Author: Frank Ntambi

Hip hop in Kenya, as around the globe, provides an ideal platform for artists to share their perspectives surrounding issues of social and political importance to both themselves and the larger communities they represent. Through their verses, rappers and MCs have the ability to traverse across barriers to challenge those in power and unify their […]

October 5th, 2020, a music video titled “Bad” and produced by Yung Jey Basalesale was released for all of Uganda to see. The music video featured six respected female artists; Afekuru, Tushi Polo, Kvan, Lady Slyke, Ella Tyga & Vkaycee. Within this music video, these women displayed their talents one by one creating a union of distinct voices on a very catchy […]

M.anifest, born Kwame Ametepe Tsikata, is a Ghanaian rapper and songwriter known for his socially conscious lyrics and unique blend of African and Western musical styles. He gained popularity in Ghana and beyond with his hit song “We No Dey Hear,” released in 2011. “We No Dey Hear” is a song that addresses the issue […]

There is a line in the late AKA and Nasty C`s “Lemonade” that goes “People say hip hop died, that’s nonsense”, and while South Africa’s amapiano scene is currently in the midst of a major global moment, there is still a massive appetite for South African hip hop, which is, in part, being fed by music […]

Hip-hop has quickly taken root in the Kenyan popular music scene, with local artists building on the genre’s American roots, translating it to the local context and using it to transform the lifestyles of young people in urban centres. The story of Kenya resembles a chapter from the book Animal Farm, with continuous struggles that have shaped […]