highly-patriarchal Senegalese culture that withholds respect for women in both marriage and the hip-hop industry. There is no questioning
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The Future of Ugandan Rap is FEMALE
KEKO – Cry for Help It is difficult to point out female artist in the African Hip Hop industry that are succeeding and staying consistent. However, Keko, a female Ugandan rapper is killing the game. In her song, Cry for Help, she sheds the light on the physical and mental abuse that women in
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The Queen of Kenya
Stella Nyambura, better known as STL, is one of the best Kenyan female rappers out right now.
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HHAP Episode 20: Nazlee Saif on Hip Hop, Sexuality, Race, & Protest in Cape Town
Our conversation with Cape Town based hip hop and spoken word artist Nazlee Saif centers on discussions of race, gender, religion, sexuality, and activism. This conversation centers on the use of hip hop as a cultural space within which to engage several different social issues, and to deconstruct social taboos that continue to exist within hip hop culture. Nazlee Saif is a spoken word and hip hop artist originally from Durban, who moved to Cape Town and attended the University of Cape Town (UCT) during the height of the #RhodesMustFall movement. Nazlee, who was already a socially conscious artist, was an activist and organizer in the movement on the UCT campus. Nazlee, as a queer identified, Muslim, MC, also brings those intersecting identities into the hip hop, a culture that has historically been very patriarchal, very misogynistic, and hostile to queer voices. In the conversation Nazlee Saif talks about several topic, including the #RhodesMustFall movement at UCT, intersectionality, being Black & Coloured, queer identities, being a Muslim & queer MC, Steve Biko and Black consciousness, the term “Hoteps”, and feminism. Nazlee Saif’s presence in hip hop challenges hip hop’s masculine, heteronormative culture. Nazlee Saif expresses strong stances on topics of race, sexuality, and religion. The artist’s discussion of a level of frustration with Black Consciousness, as well as the term “Hoteps”, may put Nazlee Saif at odds with some Pan Africanists. Nazlee on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNoj0WTO0fAoKG0fagDFxQ Nazlee on Twitter: @NazleeArbee Readings Clark, Msia Kibona. 2014. “Gendered Representations among Tanzanian Female Emcees”. In Ni Wakati: Hip Hop and Social Change in Africa, edited by Msia Kibona Clark and Mickie Koster. Lanham, MD: Lexington Press. Haupt, Adam. 2016. Queering Hip-Hop, Queering the City: Dope Saint Jude’s Transformative Politics. M/C Journal, 19(4). Smith, Marquita R., 2014. “Or a Real, Real Bad Lesbian”: Nicki Minaj and the Acknowledgement of Queer Desire in Hip-Hop Culture. Popular Music and Society, 37(3), pp.360-370.
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Not Your “Average” Females
I recall watching a Dope Saint Jude video earlier in the course. She was raw and so eclectic, so when I saw her name on the list I knew she was the first artist I would choose. Dope Saint Jude bends the norms in Xxplosive, much like many of her other videos, using her words,
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Female Sexuality in Hip-Hop, Is It Still A Taboo?
When it comes to being one of the hottest female rap artists in the game, you have to go hard or go home. Queens born rap artist, Nicki Minaj, knows that all too well and living in this day an age, sex sells in almost every piece of work. Rather it be in forms of
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Impression of Senegal Female Emcee, Sister Fa
From my own search conducted online, I would like to discuss a hip hop video by Senegalese rapper, Sister Fa titled Milyamba. Sister Fa is casually deemed the queen of rap in Senegal so when I came across her video I was almost immediately drawn to the 90’s vibe of it and also how the video
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Black Like Me
Hip Hop was borne from the oppression Black people faced in their urban communities and the outlet to this madness was found in a dope beat and intellectual wordplay. The Black struggle found in the Bronx in America can be mirrored in South Africa where Black people were similarly oppressed in their communities. The Black struggle
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HHAP Episode 7: Gigi Lamayne on Feminism & Politics in South Africa
Gigi Lamayne is part of a recent growth of female MCs in South Africa. Based in Johannesburg, her strong vocal presence and lyrical style are unmistakably hip hop. She also presents a strong, confident feminist energy in hip hop’s hypermasucline culture. A member of South Africa’s “born free” generation, Gigi Lamayne started MCing as a teenager. There has been a noticeable growth in her lyrics over the years, and Gigi Lamayne is now one of the most well known female MCs in South Africa. Confrontations of sexism, patriarchy, domestic violence, and post-apartheid politics are themes throughout her music. In this conversation Gigi Lamayne talks about her music and influences, and her decision to address controversial, sensitive topics. Her most recent release, Ground Zero, can be found on iTunes and other online outlets. Table of Contents Intro to themes in her music, including clips from some of her songs: 1:03 Interview: 13:17 Feminism: 19:45 Miss Nthabi & collaborations with other MCs 23:44 (Miss Nthabi is an earlier South African MC who offers words of advice on being a female MC in the intro to Gigi Lamayne’s Ground Zero) Emotional domestic violence 29:49 Fees Will Fall: 33:29 Language: 40:28 Find Gigi Lamayne Online Facebook | Instagram: gigi_lamayne | SoundCloud | YouTube | Twitter: gigi_lamayne Articles Okay Africa: Women In South African Hip-Hop LiveMag: 10 notable South African female rappers of all time GQ South Africa: 5 of SA’s hottest female rappers
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Do Not Sleep on Gigi LaMayne
She might be young, but do not be mistaken, this girl is vicious! The twenty-one year old Genesis Gabriella Tina Manney, or Gigi LaMayne for short, is representing for the hoods in Southern Africa. With many feats under her belt such as winning Best Female two years in a row at the South African Hip Hop Awards,