International media production company Nomadic Wax (African Underground/Democracy in Dakar) has teamed up with Genoa, Italy’s DJ Nio, Brooklyn’s Funk Nouveau, Blackler Mastering and producer Eliot Leigh to create a one-of-a-kind World Cup-inspired transnational hip-hop collaboration available for free download beginning June 8th 2010. The 12 minute multi-national musical melange features rappers hailing from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, the United States, and Europe.
“World Cup” is the first of it’s kind and explores the complexities and controversies of this historic event: the first ever World Cup to be held in Africa. According to The Economist, “South Africans themselves are grumbling about the eye-wateringly large amounts of money that FIFA…is poised to make, even though South Africa is bearing most of the cost.” Legendary South African emcee Emile YX (Black Noise Crew) used the ‘World Cup’ track as an opportunity to respond to what is currently happening in his hometown of Cape Town, rapping “We’ll foot the bill just so they can foot the ball.” Emile and 15 other artists from a range of nations, including Italy, Brazil, South Africa, Morocco, and Trinidad-Tobago, among others, rap their verses in French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, and Arabic and explore many of the controversies, benefits, and pitfalls of the historic 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
For more info and to download the track for free visit:
Ever since its inception, hip-hop has served as a powerful medium for the downtrodden, neglected, and forgotten to assert their voices. Grandmaster Melle Mel, KRS-One, Queen Latifah, Chuck D, Ice Cube, K’naan, Immortal Technique, and Rebel Diaz have all eloquently voiced the concerns for the masses they represent. Litefoot, a Cherokee frequently serving as the voice for Native American communities, is another link in this chain of artists evoking social awareness and, when it falls upon the right ears, even social change.
Litefoot, born G. Paul Davis in March of 1969, was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma and currently resides in Seattle, Washington. Although of Chichimeca descent, he is also an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Generally regarded as the first Native American emcee, Litefoot has described his brand of hip hop as “Tribalistic Funkâ€, implying that his unique style is a collage of numerous regional sounds, including the Midwest, West Coast, and Dirty South, along with musical and cultural aesthetics from his own Native heritage. The “Tribalistic Funk†label has also been used to connote the fact that there are many commonalities between the tribal roots of both Native Americans and African Americans living in the United States.
However, don’t be fooled by the nomenclature Native American. I feel as though many emcees who don’t fit the stereotypical hyper-sexualized, angry black male rapper model get referred to as a “you fill in the blank†emcee rather than what they really are: an emcee just like anyone else who rhymes words together in a rhythmic fashion over drum-infused beats. Gay emcee, female rapper, white rapper, Jewish rapper, political emcee, conscious emcee. Why don’t we ever say “angry, hypersexualized, black emceeâ€? Because that is what society wrongfully deems as the qualifying characteristics of “authenticity†within the craft of emceeing. Anything is out of the ordinary and thus deserves a qualifying adjective. And it’s not confined to the category of hip-hop. We find parallels with the disproportionate frequency with which NBA commentators label black athletes as “cerebralâ€. We expect the white athlete to be smart because, well, quite frankly simply because he’s white, whereas we find it surprising to see a black man speak eloquently (or at least what classical Western English defines elegant as). In turn, he is labeled the cerebral black athlete as opposed to your just plain old athlete.
Needless to say, the point is don’t be fooled into believing Litefoot is some wack emcee benefiting off a label and cheap gimmick. Dope is dope, as you can’t hide talent. So if were going to use adjectives and/or labels with Litefoot, let’s just refer to him as a highly skilled (won Artist of the Year at the 2004 Native American Music Awards) and accomplished (has released 12 albums in a career spanning 1992 to the present) emcee. For a sampling of this talent, check the following track “Walk Funnyâ€)
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In a genre of music that incorporates so many different styles and traditions from a myriad of unique cultures, the multitalented Litefoot truly embodies the collage that is hip-hop. Not simply just an emcee, Litefoot sports an extremely diverse resume. He’s starred in such films as “The Indian In the Cupboard†(he played the role of ‘Little Bear’), “Mortal Kombat: Annihilationâ€, and “Adaptationâ€, on several occasions winning Best Actor awards from First Americans in the Arts Awards and the American Indian Film Institute. Litefoot has also appeared on television programs ranging from “CSI: Miami†to “Any Day Nowâ€. Another avenue through which Litefoot displays his creativity is in the field of fashion design. Having produced and designed several clothing lines, his most famous brand being “Native Styleâ€, his works can be found online and in Native American Casino’s across the nation. Retail store distribution is presently under works. Never shying away from the business side of things, Litefoot also signifies the DIY (Do It Yourself) attitude of hip-hop, establishing and running his own record label, Red Vinyl Records, for over 16 years.
Despite the fact that Litefoot busies himself with the hats of emcee/actor/designer/producer/CEO, he still somehow finds time for his passion of activism. Perhaps that is because Litefoot incorporates his message into everything he does, whether it being designing a new Native Style hoodie or composing new lyrics for his upcoming album Relentless Pursuit. Constantly touring as both a performer and motivational speaker, Litefoot appeared at over 200 different events in 2006 in the North America alone. Several years ago, he debuted his now annual Reach the Rez Tour in which he visits and empowers Native American communities throughout the United States and Canada. He’s currently on tour throughout the summer of 2008 in case anyone wants to check it out. For a little taste, here’s a YouTube link of a Litefoot performing on a Canadian reservation in June of 2007 in last year’s tour:
Working in conjunction with the tour, Litefoot has been producing and hosting Reach the Rez Radio, a weekly radio show aired via Native Voice One Satellite Network, since 2005. For all those interested, you can check it out online at www.reachtherezradio.com.
In a day and age where it is easy for cultural icons to use their celebrity as nothing more than a way of further packaging and branding themselves for more sales, it is refreshing to see an artist like Litefoot use his various endeavors and myriad of talents to help educate and empower. Whether he’s giving a speech for Reverend Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Push Organization or combating ignorance of Native culture by releasing 2004’s Redvolution in response to Outkast’s infamously racist performance of “Hey Ya†at the 2004 Grammy Awards, Litefoot continually strives to bring the joys and concerns of an often overlooked people to the forefront. As with any genre of music, there are always issues of form versus content. And these issues often leave critics and fans alike conflicted. We often find ourselves adoring the aesthetics of the music, while struggling with the politics of the music. Put more simply, we didn’t really dig what the artist had to say, but we sure as hell loved how they said it. Or vice versa. Litefoot is one of those emcees where we can bump his music and not even have to qualify it as a guilty pleasure.
In closing, perhaps it would be most effective to let the artist speak for himself. I’ll leave you with a lyrical snippet from Litefoot’s 1995 collaboration with Kid Frost, “Willin’ To Dieâ€.
So I’m proud to be Cherokee
And the United States government ain’t scaring me
Back in the days they killed Indians for salaries
They gonna have to come and get me
Black boots and hundreds of troops like 1860
So listen to the words that I’m writing
If I’m going down, bet your ass I was fighting
Ask me what I am and I can never deny
I’m a Indian homeboy and I’m willing to die
Alright, I lied. I’m going to steal the spotlight and get in one last word. If anybody wants to hear Litefoot wax poetic, just check out the roundtable essay Native Tongues (about global indigenous movements within hip-hop) from the Jeff Chang edited Total Chaos. He drops some science. Okay, just so Litefoot gets final say, I’ll leave you with a current thumper of his, “Litefoot The Donâ€:
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“The US and Cuba: geographically close, politically distant, but musically connected.â€
Hip-hop is now an established part of Cuban culture. With highly outspoken, political lyrics, Cuban hip-hop artists are pushing the envelope in a socialist society. While making strides in the battle against censorship, they are still facing crushing limitations – including the lack of commercial success for artists. Poverty and struggle has inspired Cuba’s hip-hop culture – mirroring the original movement in the Bronx. Until 1995 when Cuban hip-hop finally drew international attention with the first Cuban Rap Festival, Cubans were tapping into Miami’s radio stations to keep up with US hip-hop culture.
Married couple Alexey RodrÃguez Mola and Magia Lopez make up one of the leading rap groups in Cuba – Obsesión. Born on June 25, 1996, Obsesión sought to make hip-hop a solid musical genre in Cuba. Magia, an accomplished emcee and vocalist, and Alexey (aka El Tipo Este), an emcee and producer have a style all their own – which has earned respect from well-known hip-hop artists around the world. Alexey’s arrangements combine rhythmic hip-hop beats with authentic Cuban sounds, all over what can only be classified as “sparse” percussion.
In their only formal music video we could find, Alexey shows off his sensitive side with “Nada Que Hacer” which was written to proclaim his love for Magia. Downloadable mp3 can be found below the video.
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On a more straight-hip-hop vibe, check out “Los Pelos:”
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Obsesión’s tour of the US in 2003, which ended with a performance at the Apollo Theater in Harlem alongside The Roots and Common, was the basis for the documentary titled La Fabri-K. ‘La Fabri-K’ (The Factory) is a hip-hop collective including Obsesión and Doble Filo, which provides community service, sets up social projects and encourages interaction of artists – including rappers, painters, sculptors, poets and dancers.
