Tag: Lola Monroe
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HHAP Ep 79: Hip-Hop culture as a space where Black identities are negotiated and presented
The first episode of 2023 is a special episode on hip-hop as a cultural space where Black identities can be negotiated and presented. The research project was part of a larger seminar project with the University of Maryland College Park on African/Black Diaspora Studies. The larger project was funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The overall project focused on: “the dynamics of race, ethnicity, gender, and interactions between and among first and second-generation African diaspora immigrants and native-born African Americans in the U.S.” My project explores representations of Black identities and shared experiences by African hip-hop artists in the US. The initial objective was to examine the music of 2nd generation African artists in America to understand how they Represent Black identities Discuss shared experiences Represent Africa This was done via a content analysis of their songs & interviews. The artists could be classified as Millennials and Generation Z artists. The music of these artists differed from the music produced by 1st generation African hip-hop artists. The early 2000s saw a small group of hip-hop artists who had all migrated to the US around the same time, usually for college, and would find varying degrees of success. Some of these artists stayed in the U.S., and others migrated home. Their presence was followed by an increase in African music on mainstream platforms, & collaborations between artists of 1st or 2gen African ancestry and artists of multi-generation African ancestry (African Americans). Hip-hop’s structure as a genre that is largely autobiographical lends itself to being a conduit for meaningful conversations around race, gender, sexuality, & politics. These artists were nuanced in their coverage of topics of immediate concern to other African & diaspora communities. We saw the articulation of African American & African connections among several African hip-hop artists who came to the U.S. in the early 2000s. Interestingly, many of those artists were Ghanaian. Artists like Blitz (the Ambassador) Bazawule, Wanlov the Kubolor, M3nsa, Minista of Agrikulcha, & M.anifest all arrived from a country whose place in Pan-African history had been well established. “In our simplicity we are elegant/so to us your coat and tie are irrelevant/give up my culture for your religion?, I can’t” Wanlov the Kubolor, “Gentleman” Other artists like, K’naan (Somalia), Krukid/Ruyonga (Uganda), and Shad (Kenya) also would speak to those connections. These artists may have impacted the growth of African music in the US. This growth led to the emergence of afrobeats artists like Davido, Burna Boy, Shatta Wale, & others. In looking at 2nd generation African artists, I identified 583 songs by 10 Millenial and Generation Z artists. Again, I wanted to find representations of Black identities, African identities, and shared experiences between Africans and African Americans. The artists were: Nipsey Hussle (1985): Los Angeles/African American and Eritrean parents Lola Monroe (1986): Washington, DC/Ethiopia Bas (1987): New York/Paris/Sudan Maxo Kream (1990): Houston/Nigeria Wale (1984): Washington, DC/Nigeria Amine (1994): Portland/Eritrea & Ethiopia Chika (1997): Montgomery (Alabama)/Nigeria Doja Cat (1995): Los Angeles/American and South African parents Earl Sweatshirt (1994): Chicago & Los Angeles/African American and South African parents Thutmose (1995): New York/Nigeria In the review of over 500 songs, very few had any references to African identities or shared experiences. Notable exceptions include Wale’s “My Sweetie” and Amine’s “Roots” During the research, it became clear that there needed to be a more global consideration of what African hip-hop artists are saying. There are artists in other parts of the Diaspora, especially in England, France, and Australia and they complicate Black identities even further. A more global perspective on Black identities helps us to fully understand hip hop’s role in shifting conversations around identity. Some of the European artists studied include. Sefyu (1981) France/Senegal Shay (1990) Belgium/Congo Bree Runway (1992) UK/Ghana Stormzy (1993) UK/Ghana Niska (1994) France/Congo Enny (1994) UK/Nigeria Little Simz (1994) UK/Nigeria Shaybo (1996) UK/Nigeria J Hus (1996) UK/The Gambia The songs played in this episode are “My Sweetie” by Wale “Roots” by Amine “I Want” by Enny “Woman” by Little Simz “En noir et blanc” by Sefyu “Gentleman” by M.anifest and Wanlov the Kubolor “Dollar & a Dream” by Blitz the Ambassador
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Queen Monroe
Fershgenet Melaku, better known as Queen Monroe or Lola Monroe, is a famous Ethiopian hip hop artist raised in Washington DC. Born in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Lola Monroe began her music career as a video model in many hip hop music videos before transitioning to creating her own music. She released “Boss
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Back Back- Lola Monroe
Lola Monroe is a rapper, model, actress, entrepreneur, and mother from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Lola describes herself as a “boss lady, health advocate, and self-love advocate”. She discusses the importance of supporting and empowering other women she says women have a magnitude of power when they work together. She started her music career in 2009
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Lola Monroe, A Star by Indigo Bain
Albums: 1) Boss Bitch’s World (2009) 2) The Lola Monroe Chronicles: The Art of Motivation (2009) 3) Untouchables (w/ Lil Boosie) (2009) 4) Batteries Not Included (2010) 5) Lipstick & Pistols (2013) 6) Boss Bitch’s World 2 (2013) Prominent Elements included in her music: Braggadocio: I don’t think that Lola Monroe includes this element in her rap music to equate to men because
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Lola Monroe- Stay Schemin’ Freestyle (Video)
Fershgenet Melaku, better known as LoLa Monroe is the artist I chose to write my review on. She is an artist of Ethiopian descent and also has ties to Washington, DC. The artist started writing poems at the age of 12 and her love of music progressed from there. She began making music and modeling for
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HHAP Episode 47: Lola Monroe, Representing Ethiopia in Mainstream American Hip Hop
Model, video vixen, MC, BET Awards nominee, & reality TV star: Lola Monroe is an Ethiopian artist who has found success in the mainstream music industry in the United States. Going by many names, including Queen Roe, Lola Monroe was born Born in Ethiopia & raised in Washington, DC. She started her career in entertainment as a model & “video vixen”, and later moved to music. In 2011, she was nominated for BET’s Best Female Hip Hop Artist, and she also became the first woman to join Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang label. Throughout her career, she’s worked with hip hop artists such as Wiz Khalifa, King Los, Trina, and others. She has also appeared in films & on TV, including the reality show, The Platinum Life on the E! network.
In this interview we spoke about growing up rooted in both Ethiopian and African American communities, and representations of Ethiopians in the entertainment industry in America. She also discuses her decision to go vegan, and choices she has made regarding her health and diet. She also discusses her experiences in the music industry, and the relations between women MCs in the industry.
The episode starts with her single “Blah Blah”, and ends with her song “Grime”. Lola Monroe can be found on all social media & streaming platforms.
Instagram: @Iam_QueenRoe
Soundcloud: Iam_QueenRoe
Twitter: Thee_LoLaMonroe -
Lola Monroe Returns with New Music
Ethiopian MC Lola Monroe, or Queen Roe, is back in the limelight with an energetic and sassy new single “Blah Blah”, featuring Terell Britt. “Blah Blah” is a fun and vibrant single, that ends the summer with Lola Monroe delivering bars with intricate word play and boastful whims. This single captures the collective energy of
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Feminism wears Dark Red
Lola Monroe – birth name Fershgenet Melaku – is an Ethiopian-American rapper from Washington, DC signed to Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang. She is the first ever international rapper to come from DC and has been dropping lyrical bombs since she debuted in 2010. Monroe is special because she combines the swagger and braggadocio with her
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Lola Monroe’s “Grime”
Lola Monroe, or “Queen Roe”, is an artist who has been steeped in hip hop culture long before she first picked up a mic. The Addis Ababa born, DC raised emcee first got her start in hip hop as a “video vixen” in the early and mid 2000s, when she appeared in music videos for