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African Hip Hop, A to Z

Baraka African hip hop rapper Minneapolis.jpg

Is hip hop African? I interviewed everyone from old-school Bronx rap legend Love Bug Starski to touring West African hip-hop trio Daara J to find answers in today's City Pages feature "Payback Is a Motherland," which also looks at the Minnesota African hip-hop scene (including Baraka, above, and M.anifest and DJ Xpekkt, below). Curious consumers might want to skip straight to Keith Harris's handy CD sidebar "Africa's Ultimate Beats and Breaks" (or listen to mp3s by M.anifest and local Kenyan R&B singer Fadhil, a.k.a. Fadhili, collaborating with Kenyan rap legend Hardstone). More discussion at DUNation.

Then on Monday, July 17, in Minneapolis, Daara J perform for free in Loring Park at 7:00 p.m., with KFAI's Salif Keita (not the singer, as previously posted) DJing before and after the set (more information here and here). My hope is that African rappers will use this event as an open-air networking session, further linking the various communities. (It's followed by a free screening of the movie Sullivan's Travels at dusk.) And speaking of links...

Manifest Minneapolis rapper.jpg

DJ Xpekkt.jpg

African Hip Hop in Minnesota, A to Z

4 Shades MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/4shadesmusic

African Rhythms on KFAI-FM (90.3/106.7)
http://kfai.org/programs/african.htm

Blade Brown MySpace page
http://myspace.com/bladebrownmusic

Jazio Blaque (a.k.a. Knotty)
http://www.backstagecommerce.com/cgi-bin/artisthome_db.cgi?1240948

Blue Nile Restaurant and Lounge
http://www.bluenilempls.com/

Egypto Knuckles
http://www.myspace.com/EgyptoKnuckles

Eritrian Community Center of Minnesota
http://www.nitesoft.com/eccm/

K-Stringz (circa-2000 Tripod site)
http://k-stringz.tripod.com/

Kilimanjaro Entertainment
http://kilimanjaroentertainment.com/

Knotty (a.k.a. Jazio Blaque) MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/knottymon

M.anifest MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/manifestations

Mezeshae Entertainment
http://www.mezeshaentertainment.com/

Mo-Man: "Mo Money, Mo Problems"
http://citypages.com/databank/25/1210/article11882.asp

The Red Sea
http://www.redseaclub.com/

T&J Entertainment
http://www.tnjentertainment.com/

Umunne Cultural Association of Minnesota
http://umunne.org

Waberi Studio
http://www.asoftnet.com/wb/index.html

Wahomeskenya
http://www.wahomeskenya.com

Xpekkt official site
http://www.tuffstorm.com

Daara J perform in Loring Park.jpg

African Hip Hop in the World, A to Z

Africa Hi-Fi
http://www.prescriptionworld.org/ahifi.html

Africa Raps CD at Trikont
http://www.trikont.com/catalogue/294_africa_raps/294_africa_raps.html

African hip hop at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_hip_hop

Africanhiphop.com
http://www.africanhiphop.com

Africanhiphop (MySpace)
http://www.myspace.com/africanhiphop

Africanhiphopradio.com
http://africanhiphopradio.com/

Africasgateway.com
http://www.africasgateway.com/

Afrolution
http://www.afrolution.com

Akon
http://www.akononline.com/

Amuse Africa (South Africa)
http://www.amuseafrica.com/

Ancient Meets Urban
http://www.ancientmeetsurban.com/

Awesome Tapes from Africa blog
http://awesometapesfromafrica.blogspot.com/

Babkubwa.com
http://www.babkubwa.com/

Benn Loxo du Taccu blog
http://bennloxo.com/

Black Mango Music
http://www.blackmangomusic.com/

Bongo Flava page at Calabash Music
http://bongoflava.calabashmusic.com/

Calabash Music
http://calabashmusic.com/

Jeff Chang on the history of "Che Che Cole"
http://www.cantstopwontstop.com/blog/2004/01/che-che-cole-to-future-just-want-to.html

Johari Cleff Studios in Nairobi
http://www.jcleff.com/jcmusic/

Daara J MySpace page (pictured above)
http://www.myspace.com/daarasenegal

Daara J at Rock Paper Scissors
http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/index.cfm/fuseaction/current.press_release/project_id/179.cfm

DJ / rupture MySpace page
http://myspace.com/deejayrupture

Hardstone MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/hardstone

Hip Hop Headrush
http://www.hiphop.co.za/

The Hiplife Complex Blog
http://thehiplifecomplex.blogspot.com/

Hiphopcolony.com
http://www.hiphopcolony.com/

J-deGuvna MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/jdeguvna

Emmanuel Jal MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/emmanueljal

K-Melia
http://www.kmelia.com/

K'Naan official site
http://www.thedustyfoot.com/

K'Naan MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/knaanmusic

Kalamashaka
http://www.angelfire.com/wa/kshaka/kshaka2.html

Matsuli Music blog
http://matsuli.blogspot.com/

MF Doom
http://www.mfdoomsite.com/

Mzibo
http://www.mzibo.net/frame.html

Naiha Jams blog
http://www.naijajams.com/

Nomadic Wax
http://www.nomadicwax.com/

Nomadic Wax MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/nomadicwax

Ntama Journal of African Music and Popular Culture
http://ntama.uni-mainz.de/

Nubian Underground
http://www.nubianunderground.com

Omzo
http://www.omzomusic.com/

Omzo MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/omzo

Prophets of Da City
http://www.rucus.ru.ac.za/~eitan/poc/poc2.html

Shadow Zu MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/shadowzu

The Suburbs Are Killing Us blog
http://www.christopherporter.com/

Senerap.com
http://www.senerap.com

Stern's
http://www.sternsmusic.com/

Union Square Music
http://www.unionsquaremusic.co.uk/

Unitednationsofhiphop.com
http://www.unitednationsofhiphop.com/

Universal Zulu Nation and Afrika Bambaataa
http://www.zulunation.com/

World Music Network
http://www.worldmusic.net

X-Plastaz at Calabash Music (pictured below)
http://xplastaz.calabashmusic.com/

X-Plastaz MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/xplastaz

Yellogate Studios in the Gambia
http://www.yellowgate.gm/

Zhalman
http://www.zhalman.com

X Plataz.jpg

Updates:

African hip hop in the park today (cpculture.com 7/17/06)

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at July 11, 2006 6:06 PM

« Happy 4th of July | Main | Scholtes Scholtes Scholtes »

Comments

Just got a call from Somali rapper Shorty, who says my sources for the African rap article don't know what they're talking about when it comes to the live Somali scene. He says there was a Somali rap show last weekend at the Red Sea, with four or five MCs. I've added the Red Sea to the links, but if anyone else wants to respond to this article with more websites or other information, please email me and email a letter to the editor, or post it here. Also, come to Monday's Loring Park event and network--let people know who you are.

Posted by: Pete Scholtes at July 12, 2006 2:45 PM

Check this website out. This music is from Liberia. Finally something positive!

Posted by: Julie at July 13, 2006 7:18 PM

Glad to see you corrected the print version of Salif Keita. Anyone who knows anything about West African music was probably shocked to see you didn't do your research before going to print. Thanks for giving due credit to Salif from KFAI, and the singer Salif Keita will be back on tour in the US in August.

Posted by: Nancy at July 17, 2006 11:14 AM

I can't wait to hear M.anifest's "Che Che Cule".

But you want more boomerangs? Check out this brief history of "Che Che Cole" I did a couple years back...

http://www.cantstopwontstop.com/blog/2004/01/che-che-cole-to-future-just-want-to.html

This song has a real Bronx/NYC history. Back when we were living in Brooklyn, my son came home from his elementary school singing it with his classmate.

First Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe did it up in a Puerto Rican bomba style, then a decade later Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force bring it back in a remix of "Renegades of Funk". Jump ahead another decade plus and Antibalas does it up Makossa-style.

Posted by: jeff Chang at July 17, 2006 11:29 AM

Royalty Free Beats For One Dollar

At

http://upbeat.tk

Posted by: Royalty Free Beats For One Dollar at July 25, 2006 12:34 PM

Greetings fellow 'hip hop heads.' I have a 'must-see' website for you to check out...

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/JDEGUVNA

'he' speaks for himself. Together we stand.

Thanks.

Posted by: D-SON at August 14, 2006 12:48 AM

Bless! I checked out the "Payback is a motherland" article and you brought a nice perspective to the whole history. The movement is nascent in the US but it is growing stronger. We need more link ups and serious organizing on the part of the artists, to try and make a splash on the national scene. I hope the Daara J show went well! We'll link up!

Boobah Siddik from United Nations of Hip Hop!

Posted by: Boobah Siddik at August 14, 2006 9:05 AM

Nice one - i got to tell you about a compilation CD i borrowed from a friend in London - it's called "AFROLUTION Volume 1" all bangin Hip Hop from like 13 different countries in Africa. I don't know if it's available in the US but it's well worth checkin out. Out!

Posted by: defcoon1 at August 17, 2006 6:31 AM

Europes first African Hip Hop festival comes to London on October 8th.
Check www.afrolution.com for details.

Posted by: free radical at August 21, 2006 5:17 AM

Hi Peter
Any chace you can put a link to our African Hip Hop label site www.afrolution.com
thanks
Trenton

Posted by: trenton at August 21, 2006 5:19 AM

Afrofusion Music is a relatively new concept in the African music scene and I want you all to feel the music....CHECK IT OUT @ WWW.MYSPACE.COM/RESQRANJAZZ

pLS DO LEAVE YOUR SINCERE COMMENTS!

Posted by: Erica at December 12, 2008 6:17 PM

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