Tom wants me to stop going on about Ms. Dynamite's "Neva Soft" baaaad gyal choon and share some thought-provoking arguments with you. At least they were thought-provoking when Tom The Mith and I first had the conversation.
I'm a huge admirer of The Mith and the path his career is taking. I know that should he keep his foot on the peddle he will have the legacy of a founding father of Uganda's hip-hop movement. More than Uganda actually, Kora would suggest the entire Continent. The influence that The Mith and his peers (Danny aka Navio, Abba, and Keko for whom a special mantle is reserved) have cannot be underestimated. Perhaps more important than influencing the lives of young Africans or providing the rhythm, beats and soul of our times, today's artistes are ambassadors of our continent. In a world of YouTube, Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter and digital radio stations, the dissemination of information of any sort is almost immediate and definitely so far-reaching that it has already toppled governments and launched the careers of some of the most powerful careers in the global music industry (ask The Beiber - whether or not you're a believer!) There's no need to labour the point.
So, in spite of my lifelong love affair with The Mith and his hustle, I've still got beef with him and his ilk. With the aforementioned stage illuminated, why o why do our hip hop stars fail ever so miserably to project an accurate image of this here beautiful continent, its people and its times. Why do I have to be staring at borrowed Bentleys, poorly styled video vixens and Jay-Z imitating posturing when I watch our videos. Yeah, it's hip hop and it may go without saying that the genre is predominantly about meteoritic rises from nothing to untold wealth and exposure. I can understand the excitement and subsequent servings of Marcy to TriBeCa images, from American artistes. Why a Bentley would turn up in a Ugaflow video is beyond me. I don't mean to be too literal with the automobile but I don't think that our version of aspiration and success is of that exact fabric.
Whilst I'm not asking The Mith to have his videos set against a backdrop of rolling savannah, littered with starving children or any other cliched concepts of the continent, I think that these might sadly be closer to our Truth. The Mith's question to me is then, what exactly my version of the African Dream is. What would my ultimate aspirations be?
I might be the wrong person to ask on the one hand but like many I think I would zero in on a complex but less blingy dream. The basic human desire to survive, have good health, progeny and dignity take on a different form when, for the vast majority of Africans, these very things are threatened everyday by thriving parasites, both microscopic and homo sapiens. Everything from malaria to senile dictatorships and their failed interpretations of service in government make the African Dream so far beyond the money, the cars, the clothes and the hos.
What would my African Dream be? It would certainly be more utilitarian. It would be for better service from our leaders in the perhaps vain hope that they would fashion social economic conditions that allowed the Marcy to Tribeca transition to be less of a joke and more of a reality. How is The Mith to create this imagery? It isn't beyond the realm of his possibilities and it certainly would come cheaper than sourcing a Maybach in Kampala (yeah, I've upgraded :D).
Sidebar: I've got to give props to Navio for 'Nawulilanga' and The Mith for 'Where I'm From'. Navio's video was nicely styled but more importantly reflective of the traditional song on which his track is based. The lyrical content of 'Where I'm from' is so relatable to many lives in the country.
So whilst my dream might involve a radical change in government perhaps, I'm not asking The Mith to take up office. He is however in prime position to challenge those that are or can be such leaders. He is in prime position to show the world that beyond Band Aid and safaris, there is an Africa that is thinking, hopeful, progressive in a fashion that isn't regurgitative but unique and honest.
All this isn't to say that The Mith cannot show or tell us abt his Friday night aspirations, help us party or transport us into relaxation. He can. But he and all artistes shd be frighteningly aware of their ambassadorships and the mandate that comes with them. They should all be aware that their appeal will still be of shared aspiration tailored to voice the dreams of a voiceless many.
theothermrscarter
I'm a huge admirer of The Mith and the path his career is taking. I know that should he keep his foot on the peddle he will have the legacy of a founding father of Uganda's hip-hop movement. More than Uganda actually, Kora would suggest the entire Continent. The influence that The Mith and his peers (Danny aka Navio, Abba, and Keko for whom a special mantle is reserved) have cannot be underestimated. Perhaps more important than influencing the lives of young Africans or providing the rhythm, beats and soul of our times, today's artistes are ambassadors of our continent. In a world of YouTube, Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter and digital radio stations, the dissemination of information of any sort is almost immediate and definitely so far-reaching that it has already toppled governments and launched the careers of some of the most powerful careers in the global music industry (ask The Beiber - whether or not you're a believer!) There's no need to labour the point.
So, in spite of my lifelong love affair with The Mith and his hustle, I've still got beef with him and his ilk. With the aforementioned stage illuminated, why o why do our hip hop stars fail ever so miserably to project an accurate image of this here beautiful continent, its people and its times. Why do I have to be staring at borrowed Bentleys, poorly styled video vixens and Jay-Z imitating posturing when I watch our videos. Yeah, it's hip hop and it may go without saying that the genre is predominantly about meteoritic rises from nothing to untold wealth and exposure. I can understand the excitement and subsequent servings of Marcy to TriBeCa images, from American artistes. Why a Bentley would turn up in a Ugaflow video is beyond me. I don't mean to be too literal with the automobile but I don't think that our version of aspiration and success is of that exact fabric.
Whilst I'm not asking The Mith to have his videos set against a backdrop of rolling savannah, littered with starving children or any other cliched concepts of the continent, I think that these might sadly be closer to our Truth. The Mith's question to me is then, what exactly my version of the African Dream is. What would my ultimate aspirations be?
I might be the wrong person to ask on the one hand but like many I think I would zero in on a complex but less blingy dream. The basic human desire to survive, have good health, progeny and dignity take on a different form when, for the vast majority of Africans, these very things are threatened everyday by thriving parasites, both microscopic and homo sapiens. Everything from malaria to senile dictatorships and their failed interpretations of service in government make the African Dream so far beyond the money, the cars, the clothes and the hos.
What would my African Dream be? It would certainly be more utilitarian. It would be for better service from our leaders in the perhaps vain hope that they would fashion social economic conditions that allowed the Marcy to Tribeca transition to be less of a joke and more of a reality. How is The Mith to create this imagery? It isn't beyond the realm of his possibilities and it certainly would come cheaper than sourcing a Maybach in Kampala (yeah, I've upgraded :D).
Sidebar: I've got to give props to Navio for 'Nawulilanga' and The Mith for 'Where I'm From'. Navio's video was nicely styled but more importantly reflective of the traditional song on which his track is based. The lyrical content of 'Where I'm from' is so relatable to many lives in the country.
So whilst my dream might involve a radical change in government perhaps, I'm not asking The Mith to take up office. He is however in prime position to challenge those that are or can be such leaders. He is in prime position to show the world that beyond Band Aid and safaris, there is an Africa that is thinking, hopeful, progressive in a fashion that isn't regurgitative but unique and honest.
All this isn't to say that The Mith cannot show or tell us abt his Friday night aspirations, help us party or transport us into relaxation. He can. But he and all artistes shd be frighteningly aware of their ambassadorships and the mandate that comes with them. They should all be aware that their appeal will still be of shared aspiration tailored to voice the dreams of a voiceless many.
theothermrscarter
"...artistes shd be frighteningly aware of their ambassadorships and the mandate that comes with them. They should all be aware that their appeal will still be of shared aspiration tailored to voice the dreams of a voiceless many."
ReplyDeleteThese words shall forever ring in my head as I create lasting impressions through the works I create.
#realtalk