Tag: Kanyi Mavi
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Female & Southern African Rappers — Putting Themselves on the Map
A woman stepping into the male-dominated field of hip-hop is revolutionary in itself. Hip-hop was created by men like DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa, in the South Bronx of New York City. Upon its creation you did not see too many female emcees and the weight of hip-hop was carried on the shoulders of
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HHAP Ep. 66: Kanyi Mavi, and the cultural & Political significance of Doing Hip Hop in Xhosa
Kanyi Mavi is a Cape Town-based lyricist who is well respected for her creative use of Xhosa to create powerful hip-hop verses. She sometimes raps and vocalizes over Xhosa instrumentals, introducing hip hop to Xhosa culture in a way the really raises the bar. Her music also speaks to important social issues like sexual harassment, domestic violence, and drug abuse. She released her first album, Iintombi-Zifikile, in 2012, and in 2020 she released both an EP, Khon’ba, and a full album, Igubu Lam. In this interview, she talks to the students about her music and the importance of bringing her culture into hip hop. She also talks about the use of Xhosa in the film Black Panther! She also talks about hip hop culture in South Africa, and the linguistic diversity in the various hip hop scenes across South Africa, as well as the impact of the industry on artistic creativity. As one of the most well-known Xhosa rappers in South Africa, she takes the messages in her music very seriously. She talks about her views on campaigns around violence against women, in which she speaks to women and offers some very real ideas on keeping women safe, and alive. We also re-visit a discussion on feminism that we had during our first interview. She expresses her criticism of these movements and discusses the role men play in the fight for gender equality. Kanyi Mavi also addresses national and global politics, and how in her music, her goal is to voice what is going on in the community, with her people. She also looks at the history of South Africa since the end of apartheid and reflects on South Africa’s relationship with the rest of Africa. Connect with Kanyi Mavi’s work at kanyimavi.co.za. Kanyi Mavi is on Twitter and Instagram as @Kanyi_Mavi.
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Freda Rhymz’s Reclamation of the Female Ghanaian Identity
Freda Rhymz is the epitome of intersectionality as she has found her on niche in Ghanaian hip-hop — fusing Afrobeats with hip-hop, hiplife and highlife. She also lifts up the diversity within Ghanaian identity by including bits of Twi, Pidgin and English into her lyrics. To a western audience, Freda’s song “KMT” coupled with her
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South Africa: “Femcees No More” Mixtape
These South African female rappers are versatile and diverse in their delivery but all champion the message of celebrating yourself and living your truth, while showing rap can be done by any gender.
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Mixtape Project: South African Female MCs Addressing Gender Based Issues and Empowering Women.
Female MCs in Africa have long faced barriers in trying to enter a male-dominated industry that doesn’t take them seriously or believe that can create a lasting impact. As female artists are now on the rise more than ever, they are using their craft to shed light on social and cultural issues faced by women
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HHAP Episode 50: The Mixtape Episode P. 2
This episode is our second mixtape episode. The episode features the most recent works of 23 of Africa’s fiercest lyricists. All of songs featured on this episode were released in 2018 and 2019, and features women from across Africa, and African women who reside in the Diaspora. Some of the artists are fairly well known to followers of African hip hop scenes, while others are more up & coming. Some of the artists, like Burni Aman, EJ von Lyrik, and Jean Grae have been active for two decades. Others are new to the game, and quickly making a name for themselves. They also are diverse in their styles and the languages they rap in. The artists also differ in terms of content, some of the songs offer social commentary, some are displays of braggadicio, and some are simply about having a great time. The common thread is that they all represent some of the best lyricists out today. It was important that all of the artists and songs in this episode be submitted and voted on by serious hip hop heads, people who are active in hip hop communities. So, thank you to the hip hop heads and experts who contributed to making this mixtape possible: Mikko from Planet Earth Planet Rap Ikenna aka Bionic from Rap Radio Africa Seth Markle, Associate Professor and Faculty Advisor for the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival at Trinity College in the United States Nimoh from Sauti Za Mabinti Buddha Blaze, podcaster & talent manager Xuman, Senegalese hip hop legend, pioneer, and avtivist Elom 20ce, Togolese hip hop artists and activist and founder of Arctivism Track List Sampa The Great “Final Form” from The Return (2019) (Australia/Zambia) EJ von Lyrik (with Roufaida) “Ego” (2019) (South Africa & The Netherlands /Morocco) Burni Aman & Jean Grae “Masters of the Humanverse” (2019) (Switzerland/South Africa & U.S./South Africa) Little Simz “101 FM” from Grey Area (2018) (UK/Nigeria) Isatta Sheriff “Beat Therapy Freestyle” (2019) (UK/Sierra Leone) Blaise “Hennessy Cypher” (2019) (Nigeria) L-Ness “Freestyle ‘Peers w/Bars’” (Kenya) Rouge “Rouge Freestyle on Sway” (2019) (South Africa/DRC) Xtatic “Reignition” from Tatu EP (2019) (Kenya) Abena Rockstar “Politically Incorrect” from Harvest Season (2019) (Ghana) Eva Alordiah “Solo Life” (2019) (Nigeria) Phlow “Hiphop” (2019) (Nigeria) Lauretta Yemoja “Inferno” (2019) (Nigeria) Moonaya “Il est temps” (2018) (Senegal) Mina la Voilée “Girl Power” (2019) (Senegal) Sista LB “Ji gën – Ladieme” (2019) (Senegal) OMG “Lu Ci Sa Yoon” (2019) (Senegal) Flash Marley (with Vicky R) “La Madre” (2019) (Togo) Assessa “Izangoma” from Ugogo Ep (2018) (South Africa) Kanyi Mavi “Umsindo” (2019) (South Africa) Gigi Lamayne “Winnie” from Job Woods (2019) (South Africa) Yugen Blakrok “Carbon Form” (2018) (South Africa)
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Hip-Hop and Human Rights in Africa
Hip-Hop and Human Rights in Africa By Msia Kibona Clark February 2019 | Georgetown Journal of International Affairs “The presence of social commentary on human rights in music is not new, it is not unique to Africa, and it is not limited to hip hop. Musicians have often engaged in social commentary around human rights, which has
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HHAP Episode 15: Kanyi Mavi on Hip Hop, Xhosa, & Rap Culture in South Africa
In this episode I sit down with Kanyi Mavi, an MC out of Cape Town, South Africa. She was recently in New York City and I was able to catch up with her at the famous Red Rooster soul food restaurant in Harlem. In the interview we spoke at length about being a Xhosa-speaking hip hop artist in South Africa, as well as the politics of hip hop culture in South Africa. We also spoke about the dynamics of gender & hip hop in South Africa. Tracklist Ungalibali Rise (featuring Driemanskap) Ngqangqa (prod. T.Krotkiewski) For more information about Kanyi Mavi check her out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kanyimavi/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kanyi_Mavi Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/anyiavi iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/kanyi/id535359468