Tag: M3nsa
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MIXTAPE TOWARDS A NEW CONSCIOUSNESS: Exploring Asakaa, Alt Hip Hop, & Trap Politics
This mixtape explores the social and political themes of songs from Ghana’s trap, drill (Asakaa), and alternative hip hop subgenres to find “conscious” hip hop is not its own genre, but rather a thematic standard that can exist in all kinds of rap. Featured songs in order: Snakes by La…
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M3NSA’s ‘Eyes But No Eyes’
Mensa Ansah, known as M3NSA, is a Ghanaian producer, composer, rapper, singer, and filmmaker born in Accra, Ghana. M3NSA comes from quite the artistic family: his father, Tumi Ebo Ansah, was a member of the Afro pop group Osibisa; his uncles include Kwaw Ansah, the film director, and Kofi Ansah,…
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HHAP Ep76: FOKN Bois on Satire and Music as Social Commentary
Ghanaian hip hop duo FOKN Bois use satire to convey important social commentary on religion, politics, and sexuality. In this episode, they share their experiences and the thoughts that have gone into music and the messages they deliver. The duo talks about their decision to rap and write in Pidgin…
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Dialects of Hip-Hop
The song BRKN LNGWJZ by FOKN Bois is a song that really embodies the discussion revolving around the use of different languages in social settings. FOKN Bois is a Ghanaian rap group that consists of Wanlov the Kubolor and M3nsa. In this song, Wanlov and M3nsa talk about what makes…
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Hip Hop International – My Journal
Asa & M3NSA and Tupac’s songs, “No one knows” & “Keep ya head up” regard motivational reassurance to persevere through the difficult times that we face in every day life. M3NSA, remixes an original song by Asa, exemplfiying through his lyrics that the next day isn’t guaranteed. The video content…
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Ghana & Senegal: Letters to the People
There are many types of hip hop songs: some sample old songs, some create their own back track, some tell a story and some send a message. In many African countries, the voice that hip hop artists have due to their popularity has been used to speak to it’s community of…
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Hip Hop for Social Change
Both Ghanaian and Senegalese forms of hip hop are used in order to present a message whether social or political in their countries. According to The Organic Globalizer: The Political Development of Hip-Hop and the Prospects for Global Transformation, “Music is a potent form of communication that crosses cultural and…
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143 M3nsa
Boundaries are meant to be pushed. Boundaries are usually created out of false norms and restrictive rules. Hip Hop oftentimes finds itself stuck in a box that set the boundaries as grimy, hardcore, sexual content, when Hip Hop can be so much more. Hip Hop is a genre borne from…
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“Help America”- FOKN Bois
The FOKN Bois, Wanlov and M3nsa, is a hip hop duo from the African country Ghana. The hip hop duo’s songs are made up of lyrics that address political issues and are usually extremely satirical. They are not afraid to express their, typically unpopular and disapproved of, opinions. Unlike many…
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Images from the African Hip Hop Film Series
Images from the African Hip Hop Film Series at California State University Los Angeles from January to March 2013. The series featured films from Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda; as well as guest speakers and emcees from the Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, and the US. The images are featured on…