Tag: Wolof
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Matador: From Thiaroye To the world, Civil society in Hip-Hop
Senegalese hip-hop has historically been on the front line of the civil society of the country’s political struggle against government corruption and repression. These artists have the capability to mobilize masses of people into action and to become icons for political movements; they are a key piece of the cultural landscape of Dakar, and of…
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Black Queen: Music With a Message
Black Queen made her claim to fame as an internet sensation in 2016. She released her debut mixtape Art-Gens which distinguished herself from local big names on the scene like Simon PPS and Big D. Her mixtape marks the advent of female leadership in the Senegalese hip-hop game. Black Queen’s discussions of topics like peace,…
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Positive Black Soul- Je ne sais pas
Positive Black Soul (PBS) is one of the first hip-hop groups based in Dakar, Senegal founded in 1989. Didier Sourou Awadi also known as DJ Awadi and Amadou Barry is also known as Doug E. Tee are members of Positive Black Soul. The group integrates elements of traditional music into their more modern beats and…
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Senegalese Hip Hop Star: Dip Doundou Guiss
Dominique Preira, better known as Dip Doundou Guiss, is a well known Senegalese rapper. His inspiration mainly came from Positive Black Soul at a young age. As his love for music grew, he began composing his own songs and collaborated with his friend Swazi ultimately founding the group Doundou Guiss, which translates to “Live to…
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Make Room for Women In Hip-Hop: Mina la Voilée
Aminata Gaye brings a feminist flair to Hip-Hop in Senegal with her conscious rhymes and unapologetic messages. 27-year-old Gaye is a veiled rapper in Dakar, Senegal who goes by the stage name Mina la voilée (Mina the veiled one). In the early stages of her career, the backlash from the public was very harsh and…
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The Writah Raps
Hip-hop is as much a literary genre as it is a musical one, and as a means of storytelling the medium of hip-hop has lent its ability to convey meaning to both traditional and modern aspects of African society. And with a mic as his pen, P.P.S. the Writah crafts lyrical masterpieces that connect Senegal’s…
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Sister Fa: A Human Rights Activist
Sister Fa, formerly known as Fatou Diatta, was born in Dakar, Senegal. She debuted her first demo tape in 2000 and officially entered the stage or West African rap. Her songs are meant to expose the realities of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
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Excuse my Wolof
My last article discussed Youssoupha’s album NGRTD. While reading the lyrics of his song entourage, I realized Youssoupha discussed many of the same themes MC Solaar touches on in his early albums produced some 20 years ago. While you could write a novel on the thematic similarities of African hip hop produced two decades apart,…
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On the Other Side of the Tracks with Gokh-Bi System’s “Pikine”
New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Detroit— name a city in America and there’s sure to be artists that represent the vibrant hip-hop culture that inhabits it. The same holds true across the Atlantic in the West African nation of Senegal, and you’d be hard-pressed to find another city that embodies hip-hop culture as much as…