The Role of Scholars in Hiphop

This article is in response to an article on the 20th of September 2009. Sunday Nation Newspaper magazine LIFESTYLE. In both columns [Books & Culture] and 'Violence, Sex and the hip-hop hype' under the [Entertainment] section.


'Violence,Sex and the hip-hop hype'

What is your definition of Hiphop?

Allow me to enlighten you, 'hip-hop' is a mispelt word for what you are attempting to describe. HIPHOP on the other hand, is a culture intrisically practiced by a selected fraction of urban youth, as a medium of urban protest. Hiphop in its conformation is conflict seeking solution, and within its cultural structure has elements in form of;

Music, poetry (rap - MC)

Dance (breakdance, bboy/gal)

Music, technology (djaying)

Visual art, abstract imaging (graffiti)

Other elements are exhibited through an individuals demeanor i.e. the way one talks, walks eats , dresses, procreate, earns a living, etc. HIPHOP is how you live. Just by my definition, your article and Prof Mwanda Ntarangwi's book, have now officially
been discredited. Even without reading the book. Why? There seems to be a severe lack of knowledge of the HIPHOP culture. My pain is exalted by the fact that you have splashed this Proffesor's book all over your article. Prof Ntaragwi is an Academician, which means he is highly learned but that does not mean he understands HIPHOP. He might never understand HIPHOP , just because of his accolades. You owe the HIPHOP fraternity in Kenya and Africa and the world at large an apology. For propagating false information about our beautiful culture.


HIPHOP to your understanding is characterised by matatus playing loud music and posters of Kenyan pop stars, off your teenage daughter's wall. Prof Ntaragwi continues to say that HIPHOP in Africa borrows heavily from western culture. This statement is not true. Hiphop's universality is uniform across all borders. Any
variation induced creates a mutation and that renders the latter to be Genge, Kapuka or Kwaito, not HIPHOP. Prof am sure from the large number of books you have read, you must have come across the origin of Hiphop to be Africa. Therefore, if there are any aspects borrowed from the predominant American culture, it would be in terms of speech and dress code. This is so because African Hiphop marries the use of traditional African instruments, in its quest for authenticity. However,lyrics and the style of delivery is within a universal context. For instance one can listen to a rap song in zulu and admire the flow. This goes further to transcend the language barrier. In careful consideration, the beat pattern, sampling and other elements used in production of HIPHOP music are formulaic.

Prof Ntaragwi in an attempt to appear exhaustively informative, went ahead to engage readers in the matter of gender. The explanation remains confined to East African borders with no elavating insight. Prof Ntaragwi's citations are purely based on local Kenyan pop star's works. How will you inform a Western audience with references on badly written lyrics from Kenya? Whilst forcefully fitting it under the HIPHOP umbrella?


New Ways
In regard to the African literary canon. You should start with the schools where setbooks are used to gauge student's proffiency in grammar rather that in skills to enhance literature. Question is, what mechanisms should be applied? to make these cardboard tasting works like Naguib Mahfouz, Odera Oruak, Es'Kia Mphalele, Grace Ogot and others palatable. To an audience that now embraces e-books and facebook rather than buy books and read books. The conventional methods that you deem as legitimate to your literal standards are being phased
out by Qwerty Keyboard writers.

Laughable fans

Congolese music set it standards ages ago. It even drove folk in East Africa to buy little hand books, that aided in translating lingala. A very poetic and sensual language. Congolese musicians work and sweat hard, compared to Kenyan musicians singing 'safe songs' in swahili. Lingala music, is a smack on the face to the so called Kenyan musicians . Lingala has always been rebellious compared to Jambo bwana-Hakuna matata's' and the Tausi ndenge wangu malaikas'. Songs set for safe havens that do not have the slightest nudge to rythm. On any day i will pay homage, while singing word for word to Fally Ipupa or Ferre Gola and even gyrate my waist to 'Droit Chemin' or 'Sens interdit'. I need rythm not stale swahili words
from overated Kenyan musicians. 'Omoni Naza Kenyanaise, naleli na makambo ya solo.'

The only part i agree with you on, is understanding lyrics to songs. As you've mentioned pidgin english might leave some afloat. However certain songs do not need deciphering . When a typical Kenyan man or woman sips on a tusker in a bar, and sings along to 'My dream is to fly, over the rainbow so high' ... You will be left wondering if he or she has chosen their team. Or is it a show of being hip and trendy compliant, fresh and upto date with the latest songs in the club....'so high' !