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THE ROUGH GUIDE TO AFRICAN RAP
(World Music Network)
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African rap hit hard in the early ’90s, initially in Francophone countries, especially Senegal. This timely compilation demonstrates that the genre has matured and diversified. On the 1994 tune "Blast Nuff," Tanzania’s Hard Blasters exhibit the disappointing American mimicry of the early years. The backing is simple and static, the Swahili rapping spitfire and impressive, but aside from the language, it could be from anywhere, and the music offers nothing to fill out the picture. Jump to tracks by Prophets of da City from South Africa or Unsung Heroes & Ty from Nigeria and a sense of place emerges. Prophets’ lethargic snare crash, stifled sax lick, township jive in a ragamuffin chanting, and dark, clear-eyed testimony paint an ominous picture of township life. Heroes bring in a moody, cycling thumb-piano vamp and the sizzling trap-drum work of Afrobeat legend Tony Allen. Some tracks hint at gimmickry, like the "Senga Abele" of Cameroon saxophonist Manu Dbango and MC Mello, where "Listen to the lion of Cameroon roar" is accompanied by roaring sound effects. But for the most part, this set delivers the feel of a continental youth movement plugged into the genuine street life of Dakar, Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam.
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