Tag: Music
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Bas
Sudanese-American rapper Abbas Hamad, better known as Bas, was born in Paris to Sudanese parents and went on to grow up in Queens, New York. Bas released his first mixtape in 2011 but rose to fame in 2013 after being featured on American rapper J. Cole’s Born Sinner album. Shortly after, Bas was signed by…
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Swadu
Natasha Beckley, commonly known by her stage name Swadu d Savage is a hip hop superstar from Freetown, Sierra Leone. Swadu is famous for her unapologetic attitude and inspiring confidence expressed in her music. While many female African celebrities strive for picture-perfect bodies and appearances in order to appeal to beauty standards, Swadu has always…
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Deeno Jay
Deeno Jay is a singer, songwriter, producer, and dancer born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Jay’s music transcends the boundaries of any one genre and has been said to incorporate elements of hip-hop, dancehall, afro-pop, and R&B. As the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown has long been a center not only of art and…
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The “Goddess” of Tanzania- Rosa Ree
Told as a conversation between herself and Satan, 26-year-old Tanzanian rapper, Rosa Ree’s 2021 single “SATAN,” talks about the rapper’s battle with drugs, sex, relationships, fame, etc., and how she’s “Not a slave” and “Never gonna be” to the temptations of the devil. In my opinion, I believe that the song and music video beautifully…
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Kao Denero the “King of Freetown”
Sierra Leonean hip-hop superstar Kao Denero otherwise known as the “King of Freetown” truly embodied his name in his 2020 hit song African King. Throughout the song, Denero chronicles his rise from “the bottom” to international fame as he brings “real rap back” to the hip-hop scene (Denero 1:11). It is clear that Denero seeks…
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Queen of the South Reigns On
Queen of the South. When I first came across this album, I was so excited. After the success of Dobale, the diaspora was excited to hear about Shaybo and her newest project. As a UK-Nigerian rapper, Shaybo has released music since 2011 when she was 15. Now 24, Shaybo has released an album called “Queen…
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Because Who SaId SO?
I know you are probably getting flashbacks of your mom saying “because I said so” from the title. But, currently, it is because Namibia’s underground rapper, Cosi Hooligan, said so on his collaborative track titled “Said So” with Davey Dagger and Tazeuskhamun. “Said So” can be found on the mixtape titled “Out the Trap: Stories…
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WHO IS SYNIK?
Imagine, your sitting in high school and you start putting your thoughts into raps in your school note book. You have been a fan of hiphop since you got introduced to the culture in your childhood. Listening to Tupac Shakur and being inspired by him. Well thats what hip hop star Synik was doing before…
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Rapping In A Native Language
Raj (Okemwa Rajiv) is a Kenyan Rapper that raps in his native language Kisii. The Gusii language (also known as Kisii or Ekegusii) is a Bantu language spoken in the Kisii district in western Kenya, whose headquarters is Kisii town, (between the Kavirondo Gulf of Lake Victoria and the border with Tanzania). His unique style of rap is a…
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Here’s To US
Wangechi Waweru is a Kenyan rapper, singer, and songwriter. She was born on January 19th 1994 in Nairobi, Kenya. Growing up she knew she had a love for music. Wangechi has said that her passion for music derived from listening to Nazizi who is a rapper and songstress. She listened to African music from rappers such…