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  • Ep 101: Respect the Technique: A Mixtape Episode

    Ep 101: Respect the Technique: A Mixtape Episode
    2025/09/03

    In this episode, we’re bringing you a special mixtape featuring 24 tracks released in 2024 and 2025 by MCs from across the continent, including Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

    The mix highlights:

    • Languages: English, Swahili, Ga, Yoruba, and more.
    • Artists: Established names like Modenine, M.anifest, Nadia Nakai, alongside rising voices you may be hearing for the first time.
    • Sounds: From classic boom bap and Afrobeats-inspired beats, to high-energy club tracks, to conscious and introspective flows.

    Inspired by U.S. hip hop podcasts that spotlight new music, this episode aims to showcase the incredible range of hip hop being produced internationally.

    The mix begins with South Africa’s Zulu Mecca—who will also be speaking at this year’s conference—and closes with Yugen Blakrok, from her powerful new album The Illusion of Being. Check out the full playlist and links to the featured artists:

    • ZuluMecca "Iller Than"
    • Modenine "Adidas"
    • Wakazi "Crooked Crown"
    • Eno Barony "No Manual"
    • K. Keed "Dilemma"
    • Fid Q & Mex Cortez "Simba"
    • Sarkodie "Hustlers Dream"
    • Gemini Orleans "Gasoline"
    • Stamina "Bado Nipo"
    • AYORKOR RONZY "Darkovibes"
    • Falz the Bahd Guy & Shaybo "Popping Tonught"
    • Angel Mutoni "Ousaah"
    • Cassper Nyovest "Kusho Bani"
    • Gigi Lamayne "COME OUTSIDE"
    • Nadia Nakai & Moozlie "Sipthipithi"
    • Eva Alordiah "I Look Good"
    • Awa Khiwe "Rap Gandaganda"
    • Ugly Dray "Not Love"
    • Kweku Smoke "Agyekum"
    • Yanga Chief "What If"
    • Erigga "Just Breathe"
    • MOJO AF "Samson"
    • M.anifest "Gye Nyame"
    • Yugen Blakrok "The Grand Geode"

    We’re also excited to announce that Howard University will host the 3rd Annual Hip Hop Studies Conference from November 14–16, 2025. This year’s theme is Respect the Technique: Hip Hop & Technology. The call for submissions is open until September 20, 2025. For details, visit hiphop.howard.edu.
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  • Unapologetic: African Women in Hip-Hop

    Unapologetic: African Women in Hip-Hop
    2025/08/15

    In this episode of Let Her Cook called Unapologetic, two of our students dive into the world of African women in hip-hop. They discuss artists from West, East, and Southern Africa: Eno Barony (Ghana), Keko (Uganda), Gigi Lamayne (South Africa), and Reespect (Nigeria), women who aren’t waiting for permission to speak; they’re taking the mic and making space for themselves. From Keko’s fearless visibility as a queer rapper in Uganda to Gigi’s protest-driven lyrics in South Africa, these women use their voices as both art and activism. They also talk about braggadocio, that classic hip-hop confidence, and how African and African American women flip it to challenge what society says they should be. This episode is all about power, presence, and being unapologetically loud.

    Check out our 2019 interview with Keko on Episode 38: Keko on Hip-Hop V. The Politics of Sexuality in Uganda.

    Or our 2021 interview with Gigi Lamayne on Episode 63: Gigi Lamayne on Representation & Dismantling Respectability Politics.
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  • The Sound of the Diaspora: Identity and Resistance in African Hip Hop

    The Sound of the Diaspora: Identity and Resistance in African Hip Hop
    2025/08/01
    Tracks “Becky” by Amine“Hello Africa” by Blitz The Ambassador“Never Fight an African” by Styles P“Sue Me” by Wale “Sue me, I’m rootin’ for everybody that’s Black.” This lyric embodies more than a mindset as it reflects a movement rooted in solidarity. The African diaspora refers to the global dispersion of people of African descent, beginning with the trans-Atlantic slave trade and continuing through modern-day immigration. According to The African Diaspora: History, Adaptation and Health, the term first appeared in literature in the 1950s and refers to global communities whose ancestors migrated as early as the 15th century (Rotimi et al.). This term is often closely linked to Pan-Africanism–an ideology emphasizing solidarity and unity of people of African descent. The global popularization of hip hop aided in creating a platform for artists of African descent, specifically those who migrated to the United States, to express their pride in their identity as well as resistance to racism in their countries. This mixtape explores how first-generation artists from the United States, like Style P, Aminé, Blitz The Ambassador, and Wale, use their music to reflect the complexity of belonging to the African diaspora, highlighting their heritage while speaking out against systemic oppression faced by Black people. Since its origin in the Bronx, New York, hip hop has always been an outlet for speaking out about racial disparities and politics. One song on the mixtape, “Never Fight an African,” comes from David R. Styles, famously known as Styles P, who was born to a South African mother and Jamaican father in Queens, New York City, and has never shied away from speaking out about U.S. politics and resisting systemic oppression. In his song, “Never Fight an African,” Styles says: “Not a Trump supporter, not a Clinton supporter, and Obama slipped too, we need to get it in order…if one brother starves, we ain't eat right” - Styles P ...highlighting a disillusionment with politics, across of parties. His main concern is the advancement of Black people, but in a country where systemic oppression is prominent, he refuses to align with any leader, even the first Black president, if meaningful progress is lacking. Aminé, an Ethiopian artist from Portland, Oregon, similarly addresses the idea that justice for Black people is not dependent on politicians or modern-day America in another song on the mixtape, “Becky,” when he says, “I'm fed up with the looks that we get in restaurants…I'm fed up with a world that I know I can't change.” His lyrics reflect the exhaustion from mistreatment due to his skin tone. Aminé, outwardly, spoke against the injustices in the U.S. during 2020, a year of civil unrest and an increase in Black Lives Matter protests. In an interview about the album done for French Fries Magazine, Aminé states “My beliefs on these issues have always been the same. The music industry has amplified and spread the messages I believe in. I don’t hold back from letting my fans know what I stand for.” Amine Together, Styles P and Aminé use their platforms to critique America’s failures in politics and affirm their identities as Black men in society by speaking out against the struggles they go through and reflecting a shared experience of systemic oppression throughout the diaspora. On a lighter note, the mixtape also features songs celebrating their identity, reflecting the vastness of the diaspora. Blitz Bazawule, a Ghanaian artist known professionally as Blitz the Ambassador, makes his self-pride apparent in his song, “Hello Africa,” where he talks about traveling all over Africa to bask in its beauty and richness in culture. This song encourages unity amongst all African countries while also using African dialect and English to promote Pan-Africanism. Wale, a D.C. native with Nigerian heritage, expresses Pan-Africanism in the song “Sue Me.” Wale states, “I carried my bitterness of a kola nut…I favor Black businesses… spent ‘bout two racks on handmade durags” The “rooting for everybody Black” ideology is not just a lyric in Wale’s song, “Sue Me,” Though it may seem like just support for Black people, rooting for everybody Black represents Pan-Africanism, promoting unity throughout the diaspora. Both Blitz and Wale celebrate their identities unapologetically, conveying pride in being Black and a commitment to Pan-Africanism, which shapes the African diaspora. In closing, it is evident that hip hop continues to serve as a vehicle for celebrating the African diaspora and reclaiming identity. Styles P, Aminé, Blitz The Ambassador, and Wale collectively embrace the range of shared experiences in the African diaspora–on one hand, there are rappers that use their music to speak out against hardships on Black people, whereas the others use it to highlight their love for their culture and to promote unity. This ...
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  • Ep. 100: Fou Malade: Hip Hop, Resistance, and the Making of a New African

    Ep. 100: Fou Malade: Hip Hop, Resistance, and the Making of a New African
    2025/07/21

    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.
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    16 分
  • Thank you for your support

    Thank you for your support
    2025/07/17

    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.

    “It’s not just a career move, it’s a statement”.Unapologetic: African Women in Hip-HopTweet

    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.
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    6 分
  • HHAP 99: ZuluMecca, Finding Truth in Creative Expression

    HHAP 99: ZuluMecca, Finding Truth in Creative Expression
    2024/07/07

    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

    "Iller Than", Seams EP

    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

    "Culture", Wept ZuluMecca on Social Media
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  • HHAP 98: Hip Hop’s Golden Ticket?

    HHAP 98: Hip Hop’s Golden Ticket?
    2024/06/24

    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.
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  • HHAP 97: Graffiti and Streetology w/S. Africa’s Breeze Yoko

    HHAP 97: Graffiti and Streetology w/S. Africa’s Breeze Yoko
    2024/06/04

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

    Breeze Yoko Breeze Yoko created a series of works at the Hall Of Fame in Brixton, U.K.

    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

    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

    Breeze Yoko
    Breeze Yoko on social media
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
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