Got Any African in Your Rap, Would You Like Some?

Man, I spotted this music video via Live From The Coast a blog for the design company Gold Coast Trading Co., and it got me wondering where this song has been my whole life!?!  According to Dr. Alban's Wikipedia page, the Stockholm based Nigerian dentist  was a chart topper in Europe in the 1990's, selling millions of records around the world.  I'm surprised that he wasn't more known in United States during that era.

Perhaps at that time the US wasn't as open to foreign pop as today's hyper connected world.  But, seeing as Afrocentrism was a big trend in hip hop around that time, I'm surprised that there wasn't more Africa/US Hip Hop/House collaborations.  Jamaica definitely was represented in US popular conscious and even Spanish language Ragga-Hip/House songs stick out from my memory.  Africa beyond a symbol of cultural pride, had not crept into the minds of the general American public.  That's too bad because, Hello Africa seems like it would have been a perfect song for that time.

That's not to say some folks didn't try their hand at promoting African Rap.  Hollywood BASIC, the Walt Disney Company's hip hop label signed rap group Zimbabwe Legit, but the label struggled and the group never really blew up in the US market.

Interestingly the Promo 12" for Doin' Damage in my Native Language contains a remix by an early in his career DJ Shadow, which uses a sample from an early attempt by a US Hip Hop artist to connect to Africa through more than Afrocentric symbolism.

Doug E. Fresh-Africa (Goin' Back Home)

In this tune Doug E. Fresh recounts a trip he takes to Senegal, and predicts Senegal's affinity towards rap with a guest introduction from a vocalist in Wolof.

It's no secret that Hip Hop is the biggest music amongst youth around the world right now, and around Africa that's no exception.  In recent years African artists have started to creep into the fold, and with increasing immigration of Africans to the US, 1st and 2nd generation American Africans like K'naan and Wale combine their hip hop influence with influences from their or their parent's homelands (check out many French hip hop groups for a long history of this.)  Black American artists are still revisiting their Afrocentrism, as evidenced by Nas and Damian Marley's latest effort, but I'm still waiting for that cross over tune by an African artists that will take the US mainstream by storm!

In the meantime, Africa's World Cup begins this week, and appropriately Dr. Alban's tune got the 2010 World Cup Remix treatment in the EP, Hello South Africa!  Buy it on iTunes, and get warmed up for Friday!

Comments

[Me]

No but thanks for asking, especially with that cadence.

[Bryan Saunders]

There was that brief moment with a Stetsasonic hit in the 80's "Free Africa" and the Jungle Brothers early releases that were heavily influenced, but I always thought they should have taken it much further. The huge Jamiacan population in NYC at that time ruled. Ever heard of the late 80's D.C. duo Supa Wes & Junior Bapp? Reggae with a touch of Arabic Rap? Can't go wrong with that!

[Trifocal]

Dr. Alban got play on whatever random stations I could find hip hop playing back in the day.
This was on eastern L.I. in the early '90s

[GuyInMilwaukee]

My new fav is Zef from South Africa. Die Antwood (The Answer) www.dieantwoord.com is a fun project and about to drop their first CD on Interscope. Touring soon as well.

[Toronto Dentist in Etobicoke]

Catchy tune from Dr. Alban. A dentist with musical skills? Inconceivable! I couldn't sing a decent note to save my life.

Joe Bulger DDS
Royal York Dental - Dentist in Toronto Etobicoke

[Nate]

African music is definitely creeping on America. the timing is good especially now after the south Africa world cup. people saw a different side of Africa and are ready for a little something different. I think that not just artist but African sound beats used by major American artist could bring people to African hip hop too!