This episode is from a 2024 interview with Malal Talla—better known as Fou Malade—a legendary figure in Senegalese hip hop and co-founder of the activist collective Y’en a Marre. A key voice in Senegal's social and political landscape, Fou Malade shares his journey from early musical influences and socially conscious lyricism to organizing protests and grassroots mobilization through music.

In the interview, we explore:

• His early days as an MC influenced by Pan-Africanism, figures like Kwame Nkrumah and Thomas Sankara, and groups like Positive Black Soul
• The evolution of Senegalese hip hop from political consciousness to mainstream commercialization
• The rise and impact of Y’en a Marre and its influence across Africa, including his arrest in the DRC
• How governments have tried to co-opt or silence politically engaged hip hop movements
• The role of hip hop festivals in fostering Pan-African artistic and political collaboration
• His vision for a “new type of African”—one rooted in ethics, activism, and social responsibility

Whether you’re into hip hop, social movements, or Pan-African politics, this episode offers a powerful look into how culture can be used to inspire change across the continent.

We are back after a 1-year hiatus. It was difficult to maintain the production schedule as it was, so we will be scaling down a lot. We will continue to release conversations about Hip Hop in Africa and the African diaspora.

Our first episode back will be an interview with Senegalese hip hop artist and co-founder of the activist collective Y’en a Marre, Malal, aka Fou Malade. He is a major voice in Senegal's social and political landscape. Fou Malade shares his journey from musical influences and lyricism to organizing protests and grassroots mobilization through music. This includes his role in the Y’en a Marre movement and his arrest in the Congo in 2015.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will also be posting two bonus episodes, a podcast, and a mixtape created by students in the Hip Hop & Social Change in Africa class. Additional student mixtapes & podcasts can be found on hiphopafrican.com. This year, gender and the African diaspora were major themes in the projects.

The mixtape The Sound of the Diaspora: Identity and Resistance in African Hip Hop, features the following songs

• “Becky” by Amine (Eritrea and Ethiopia)
• “Hello Africa” by Blitz The Ambassador (Ghana)
• “Never Fight an African” by Styles P (South Africa and Jamaica)
• “Sue Me” by Wale (Nigeria)

In the podcast Unapologetic: African Women in Hip-Hop, two student hosts discuss the power behind the works of several artists, including Ghana’s Eno Barony, South Africa’s Gigi Lamayne, Uganda’s Keko, and Nigeria’s Reespect. The hosts like how these women aren’t waiting for permission to speak, but are taking the mic and making space for themselves.

Again, the podcast will continue to post interviews and conversations around hip hop in Africa and the African world. The goal is to return to the monthly format, with shorter episodes, less than 20 minutes. This is more sustainable. On our website, we will continue to feature additional content and press releases, including information on hip hop events, releases, and news.

A WordPress.com website

This is a special episode of the Hip Hop African Podcast. This episode is an airing of an event we sponsored: #BlackLivesMatter and #FeesMustFall: A Panel Discussion on Black Activism in the US and South Africa held on the 29th of November at Howard University in Washington, DC.

The event brought together activists for a discussion on two pivotal movements for Black lives in the U.S. and South Africa: Black Lives Matter in the U.S. and #FeesMustFall/#RhodesMustFall in South Africa. Both movements are changing dialogues around race, gender, class, violence, and oppression.

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This episode features a conversation with Kenyan hip hop artist Hustlajay Mau Mau. A conscious hip hop artists from Mombasa, Kenya who is part of an informal collective of conscious hip hop artists in East Africa. These artists, based in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya; in Kampala, Uganda; and in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, Tanzania continue to build on more than a decade of East African collaborations, forming grassroots organizing collectives and working on hip hop based initiatives that work with youth in those areas.

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This episode features an interview with Senegalese hip hop pioneers and activists Xuman and Keyti. Xuman and Keyti have been active in hip hop in Senegal for over 20 years. They now host a hip hop news show called Journal Rappé on YouTube. The episode featured on this podcast features the U.S. rapper M1.

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This episode focuses on some background information on studies of hip hop and studies of hip hop in Africa. We discuss some of the scholarship that has been produced on hip hop.

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We are introducing a new podcast show titled The Hip Hop African podcast. The podcast will feature interviews with artists and conversations around certain social and political issues that hip hop in Africa addresses. The podcast will be produced by Msia Kibona Clark in the Department of African Studies at Howard University, as well as students in her Hip Hop and Popular Culture in Africa course. This episode is just a brief introduction to the podcast.

This episode is a sit-down conversation with Toni Blackman. Toni is an artist, hip-hop activist, writer, and cultural ambassador. She holds the distinction of being the first hip-hop ambassador to the U.S. State Department, and her work has had a significant impact on the global perception of hip-hop.

She has decades of experience in the U.S. and throughout Africa. She is one of the most well-traveled and experienced hip-hop artists out there and her work has earned her recognition and respect in hip-hop communities around the world.

We met up at the King Fahd Hotel in Dakar, Senegal this past December to talk about her work and to get her thoughts on hip-hop culture globally and the implications of changes in the industry for hip-hop artists. She talks about the idea of “conscious capitalism" and artists balancing art, business, and social impact.

You can make money and make social impact at the same time… I want more artists to know that and understand that.

She also talks about the relationships between hip-hop artists in the Diaspora and hip-hop artists in Africa and offers advice for both. As an artist and activist dedicated to promoting the positive impact of hip-hop and mindfulness, she is recognized for her innovative work and contributions to hip-hop culture. She inspires and engages audiences through her art, education, and social entrepreneurship. Toni Blackman has left an indelible mark on the world of music and cultural diplomacy.

Music and art play a functional role in the lives of people of African descent.

You can find Toni on all major social media platforms, including Instagram and Twitter as @ToniBlackman, and her website at ToniBlackman.com.

Apple Music is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with the “Hip Hop DNA” series. One episode is focused on South Africa. The Hip Hop DNA series shows the diversity of hip-hop sounds, histories, and communities worldwide through radio episodes, playlists, and album selections. This episode on South Africa spotlights the country’s hip-hop scene. It dives into the roots of hip hop in South Africa, looking at the early days in the 1980s and 1990s when legendary Cape Town groups like Prophets of Da City and Black Noise gained prominence. It also mentions groups like Skwatta Kamp and Teargas that achieved radio success in the 2000s and early 2010s. Also covered are the more recent hip hop stars – AKA, KO, and Cassper Nyovest – and a new generation of “kwasi-trap” rappers, such as Bravo Le Roux.

SABC – released a series of documentaries to celebrate hip hop’s 50th anniversary internationally and 40 years in SA. The documentaries were shown on Sundays and ran from November 12th – 26th, with a special broadcast of this year’s Back to the City music festival. The first documentary, directed by SPeeKa, was titled “Slaghuis Joint Elements” and told the story of one of the country’s most impactful hip-hop movements, Slaghuis. The next documentary, “Ladies First Women in SA Hip Hop” looked at the gendered dynamics of rap in SA and how women have both shaped and been affected by the music. The final documentary, “Champion’s League,” looked at SA’s battle rap scene and focused on issues of freedom of speech and how youth culture has influenced the art form.

Kendrick Lamar has teamed up with the philanthropic organization Global Citizen on an effort to establish a music touring circuit across the continent. A kickoff event for the “Move Afrika” tour will take place in Kigali, Rwanda at BK Arena on Dec. 6, with Lamar as headliner performing alongside other artists from Tanzania and Rwanda. Lamar is also working with his creative partner Dave Free and his company, pg Lang, on the tour, which has agreed to curate annual shows across the continent for the next five years as part of the initiative. Global Citizen focuses on eradicating poverty, so the Move Afrika project comes with a focus on job creation and attracting other of the world’s greatest artists to the continent. You can get tickets for the December show in Rwanda at moveafrika.org.

THE 21ST ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THE B-GLOBAL INDIGENOUS UGANDA HIP-HOP SUMMIT will be held in Kampala. This year it will be held December 20-23, and they will be celebrating hip hop's 50th this year. The B-Global Indigenous Uganda Hip Hop Summit is an educational platform that celebrates and encourages indigenous hip-hop in Uganda. The summit's vision is to educate and empower young people.

A new play by French rap legend, Kery James and French director and writer Marc Lainé. In À huis clos, Kery James plays Soulaymaan, a lawyer whose brother is murdered by the police. Soulaymaan decides to take justice into his own hands and takes the judge who released his brother's murderer hostage. The play debates ideas around democracy, love, and forgiveness; and two visions of the world collide at the heart of a fascinating political drama.

Held during the congressionally recognized Hip-Hop History Month, this conference will take place in Atlanta, GA on November 6- 7, 2023.   The goal of this conference is to celebrate, acknowledge, and promote the importance of Hip-Hop culture in our lives and society. Specifically for this conference, we are interested in highlighting questions around Hip-Hop culture’s inclusion in different regions, southern women emcees and Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop’s future including the role of AI, the continued global expansion of the genre, and numerous other topics. This conference is especially beneficial and relevant in Georgia as Atlanta is now deemed the “Hip-Hop Mecca.” 

The 2023 Global Conference on Hip Hop Education will expand upon our previous theme, which focused on the foundation of the culture and explore how this culture both migrated out of New York to states like California (i.e. the Golden State), and into popular culture and academia in the late 1970s to mid-1980s. Our conference theme “From the Golden Era to the Golden State,” will guide us as we explore the foundation of this culture, understand what brought about an increase in cultural diffusion, and how lessons learned from the golden era can inform current pedagogies, interventions, research, scholarship and practices.

From Toronto to Havana, to London and Stockholm, we will consider the relationships between hip-hop street culture practices, archiving and preservation. Hip-Hop Diaspora: Archiving and Celebrating 50 Years of the Culture will focus on how global hip-hop voices collective marginalities through decolonial historiographic efforts and forges lasting people-to-people relations that echo economies of Black teaching beyond US borders.

Howard Journal of Communications Special Issue: Exploring the Past, Present and Future of Hip Hop

Whether analyzing issues related to its past or looking forward to what it might be in the future, th

The 2023 WDSF Africa Breaking Championship took place in Rabat, Morocco, May 6-7. 58 Breakers took part in the Championships, which was officiated by nine international judges, including Kaweesi Mark from Uganda and Vee from South Africa. Moroccan b-girl Elmamouny and b-boy Billy become the first athletes to qualify in the Olympics for breaking.

Moroccan b-girl Elmamouny defeated South Africa's Midian Leah to take the women's title and Moroccan b-boy Billy defeated Moroccan b-boy Tawfiq for the men's title, both winning the inaugural African Championship.

The World Breaking Championship 2023 took place in Leuven, Belgium on September 23-24. The WBC featured 115 b-boys and 92 b-girls from 62 countries, including Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia.

Victor Montalvo (USA) won the men’s competition, Philip Kim, “B-Boy Phil Wizard,” (Canada) came in second place, and Nakari Shigeyuki (Japan) came in third. Dominika Banevic (Lithuania) won the women’s competition, beating Ayumi Fukushima (Japan).

South African hip hop legend Emile YX? hosted a series of talks, discussions, and exhibitions in South Africa, celebrating 40+ years of hip hop in that country. Emile YX? is a member of one of South Africa’s oldest hip hop crews, Black Noise. Emile led these “Hip Hop as Healing” conversations to celebrate the impact of hip hop on youth. The event kicked off at the University of Cape Town (September 28th-29th) and closed at the Back to the City Hip Hop Festival in Johannesburg (October 7th).

The Jam Cypher Battles were held on October 7 in Lagos, Nigeria. Loudbase Ent hosted Top 8 Street Dance Battle Nigeria edition. Top 8 Street Dance Battle was founded in Ireland and funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. The event includes workshops and dance battles and brings together breakers, rappers, DJ,s and graffiti artists.

Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion by Sowmya Krishnamurthy

MC Caro My Way (Liberia)

Wale the Sage Running from Time (Nigeria)

Wordz People Forget to be People (South Africa)

Nasty C I Love it Here (South Africa)

Cassper Nyovest Solomon (South Africa)

Alfdaniels Mabingo (2022) Re-Contextualising Breakdance Aesthetics: Performance, Performativity, and Re-Enaction of Breakdancing in Uganda, Journal of African Cultural Studies, 34:4, 404-421, DOI: 10.1080/13696815.2022.2132473

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Alfdaniels Mabingo who wrote a fascinating article on breakdance in Uganda for the Journal of African Cultural Studies. Uganda has one of the largest breakdance scenes in the world, and Mabingo examines how the youth have reconfigured, localized, and re-interpreted breakdance aesthetics in that country. He argues that as breakdance spread, and youth innovated the art form, breakdance became part of Ugandan culture. In this sense, breakdance is no longer just a Western import, but Ugandans have evolved a breakdance into a Ugandan art form.

I always say, maybe breakdance is kind of this baby that arrived (in Uganda) by clinging on to the back of this mother that was rap.

The central thesis of Mabingo's article is to show how Ugandans have been able to localize breakdance and make it their own. He also talks about his research methods and his interest in what he refers to as “the jua cali theory”, which is about taking the imported and the local and repurposing them to create something new.

As a scholar and practitioner, Alfdaniels Mabingo was always fascinated as he watched young boys and girls who walked long distances to dance and share talents. He saw this as not just a practice but also a movement. He felt that these self-driven young individuals added character to the city of Kampala.

Alfdaniels association with breakdance groups such as Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU) in the last fifteen years, deepened his interest, and hence decided to interrogate breakdance. He realized that the more he investigated and researched breakdance, the more he noticed how breakdance also provides certain social services within the communities in Kampala and beyond. This service he calls the "functionalities of breakdance." Breakdancers such as B-boy Abdul, worked to inject locally manufactured ideas to make the breakdance responsive and understood in communities. He saw dancers explore ways of blending elements of breakdance and some elements of indigenous Ugandan dances, customs, and music.

The arrival of hip hop culture through breakdance, music, and fashion in Uganda influenced performers such as B-Boy Abdul. Alfdaniels says that in the 1990s, there was a desire among people from Uganda to imitate what was happening in the United States of America. Young Ugandans were heavily influenced by MC Hammer and 2Pac. Later, there was a desire to create something locally that spoke and appealed to Ugandan youth. B-Boy Abdul realized this after attending a competition in the United Kingdom with the "Top Floor" dance crew when their dance was categorized by the judges as not being breakdance. After his return to Uganda, B-Boy Abdul saw the need to take breakdance in Uganda to the next level by fusing breakdance with some elements of indigenous Ugandan dance.

The strength of breakdancers in Uganda, and …across the African continent… is the ability to look beyond the contours of their own space and their own aesthetics and imagination.

Dr. Alfdaniels Mabingo is a dance researcher, scholar, performer, and educator. He has a PhD in dance studies from the University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries, an MA in dance education from New York University, an MA in performing art

A new exhibit opens at the National Museum in Ghana in Accra. The exhibit runs from August 27 - December and focuses on hip hop’s global influence and the influence and contributions of Ghana in the global culture of Hip Hop.

They will be exhibiting texts on hip-hop, including Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History by Vikki Tobak, Back In The Days by Jamel Shabazz, Living the Hiplife by Jesse Weaver Shipley, Hip Hop Africa: New African Music in a Globalizing World by Eric Charry, and The Hiplife in Ghana: West African Indigenization of Hip-Hop by Halifu Osumare, and Hip Hop in Africa: Prophets of the City & Dustyfoot Philosophers by Msia Kibona Clark.

They will also be screening films showcasing Hip Hop’s influence globally and Ghana’s influence and contributions to The Culture

An upcoming event in the UK will "highlight how global hip hop practitioners and hip hop scholars remember, historicise and archive the culture locally". It will highlight the local Milton Keynes hip hop scene from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s.

"Apart from standard academic talks and keynote addresses, the conference will also feature novel formats of knowledge production and dissemination, such as knowledge-droppin cyphers, graffiti literacies, or scratch-in-the-surface of ideas sessions. We want to emphasize that knowledge production within hip hop is both an intellectual and an embodied practice, so we explicitly invite participants to experiment with novel ways of presenting their ideas - in a hip hop way."

The International Council for Hip Hop Studies/le Conseil International Pour Hip Hop Et Recherche: CIPHER is a public scholarship project mapping hip-hop knowledge from communities across the world. The conference will be held at the University College in Cork, Ireland. Proposals due: September 2023

These are some of the artists featured in the article:

ZuluMecca | https://www.instagram.com/zulumecca

K.Keed | https://www.instagram.com/whodat_keed/

Dope Saint Jude | https://www.instagram.com/dopesaintjude

Mx Blouse| https://www.instagram.com/sandiblouse

Keko | https://www.instagram.com/kekotown1

Noti Flow | https://www.instagram.com/notiflowmusic

The conversation regarding Burna Boy's comments on the lack of substance in Afrobeats stems from a recent interview he did with Apple TV. The conversation regarding hip hop

Jude Lemfani Abaga, also known as M.I. Abaga He is a Nigerian rapper, songwriter, and music producer. He was born originally in Jos, Northern Nigeria, and released his debut album in 2008. He was the CEO of the label Chocolate City from 2015 to 2019 and then started his label in 2020 with incredible music. Before getting into the music industry, he studied in the U.S. for a while, then came back to Nigeria and got his music career launched in 2003.

“Hip-hop, as an art form, requires integrity for you to be respected.”

He has received several music awards, including the MTV Africa Music Awards and BET Awards. He is also involved in different initiatives to bring about social and political change in Nigeria; he was declared the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime Goodwill Ambassador against the smuggling of migrants in 2012. In his role, he was charged with speaking out on and drawing attention to the smuggling issue in Nigeria’s most recent election; his organization TASCK, a creative agency in the last general elections launched a campaign encouraging people to vote.

Having been in the industry for over two decades, M.I. has nuggets of wisdom to share with people in or who are eyeing the music industry. He believes that all upcoming artists should not limit themselves to one genre of music but should instead try different things to find out what they are most comfortable with.

“Every artist has to pick their point, be true to it, and make a case.”

In this episode, M.I. takes us through his music career journey. From how he got into the industry, the challenges he has encountered, how he is mentoring young talents, his experience working with other artists, to his relationship with Afrobeats. He will also enlighten us on the tension between success and integrity for artists. Where do they draw the line?

M.I. is on a mission to solve a big problem in Africa. He is working towards ensuring that creatives starting their careers don’t have to go through traumatic experiences. Through his agency, he is offering them support and infrastructure to help them build sustainable businesses for them from the onset.

Listen to learn more from MI.

“The goal is not to attempt to be perfect. The goal is to attempt  to create with integrity, trust and know, and when you get feedback that doesn’t agree, learn, and grow.”

Peter King Ubiebor also known as Dhoro Styles is a Nigerian street and graffiti artist. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from the University of Benin in Edo state, Nigeria. Dhoro Styles has a strong focus on drawing, painting, graffiti writing, and creating murals with spray paints and paintbrush techniques.

In our conversation with him, Dhoro Styles told us that his interest for drawing started at the age of 4, and continued throughout secondary school. He added that it was in secondary school that he did his first graffiti writing with spray paint. Dhoro Styles states that he draws inspiration from contemporary urban cultures, street arts, Chicago murals, and graffiti from the 1980’s and 1990’s. As well as from Uprising, the well-known graffiti artist from Nigeria, and Eminem, the American-based rapper.

“When We Express Ourselves on the [Bridges], We are Living”

Graffiti, according to Dhoro Styles, is a medium of communication. He adds that apart from graffiti addressing social issues, “when we express ourselves on the walls we are living.” This means that graffiti is a culture and a style of a people. Dhoro Styles indicated that he does his graffiti writing and painting on bridges in Lagos, the home of graffiti in Nigeria. 

ZuluMecca, also known as Mandisa Nduna, has made a name for herself as a rapper and actress. With a unique style and powerful lyrics, ZuluMecca is a versatile artist who transitions between music and acting. A talented lyricist and actor, ZuluMecca's presence in the entertainment industry has continued to grow. She most recently released the EP Seams. This conversation with the podcast and our students took place in April, about 2 months before the EP dropped.

Look, I am in no physical condition to listen to wack shit

The episode opens with the track "Iller Than" and ends with the track "Job Not Finished", both from the new EP. In the episode, ZuluMecca discusses her entry into Hip Hop and some of her influences. She reflects on the balance artists must make between staying true to themselves and servicing the industry. She also talks about having a successful acting career and the relationships between her music and acting skills and interests.

ZuluMecca also talks about her spiritual journey and how that has impacted her career. During COVID-19, ZuluMecca reflects on her creative journey and taking the time to work on her writing and incorporating spirituality into her music. ZuluMecca became an ordained spiritual healer, using this background to inform her hip-hop and bring spirituality to her music.

I gave you prophesy, showed you the God in me I gave you knowledge, gave you Garden routes I gave Harlem Streets, I gave you Carter III, God MC I gave you Vaudeville, all the skill in my discography

This is the first episode in our Spring Series, which focuses on Nigeria this year. In this episode, we talked to Victor Uwakwe Izuchukwu, the founder of Loudbase AF Entertainment, a hip-hop community organization formed in Nigeria in 2018. Loudbase is a platform “for creatives in the hip-hop community to nurture and groom skills.” They hold a yearly Hip-Hop conference, most recently in November 2022. The conference brings together hip hop heard from around the world, especially Africa, to celebrate all aspects of hip hop culture. They not only focus on music, but also hip hop dance, DJing, graffiti, and knowledge.

On the 15th of February, 2023, M.anifest visited Howard University, also known as 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."

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.

“is widely considered an icon”

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.

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 is a short episode we recorded to send out a couple of announcements and to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop.

The initial objective was to examine the music of 2nd generation African artists in America to understand how they

1. Represent Black identities
2. Discuss shared experiences
3. Represent Africa

 "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"

The artists were:

1. Nipsey Hussle (1985): Los Angeles/African American and Eritrean parents
2. Lola Monroe (1986): Washington, DC/Ethiopia
3. Bas (1987): New York/Paris/Sudan
4. Maxo Kream (1990): Houston/Nigeria
5. Wale (1984): Washington, DC/Nigeria
6. Amine (1994): Portland/Eritrea & Ethiopia
7. Chika (1997): Montgomery (Alabama)/Nigeria
8. Doja Cat (1995): Los Angeles/American and South African parents
9. Earl Sweatshirt (1994): Chicago & Los Angeles/African American and South African parents
10. Thutmose (1995): New York/Nigeria

Some of the European artists studied include.

1. Sefyu (1981) France/Senegal
2. Shay (1990) Belgium/Congo
3. Bree Runway (1992) UK/Ghana
4. Stormzy (1993) UK/Ghana
5. Niska (1994) France/Congo
6. Enny (1994) UK/Nigeria
7. Little Simz (1994) UK/Nigeria
8. Shaybo (1996) UK/Nigeria
9. 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

Eavesdrop is a multi-hyphenate artist who is an MC, a producer, a director, and an actor. She has been active in Cape Town's Hip-Hop scene for almost 2 decades and as a lyricist she often produces meaningful lyrics, expressing ideas that have depth.

In this interview, we had an important conversation with Eavesdrop about the importance of representation and authenticity. We talked honestly about sometimes feeling conflicted on how best to support younger artists, especially women. Strength and confidence are a prerequisite for being a Hip-Hop artist, and we reflect on how to support other women while encouraging them to rely on their own strength and confidence to excel.

“If you need me to hold this door open for you, how are you going to learn the weight of this door?”

We also discuss South Africa’s political history and how that influences the presence and participation of women in Hip-Hop. Eavesdrop introduces us to the concept of “imbokodo” (“rock” in Zulu”), which emerged during the anti-apartheid movement. A common chant during the movement was “Wathint’abafazi, wathint’imbokodo!” (“You strike women, you strike a rock!”).

“As an MC you’re seen as imbokodo, you’re seen as that rock, you’re seen as that pillar, and you are somehow helping to preserve that legacy that your country is known for … for its strong women”

We also talk about the cost of authenticity. Eavesdrop says that being authentic to yourself as an artist is freedom. It often does not mean wealth, but it does mean freedom. In an industry where some equate talent and success with material things, placing higher importance on wealth than on the actual art or the message, Eavesdrop reflects on the importance of being her authentic self

“When you live in the ghetto, your TV is never off… It’s just constantly running a program on you.. we have a lot of work to do in terms of rewriting that code”

Eavesdrop is on Facebook and Weebly

DJ Azuhl is a prominent South African DJ with Beat Bangaz, a DJ collective out of Cape Town. He was born and raised in Cape Town and has been involved in the Hip-Hop community in Cape Town since the 1980s. 

DJ Azuhl started out breakdancing with the legendary Breaking crew Brasse Vannie Kaap (BVK). He’s a co-founder of the Beat Bangaz DJ Academy and Beat Bangaz Radio. He also works with Hip Hop Education South Africa. 

In this interview, DJ Azuhl talks about the early years of Hip-Hop in Cape Town, especially during the years that South Africa was under apartheid rule. DJ Azuhl also shares his perspective on DJing and Hip-Hop culture in South Africa, and the art form of the Hip-Hop DJ. Cape Town’s old-school artists are often heavily involved in mentoring young Hip-Hop heads, and DJ Azuhl talks about the importance of reaching back and giving back to the culture. 

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 English, which they say stems from needing to “express more of self” to reach their own people. For them, rapping and writing in Pidgin English “brought a new sense of freedom and originality”.

Wanlov and M3nsa also discuss their reputations for being rebellious and the need to incorporate humor into their conscious rhymes; and how they sneak “difficult conversations” into their comedic rhyme schemes to reduce resistance to the message that they come to deliver to their people.

“It’s extremely cathartic to be able to turn your problems into laughter”.

Additionally, in responding to student questions, FOKN Bois share with the students their creative process and influences, and the things that keep them going.

FOKN Bois are online on Twitter and Soundcloud @foknbois

In this episode of The Hip-Hop in Africa Podcast, we interview Ghanaian Hip-Hop artist Keeny Ice, from the bordertown of Aflao in the Volta Region of Ghana. Keeny Ice, whose lyrics are fast-paced, and rhymes complex, mixes languages, but primarily raps in Ewe. The talented lyricist joins us for part of our special spring podcast series with Words Beats & Life.

The conversation opens up with Keeny Ice sharing his experience of growing up in Aflao, where there was a lack of jobs and opportunities for Keeny Ice. He chose the music route as it was better and offers him an opportunity to use the platform to uplift the voiceless.

The conversation flows into Keeny’s style of rap. Being a versatile rapper, Keeny shares with us the different languages he employs to spread his message. When asked about how he goes about picking the language he uses in his delivery Keeny exclaims, “Birds Speak Bird Language”, which translates to his “need to do music in his language, a language that he’s comfortable in,…in order to represent his people”. He primarily uses Ewe, but sometimes blends English into his music.

“Music is a global language”

Students engage Keeny Ice directly with thoughtful questions, and Keeny Ice replied to students’ questions with authentic, honest answers. For example, when asked: “What part of the music does he enjoy?”, Keeny Ice says, “performance”. He takes his performances seriously. More than just a single-word response, Keeny Ice dives into how he envisions how his performance will appear, which in instances, aids him in the manner by which he constructs his rhymes.

Keeny Ice knows his craft, and opened up and shared with the audience about his life journey and how he overcame his doubts about pursuing his passion. He expresses his love for Hip-Hop and enjoyment of art in general. Additionally, more than just talking about music, Keeny Ice talks about the KICA Foundation; an NGO that he is involved with that encourages teaching and learning of creative arts in schools.

The intro song is "Living Dead" and the outro song is "Made in Aflao"

Keeny Ice is online at:

• SoundCloud: @keenyice
• FB: @KeenyIceGH/
• IG: @keenyice

The episode was produced by Kilimanjaro Studios in Beltsville, MD

In this episode of Hip-Hop in Africa Podcast, have a long-awaited interview with Tanzanian artist, Fid Q. The conversation begins with a discussion of Fid Q's legacy in Tanzanian Hip-Hop and his impact on the genre. We discuss his connection to Tanzanian youth and his impact with his music as he relates to his listeners on a deeper level. The conversation continues to discuss his previous projects that have been influential to his career and how he plans to move forward with similar Hip-Hop projects.

We also discuss the future of Tanzanian Hip-Hop, and about his collaborations and his thought process behind collaborating with the various artists he worked with. Fid Q also touches on how he pays homage to legendary MCs in the pioneering Hip-Hop group Kwanza Unit. He explains his perspective on the differences between the older generation of MCs versus the younger generation.

The discussion continues onto the controversy surrounding languages used in the Tanzanian music industry. This moves the interview to speak on globalization and how it has changed Tanzania to speak English and other languages. Fid Q does mention that it is imperative to be proud of tradition as well, regardless of the choice of language used in an artist’s music. While globalization has caused controversy regarding language, we touch on how music is able to travel beyond borders to reach wider audiences, even mentioning how Fid Q’s music has become international. Fid Q mentions how his music is listened to and his struggle with streaming. The interview ends with questions around Tanzanian Hip-Hop artists being invited to perform in the U.S.

Fid Q is on Twitter & Instagram

Part of the interview was recorded at Kilimanjaro Studios.

Go to the announcements page for information on events and albums discussed in the episode.

In this episode, I break down the road to breakdancing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. I also have a solo debate about the topic of appropriation, referencing Ada Enechi's 2023 article: Are Black People Being Pushed out of Hip Hop?

I also discuss the online hubbub about South African artist Tyla's racial identification, referencing Marti Bowser's article in Blavity.

There are also a few milestones to recognize.

30 years ago...In Ghana, Reggie Rockstone & others were starting the Hiplife movement. In Senegal, Positive Black Soul Recorded their 1st  track "Boul Faale" ("Don't worry") in which they denounced the corruption of the local political system, and the groundbreaking group Daara J is formed. 20 years ago... K'naan released his 1st studio album, My Life Is a Movie. In Nigeria: Mode9 released his 1st album, Malcolm X. In Tanzania, X Plastaz released their first and only album Masai Hip Hop, which put Tanzanian hip hop on the map.

In part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Sipho Sithole, he discusses the regional differences in South African hip hop. He talks about the hip hop scenes in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg. He also discusses the linguistic differences in South African hip hop and the role ethnic identity plays in the styles and languages artists utilize. He also looks at the evolution of pop music in South Africa, from kwaito, to gqom, to amapiano.

Sipho also discusses the dynamics within Coloured communities in South Africa, and the relationships between Black and Coloured South Africans. He provides history of the origins of Coloured South Africans among the Khoi & San (first nation) communities, and their forming close-knit communities. The hip hop that came out of those communities, largely based in Cape Town, addressed the social ills happening in the Coloured townships. In looking at the divisions between Black and Coloured South Africans, we compare it to the relationships between African Americans and African immigrants in the U.S.

There are not many discussions around Black & Coloured relations in South African hip hop, so it was important to get a perspective on the history of those relationships.

Intro song: "Yesterday" with Zakwe, Zuluboy, & Zola

Dr. Sipho Sithole (@DrSiphoSithole) is a Research Fellow at the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (University of Johannesburg) and holds a PhD in Anthropology, a B.Sc in Political Science and International Relations, and an M. Sc in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management. Dr. Sithole’s research revolves around language identity, culture, migration, and integration. Sithole has a long career in hip hop & is the founder and owner of an important and multi-award-winning music production house, Native Rhythms Productions, & Native Rhythms Records.

Dr. Sipho Sithole (@DrSiphoSithole) is a Research Fellow at the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (University of Johannesburg) and holds a PhD in Anthropology, a B.Sc in Political Science and International Relations, and an M. Sc in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management. Dr. Sithole’s research revolves around language identity, culture, migration, and integration. Sithole has a long career in hip hop & is the founder and owner of an important and multi-award-winning music production house, Native Rhythms Productions, & Native Rhythms Records.

"You must never romanticize poverty"

Sithole has is credited for helping mainstream hip-hop in South Africa when he signed Skwatta Kamp in 2003, the first group to achieve platinum sales. He held what he says is the 1st African hip hop summit in 2005 He is also a producer, winning awards for his production work on Thandiswa Mazwai’s debut album, Zabalaza (2004).

In this interview, he talks about his involvement in the growing hip hop scene in South Africa in the early 2000s. It was a time when kwaito's mainstream popularity was declining, and Sipho Sithole talks about the decision to begin working with hip hop artists. He also talks about the role of the township in producing and shaping the South African hip hop scene, as well as social consciousness.

"In South Africa, you may be the best rapper & you may have the best rap album, but if your song cannot be understood and played in the village, similar to the way it would be played in the township or in the city, it's just a good hood hip hop song."

In part 2 of this interview, we delve into a discussion of race and identity in South African hip hop, and the spaces within hip hop that Black and Coloured South Africans occupy.

Born in Zambia, Sampa the Great lived in the United States, Australia, and Botswana. With multiple African and Diaspora experiences, her music and style are very Pan African. Her work is Pan African in a very organic way. It does not claim to be conscious or preach about Pan Africanism, it just is. Because of this, as a listener, there is joy in listening to music that speaks to our multicultural Black identities. In this interview, she talks about existing as a Black person in different cultural spaces and her interactions across the continent and in the Diaspora.

Sampa the Great also talks about her experiences with racism and self-identification while studying in the US in the early 2010s, and later after she moved to Australia. She also talks about the differences between racism in the US and racism in Australia. She delves into the differences in the social unity of Black people in the US and in Australia, where in the US there is a division between Black immigrants and multi-generation-US-born Blacks and in Australia there is an understanding of the importance of Black unity in the face of living in societies that are held up by institutional racism.

As an artist, Sampa the Great released her first mixtape in 2015 while living in Australia. Several singles, EPs, and mixtapes later, she released her debut solo album, The Return, in 2019. The album peaked at No. 12 on the Australian music charts. She went on to win Best Hip Hop Release at the 2019 and 2020 ARIA Music Awards, Australia’s top music award. In 2020, she also won the ARIA award for Best Female Artist and Best Independent Release.

Sampa the Great has been very outspoken about racism in Australia through her music and performances. She has also been outspoken about the role of women in hip hop and the importance of representation as an African artist on an international stage.

Sampa the Great in Instagram and Twitter as @Sampa_The_Great

This episode is the last of the special series that we did in partnership with Words Beats & Life. The series was recorded and live-streamed with students in the Hip Hop in Africa class at Howard University and George Washington University.

Xidus Pain is a Zimbabwean artist who grew up in the UK. He’s based in London MC who has been involved and influenced by the UK hip hop scene since he was a young kid. He currently works in schools, universities, communities centers, and prisons as a hip-hop educator. He's been doing this for over ten years. As an artist, he has worked with musicians from around the world from members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to Rap Legend Special Ed. 

Xidus Pain is also a Director at Beat This, a community-based organization that works with young people in London, and a manager with Generation HipHop UK, a global empowerment and development program. He connected with The Hip Hop Africa via Hip Hop Loves, a hip-hop NGO that works with hip-hop artists and activists globally.

In this episode, we have a great conversation with Xidus Pain about the history and growth of hip hop in England. He talks about the development of the various hip hop elements in the UK, as well as the drill and grime music scene. Grime is a genre created by Black artists in England that comes out of UK hip hop culture.

Xidus Pain also talks about the influence of religion on his music and his decision to not use profanity in his lyrics, his lyric writing process, and what influences him. He also talks about the impact of Brexit on the hip hop scene in the UK.

Xidus Pain is on Instagram and Twitter

This episode is part of the special series that we did in partnership with Words Beats & Life. The series was recorded and live-streamed with students in the Hip Hop in Africa class at Howard University and George Washington University.

Buddha Blaze is a Kenyan blogger, podcaster, and music industry insider with over 20 years of experience. He has worked throughout the continent and the diaspora with artists and producers from around the world. He was a major part of the British Council's WaPi (Words & Pictures) initiative, which showcased hip hop, poetry, fashion breakdance, and graffiti culture in Nairobi. He has also consulted numerous artists in the business and worked on several projects with international artists and producers.

A major figure in the Kenyan hip hop scene, he was recently seen on the Nairobi-based What’s Good Africa?, the only show on P. Diddy’s RevoltTV to focus on hip hop culture in Africa and one of the only shows airing on a US network to focus on hip hop culture in Africa.

In this conversation, Buddha Blaze talks a lot about the changes he's seen in the industry over the years and some of the skills artists need to navigate the industry today. He also talks about his involvement in the growth of the cultural scene in Nairobi, which has grown to become the largest music, film, and contemporary art scene in East Africa.

Buddha Blaze is Twitter @ItsBuddhaBlaze and Instagram @buddhablazeworld

Intro and outro beat by Nigerian producer @teckzilla108

This episode is part of the special series that we did in partnership with Words Beats & Life. The series was recorded and live streamed with students in the Hip Hop in Africa class at Howard University and George Washington University.

Interview in Video

In this episode, Ghanaian hip-hop & hiplife artist Edem talks about the music industry in Ghana and the popularity of Afrobeats. Edem also talks about the presence of Ghanaian and Nigerian artists in shaping Black popular music globally, especially in the US and the UK. He also talks about how Ghanaians have always done music according to their own rules, creating genres and trends like highlife, hiplife, and azonto; and innovating hip hop and Afrobeats.

We also talk about being Ewe and why language and identity are important in his work. Coming from Ghana's Volta region, he's one of the first hip-hop artists to begin rapping in Ewe.

Edem's music is a mix of hip hop, hiplife, and dancehall. He released his 1st album, Volta Regime in 2009, followed by 2 more albums and the recent EP Mood Swings released last year. Throughout his career he's collaborated with several international artists and has won and/or been nominated for several music awards, including the Black Canadian Awards, the Ghana Music Awards, and the 4syte (for-sight) TV Music Video Awards.

Edem is on Twitter at @iamedem

and Instagram at @iamedemgh

and YouTube at @iamEdem.

This episode is part of the special series that we did in partnership with Words Beats & Life. The series was recorded and live streamed with students in the Hip Hop in Africa class at Howard University and George Washington University.

Yugen Blakrok doesn't incorporate hip hop's boom-bap style, she has no interest in being the Queen of SA rap, she does not do trap, and she is not interested in being boxed into someone's idea of a conscious MC. Her music has been described as “a mix of sci-fi soundscapes & meditative melodies”. It's definitely introspective and speaks to you on several levels. It blends references to places, times, & themes both inside and outside of South Africa and contains spiritual references that borrow from diverse spiritual systems.

Yugen Blakrok was born in the Eastern Cape and later moved to Johannesburg, the heart of South Africa’s music industry. She released her 1st album Return of the Astro-Goth in 2013 and her second album, Anima Mysterium, which contains a cameo by Kool Keith in 2019. In 2018, she featured on the track “Opps” with Vince Staples & Kendrick Lamar on the Black Panther soundtrack.

In this interview, she engages in thought-provoking dialogue with our students who really connected with her music, which transcends a lot of boundaries. Yugen's music does not just belong to South Africa but has universal messages that connect on human levels. Additionally, she spoke to us about being a socially conscious artist without the need to declare it, but being socially conscious by being it, not necessarily saying it.

The conversation is moderated by Mikal Amin of Words Beats & Life. We're joined at the very end by Phiwokuhle Mnyandu, who teaches Zulu at Howard University.

Yugen Blakrok is online at

Twitter @YugenBlakrok

Instagram @YugenBlakrok

Bandcamp yugenblakrok.bandcamp.com

Kanyi Mavi is a Cape Town-based lyricist who is well respected for her creative use of Xhosa to create powerful hip-hop verses. She sometimes raps and vocalizes over Xhosa instrumentals, introducing hip hop to Xhosa culture in a way the really raises the bar. Her music also speaks to important social issues like sexual harassment, domestic violence, and drug abuse. She released her first album, Iintombi-Zifikile, in 2012, and in 2020 she released both an EP, Khon’ba, and a full album, Igubu Lam.

In this interview, she talks to the students about her music and the importance of bringing her culture into hip hop. She also talks about the use of Xhosa in the film Black Panther! She also talks about hip hop culture in South Africa, and the linguistic diversity in the various hip hop scenes across South Africa, as well as the impact of the industry on artistic creativity.

As one of the most well-known Xhosa rappers in South Africa, she takes the messages in her music very seriously. She talks about her views on campaigns around violence against women, in which she speaks to women and offers some very real ideas on keeping women safe, and alive. We also re-visit a discussion on feminism that we had during our first interview. She expresses her criticism of these movements and discusses the role men play in the fight for gender equality.

Kanyi Mavi also addresses national and global politics, and how in her music, her goal is to voice what is going on in the community, with her people. She also looks at the history of South Africa since the end of apartheid and reflects on South Africa's relationship with the rest of Africa.

Connect with Kanyi Mavi's work at kanyimavi.co.za. Kanyi Mavi is on Twitter and Instagram as @Kanyi_Mavi.

Sugar joins the conversations with students in the Hip Hop in Africa class from her home in Nairobi. She was born in Nairobi and grew up in Kiambu, just outside of Nairobi. After signing a deal with Phoenix Records in 2007, she would release three albums. While not new to the hip hop scene in Kenya, she is an underground artist who talks about navigating Kenya's entertainment industry. Nairobi has been praised for going through what some call a cultural renaissance as the music and arts scenes are gaining international attention. Sugar talks about being in the midst of that scene and navigating that scene as a woman. 

This episode features a conversation with Ghana's Minista of Agrikulcha (MOA). The multilingual, transnational MOA was born in Ghana, but lived in the Ivory Coast for several years. In the Ivory Coast he was part of that country's hip hop scene in the 1980s and 1990s. He moved to the US for college in the early 2000s, where he got involved in the undergraduate rap scene. He released his first album, Travelwyze in 2004, as a member of the rap duo Ambassadoz with fellow member Akan.

In this interview, we talked about his experience in the U.S., especially in the early 2000s when there were several Ghanaian MCs in the US at the same time. We talked about his experience in the industry and his work with Nomadic Wax and his past appearances at the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival. We also spoke about the importance of language and incorporating different languages in his lyrics. We also touched out the influence of African MCs in US hip hop.

MOA is on IG @the.official.moa

The video version of this and other episodes are on our YouTube Channel

I'm doing a PhD in Streetology, in the University of Life

Breeze Yoko is an internationally known South African graffiti artist. Breeze Yoko grew up in Cape Town, in Gugulethu and Nyanga East. He is known for his vibrant and thought-provoking street art, and for bringing a unique perspective to the urban art scene. His work often showcases a blend of cultural influences and social commentary, sparking conversations and challenging perceptions. With a bold and fearless approach to art, Breeze Yoko's creations have made a lasting impact on the streets of South Africa and beyond, inspiring others to see the world through a different lens.

Breeze Yoko on the graffiti scene in South Africa post-apartheid...

The domination of walls became very, very, very white at some stage, you know, and I think that also influenced what I wanted to reflect on the walls, I thought shit, you know, put on more us on the wall. We're in Africa after all. And slowly that gave birth to what is now slowly becoming a uniquely South African style. There’s crews in Joburg as well, who are adding Ndebele elements into their graffiti. You know, were were starting to learn how to borrow from our cultures in order to develop what we had seen somewhere else. And so, so yeah, the scene grew from that.

Breeze Yoko's work often addresses topics such as inequality, poverty, and the struggles of marginalized communities. One of the remarkable aspects of Breeze Yoko's art is his ability to engage with the local community and involve them in the creation process. He often collaborates with residents, youth groups, and schools to create murals that resonate with the area's history and context. This approach not only beautifies the surroundings but also empowers the community to take ownership of the art and the messages it conveys. His dedication to using art as a platform for change and empowerment sets him apart as a talented and socially conscious artist in the street art scene in South Africa.

Breeze Yoko on the dilemma artists sometimes face when offered money for work that doesn't feed their spirit or takes them away from their goals ...

... that "gotta eat" has fucked us over. As a nation. As a generation. As a race. That "gotta eat" shit. That "gotta get the bag shit"... awe man, we're dying. And our creativity is dying from that as well

• Twitter
• Instagram

This is the first in a special series of episodes being recorded lives with African Studies students at Howard University and George Washington University. The series is co-hosted with Words Beas & Life, who is also live-streaming the episodes on their Facebook page on Wednesday nights at 5pm EST. The schedule is on our website at hiphopafrican.com.

A part of the “born free” generation, Gigi Lamayne grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa after the fall of apartheid. She graduated from Wits University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media and Anthropology in the midst of the #FeesMustFall movement. Rapping since high school, she released the powerful track “Fees Will Fall” just months after graduation.

Considered one of South Africa’s best lyricists, her music addresses topics like Black pride, gender-based violence, feminism, sexism, and the shadiness within the music industry. We first interviewed Gigi Lamayne in 2017. She has continued to find mainstream success while addressing serious topics in some of her songs.

In the conversation, she talks about her career, her views on the resilience and activism of South African women, race in South Africa, the relationships between women in the industry, and the stigmas and views around mental health in Africa.

The video version of this and other episodes are on our YouTube Channel

Gigi Lamayne and her work are all online at the following links:

• https://www.gigilamayne.co.za
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Itunes
• Spotify

HIPHOCALYPSE Fort-Knights was a radio show first produced on the campus of Rhodes University in South Africa in 1999, and made available on podcasting platforms in 2006. The podcast ran for about three years, releasing more than 20 episodes, some of which can still be heard on Podomatic. HIPHOCALYPSE Fort-Knights was the first regularly produced podcast on African hip hop. The show was the only place to get a variety of music from MCs across Africa, featuring early music from artists like Blitz the Ambassador, HHP, K’Naan, M.anifest, Modenine, and Yugen Blakrok. The show was also pioneering in that it played hip hop from all over Africa, from major hip hop scenes like South Africa to lesser-known hip hop scenes like Equatorial Guinea.

The show was on podcasting platforms before most hip hop artists in Africa had a solid social media presence, and before podcasting became part of hip hop culture. While today there are streaming services, like Planet Earth Planet Rap (PEPR) Radio, there is still a void in terms of podcasts one can download to hear what’s happening with hip hop across Africa. In this episode I talk to Sensai T8, one of the founders of HIPHOCALYPSE Fort-Knights, about the show’s start and its evolution into a podcast. We discuss some of the artists that appeared on the show’s playlist, and the show’s legacy in documenting African hip hop during that period in time.

Sensai T8 can be found on Instagram at @Sensaitate

In this palaver, we have a lively chat with Ghanaian hip hop/hiplife scholar Dr. Nii Kotei Nikoi. We talked about the hiplife and hip hop music industry in Ghana, especially one of the country's most popular artist's Sarkodie. Nii discusses the structure of Ghana's music industry, the way artists construct their images, and the role of class (and language) in Ghana's popular music scene. We also get into an interesting conversation around collaborations between African and Diaspora artists in Beyonce’s Black is King project and the depictions of Africa in the Black Panther film.

Dr. Nikoi is an assistant professor of Global Media & Digital Studies at The College of Wooster in Ohio. He studies African popular culture, and has a special focus on how popular culture reinforces and challenges existing ideas around race, gender, and sexuality. His work is influenced by his background in graphic design and documentary photography. Currently, his research examines development discourse in Ghanaian popular culture. 

Check out his latest article, "Hiplife Music in Ghana: Postcolonial Performances of the Good Life." in the International Journal of Communication 14 (2020): 19.

He also hosts the podcast Our Culture. Season 1 of the podcast includes reflections on a range of interesting topics.

Dope Saint Jude is a South African hip hop artist who was born and raised Cape Town. A former Political Science student at the University of Cape Town, she started her hip hop career in 2011 as a drag king. Her drag king persona was Saint Dude, and resembled rapper Lil Wayne. After releasing several singles, Dope Saint Jude’s first EP, Reimagine, was released in 2016, Her second project, Resilient, was released in 2018. It included the song "Grrrl Like”, which opens this episode and has been one of her biggest hits. The song was also featured in the teaser for the Netflix original series Blood & Water. Dope Saint Jude has also performed at Afropunk, been featured in Vogue & Marie Claire, and been part of major advertising campaigns. 

In this conversation we discuss the social relevance of her music. Well versed in the politics of intersectionality, Dope Saint Jude is very intentional in what she does. In her music she weaves intersecting identities into lyrics that challenge listeners to reconsider their ideas about who they think Black, Coloured, queer South African hip hop women should be. 

You can find Dope Saint Jude's music on streaming platforms. She is also online at https://dopesaintjude.com/ and Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Moonaya is an extremely talented MC in one of the strongest hip hop scenes in the world. A Pan Africanist, her background represents her political views. Moonaya is originally from Benin, but she grew up in Senegal. While her father is Senegalese, her mother is Togolese, and one of her grandmothers was Nigerian. She grew up in a musical home where she heard a range of African music, as well as music from across the Diaspora. While she went to school to study law, she’s been writing hip hop music for almost 20 years. Her debut album, A Fleur 2 Mo was released in 2009. Her more recent project, the EP Petit Oiseau, was released in 2019. In 2017, she became the 1st Senegalese artist to sign with Sony. 

Over the years, her music has dealt with a range of topics. In “J’déprim” (I’m Depressed) she discusses the impacts of depression, in "Il est temps” (It’s Time) she talks about Pan Africanism and Black liberation, and in the song “Qui” (Who?) she samples Malcolm X’s speech and talks about self hatred and Black peoples. 

Moonaya also spoke a lot about European, American, and even Chinese imperialism in Africa. She spoke about the exploitation of Africa’s resources, European hands in African conflicts, and the continued colonial relationship between France and francophone Africa. She also spoke about the struggles being faced by Black people all over the world. 

"We are the richest continent, but we are the poorest people, and this is not normal!"

In this interview we also discussed the hip hop scene in Senegal. Senegal has a few women’s hip hop collectives, which have served as a resource for artists willing to work to build their careers. Moonaya talked about her experiences with these collectives as well as how helpful they have been to other artists. We also discussed the influences on her work, especially the growth of her own social and political consciousness. 

We also discussed the role of Western researchers in Senegal. Senegal has one of the most researched hip hop scenes, outside of the United States. Most of these researchers are White, and come from Europe and the US. A lot of the research that is produced on Senegalese hip hop is problematic. There are some American researchers, like Catherine Appert and Colleen Neff, who have done extensive work on hip-hop in Senegal, and have also pointed out the problematic ways that other Western researchers have written about hip hop in Senegal.

Often because of language, Black scholars often choose to go to anglophone countries, and few do work in Senegal. Moonaya and I talked about the fact that more Black scholars need to go to Senegal, and we discussed some of the ways to overcome the language barriers: Hire a translator! While there is tons of scholarship on Senegalese hip hop, there is a need for scholarship on hip hop’s Pan African connections in Senegal. On how through hip hop culture, the Senegalese are in conversation with the African Diaspora. 

To hear more of Moonaya’s music, she is on social media in all of the usual places:

The Lounge Tanzania Mixtape Volume 1 is a project that brings together Tanzanian and Diaspora singers, rappers, and poets. The project features artists that are internationally known, as well as artists just starting their careers.

In this conversation with seven of the artists, we talk about the evolution of the project and how the project reflects hip hop and popular culture in Tanzania. We also discussed the message the project sends to the music industry in Tanzania, which has tended to only promote one style of music.

We talked about the collaboration between English and Swahili performing artists, the lack of East Africa representation in recent projects like Black Panther and the Lion King, and how this project shows East Africa's engagement in Pan African projects as well.

The seven artists interviewed in this episode are Mike Tareto/IG: @miketareto Joe Legendary/IG: @joelegendary Shamsa/IG: @vikombeviwilivyakahawa Fete Jen/IG: fete_jen Ronny aka Ty Charls/IG: @ronnycharlz Mex Cortez/IG: mex.tz FG Tony/IG: @fg__tony

The episode begins with "Tougher" by Lo SayAloha Ski and Mex Cortez and "Wale Wale" by Zenji Boy. The episode ends with "No Time For Trash" by Mex Cortez.

The mixtape can currently be streamed on the following platforms:

• Soundcloud: The Lounge Tanzania Mixtape Vol. 1
• Audiomack: The Lounge Tanzania Mixtape Vol. 1
• YouTube: The Lounge Tanzania Mixtape Vol. 1

The following featured artists on the Mixtape are ready and available for interviews, collaborations, and performances:

An MC, activist, and actor, Octopizzo was born in Nairobi, in the notorious Kibera slums, one of the largest slums in the world. His mixtape and album releases include: The Come Up V 1 (2008; Mixtape), El Classico (2014; Mixtape), Chocolate City (2014; album), LDPC (2015; album), Refugeenius (2016, album), and Next Year (2018; album).

He addresses a lot of social issues, including poverty, ethnic tensions, corruption, and the legalization of marijuana. He is also one of the few MCs to seriously and consistently address the issues around refugees. Kenya is home to a lot of refugees from surrounding conflicts, including people fleeing violence in the Congo, Sudan and Somalia.

On the album Refugeenius he collaborated with 20 Refugees from Kakuma & Dadaab Refugee camps in Kenya.

Octopizzo is the founder of the youth group Y.G.B. (Young, Gifted, and Black), which is a collective of MCs, poets, graffiti artists, graphic artists, and dancers. He founded his not-for-profit Octopizzo Foundation in 2015 and through the Foundation, he tries to use culture and sports to reach the youth.

More recently he has joined other activists addressing police brutality in Kenya, and drawing parallels between police violence in Kenya & the US. Recently he was involved in protests in front of the US embassy in Nairobi, holding up a sign of people killed and injured by the police. Recently, there have ben reports of over a dozen deaths at the hands of the Kenyan police supposedly trying to enforce a dusk to dawn curfew put in place to slow  the spread of Corona.

The songs featured in the episode are "Nu Afrika" in the opening and "Another Day" in the closing.

Octopizzo can be found at: http://octopizzo.com/ | @OCTOPIZZO on Twitter & Instagram

Lord Ekomy Ndong, has been a leading voice in the African hip hop scene since 1990, when he founded the Gabonese group Movaizhaleine. Movaizhaleine's 1999 debut album was Mission Mbeng. He released his 1st solo album, L’Afrikain, in 2003. It is considered by many to be a hip-hop classic. Over his career, he has done collaborations with several artists, and released numerous studio albums. 

Around the time of the 2009 elections in Gabon, Lord Ekomy Ndong released the singles “300”, “809” and “Engongol” (What a Shame).  The songs were critical of both corruption in Africa, and of France’s controversial presence in Africa.

In 2011, with his 11th studio album, Ibogaine, he once again took shots at France. In the song “Questoins Noires” (Black Questions), he talks directly to French President Nicholas Sarkozy about France’s military presence in Africa. His 2017 album, La Théorie Des Cordes (A Theory of Cords), he reflects on the global protests that took place in the Gabonese diaspora around the 2016 election in the song “Sur mon Drapeau” (By My Flag).

In this interview, we spoke about his career and hip-hop culture in Gabon. We also spoke about France’s occupation of Africa, and the implications of that occupation. We also talked about his outspokenness, and the price paid by musicians who speak out against corruption and politics. 

This past May, he released the album Petit Mutant Dans son Coin which can be found on online streaming platforms. 

Facebook: @LORDEKOMYNDONG

Instagram/Twitter/SoundCloud: @Ekomy

The video of this interview can be found on The Hip Hop African YouTube channel.

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