Tag: M.anifest
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Social Activism in African Hip Hop
African Hip Hop artists cover a variety of different themes and concepts in their music. Whether it be in relation to socio-political change, gender and race issues, or cultural identity. There is typically a strong message leading the artist’s intentions in word choice and lyricism in the music in which they create. This mixtape will
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Bars For Change Mixtape
By Dagem Teferra This mixtape was made with the theme of political and social impact in Africa and the diaspora. It includes tunes from Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and the USA. In each song, the artist expresses either a social, ecological or political problem that occurs in their community. As hip-hop is an important tool
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HHAP Ep. 81: M.anifest: From Madina to the Mecca
On the 15th of February, 2023, M.anifest visited Howard University, aka The Mecca, for a historical conversation around the importance of his music and Hip Hop culture as we celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop. M.anifest is one of the most prolific MCs of his generation and came for a conversation at one of the world’s most historic Black institutions of higher education. Of M.anifest, the media has called him… “the foremost rapper on the continent.” – The Guardian (2012) M.anifest’s first two albums were released while he was in the U.S., where he was part of a generation of African MCs influencing the “underground” hip-hop scene at the time. In the mid-2000s, M.anifest, along with artists like Blitz (the Ambassador) Bazawule and K’Naan, marked the first time that so many African MCs would make an impact on the underground hip hop scene in the U.S., paving the way for the entry into the mainstream of afrobeats artists a decade later. Since M.anifest’s return to Ghana in 2012, he has become an important voice in West African music. He has released several projects and earned recognition at the Ghana Music Awards and the Channel O Music Awards. His collaborations have included songs with artists as diverse as Erykah Badu, Burna Boy, and Vic Mensa. He was recently among the handful of artists that headlined the January 2023 Black Star Line Festival in Ghana hosted by Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa.
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HHAP Ep. 80: Introducting our New Assistant Producer & more Announcements
In this short episode, we introduce you to our student assistant producer, Miranda, who will be working with us this semester. We also discuss plans for the show, plans to propose a new Hip-Hop Studies minor at Howard University, and an upcoming visit by Ghanaian hip-hop artist M.anifest. The episode starts with the song “Too Bad” from M.anifest’s latest album From Madina to the Universe. This year’s spring series will focus on Nigeria and we will be interviewing hip hop artists and activists to understand what is happening with the hip hop scene in Nigeria. Toward the end of the show, Miranda introduced us to Sudanese American hip hop artist Oddisee, who is based in Washington, DC.
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Sarkodie Brown Paper Bag
The Ghanaian hip hop artist, Michael Kwesi Owusu Addo, more popularly known for his stage name Sarkodie was born in Koforidua, Ghana the summer of 1988 before moving to Tema, Ghana where his family settled down during his adolescent years. Sarkodie began his hip music career as an underground rapper after highschool and rose to
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Meaning Through Music: Sarkodie’s Lyrical Legacy
Music is a powerful form of art in which individuals can express their emotions and convey meanings through beautiful, harmonious ways. Conveying such passion through lyricism and melody is no easy task. There is also an immense challenge in eloquently evoking emotions and experiences that one endures through rhythm. When delving into Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie’s
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M.anifest and Kwesi Arthur Give Us All the “Feels”
With the feel good song “Feels”, M.anifest continues to show why he is one of the predominant rappers on the hip hop scene in Ghana. He brings lyricism and punchlines to a catchy tune that’s backed by percussion that makes you wanna bob your head and/or dance along. He is joined by Kwesi Arthur on
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HHAP Episode 33: The Evolution of M.anifest, from “Immigrant Chronicles” to “God MC”
In this interview M.anifest talks about his return to Ghana and his experiences in both the US and Ghana. As an artist whose music reflects Ghanaian, African, and Diaspora experiences and cultures, M.anifest brings an important level of intellectual complexity to hip hop culture. When I point these things out in the interview, M.anifest says that he does not want to “be an alternative to the mainstream, but to be an alternative in the mainstream”. In the interview M.anifest talks about how his return (& his experiences in both the US and Ghana) has been reflected in his music. He discusses the music industries & creative scenes in the US and in Ghana, African MCs in the US hip hop scene, his impact on the hip hop & music scene in Ghana, and his collaborations with other artists, including the late South African hip hop artist, Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP). In this episode we begin with a look back, musically, at Manifest’s career. We begin with the song “Africa Represent” from his 2007 album Manifestations, then “Motion Picture” from the 2011 album Immigrant Chronicles: Coming to America, and his 2016 single “God MC”. We will end the show with the song “Hand Dey Go, Hand Dey Come” from his 2016 album Nowhere Cool. Website: http://manifestmc.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manifestations/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifestive Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/manifestmc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifestive/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/m-anifest/1377111213
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M.anifest Touches the Heart with New Single ‘Me Ne Woa’
Crowned King of Ghana Hip-Hop in 2017, M.anifest is nothing to play with. He is known for being a triple threat in the music business, as he is a rapper, singer, and songwriter. In most of his crafts he incorporates both his native tongue and English. An example of this is from one of his
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Ghana’s Social and Political influence
Kwame Ametepee Tsikata aka M.anifest is one of the most influential Ghana hip hop artist. He was named “the foremost rapper on the continent”, because of his great contributions to the African Hip hip movement.