Art Melody‘s husky, powerful voice has been catapulting the Burkinabé people’s daily concerns into the ears and minds of hip hop lovers worldwide. Just recently, Melo performed all across France with fellow rapper Joey le Soldat, as Waga 3000, and now he blesses us with the first single off of his upcoming album Wogdog Blues, due in March.
Yamb Sabaab is produced by French beatmaker extraordinaire Redrum, who has collaborated with Melo in the past. On this song, Art Melody gives love back to Ouaga and his people, as he talks about his routine growing up in Ouaga, discovering hip hop and freestyling from one end of town to the other.Lyrics:
Hmmmm thanks to you we are well, we are well
Hmmmm nobody can be well without the help of others. Thanks to you, thanks to you
Where do I live? I live in Ouaga
Let me tell you something about life in Ouaga
My neighborhood, Samandin, new paved road
Not far from Arzoum Missiran, the Friday Mosque
Often called Koukin Yaaré, the Caîlcédra market
Very early mornings, face barely washed
I used to take my two buckets to the fountain
Women, children also came to get water from this fountain
Ofe after the other people helped themselves
I would often wait for hours just to get a few liters of water.
After the shower, I did I go out? In HIP HOP mode!
How to reach the next street, cross the new paved road
And get rejected at the National School for Telecommunications, BandAvoir?
A few tokes of tobacco before I begin to sing
Bark like a dog in front of the neighborhood kids
Some would clap, others would laugh, saying I was wasting
My time, saying I was wasting my time, and I say hmmmmmm
Thanks to you we are well, we are well
Hmmmm nobody can be well without the help of others. Thanks to you, thanks to you
OK! After songs came time to go back out and take the new paved road
This time, heading to “Decodeur X One” who’d be called the Ballad.
If you don’t believe me ask Madam Salad
She’s tell you about our complain with Ballad.
When I used to get there, I could drink coffee and speak with everybody there
Take some time with Moufta, Jackim and Alain before heading back out
Once on the road, I would head over to my friend Coolio’s for a few more freestyles
From Coolio’s I’d take the street across the paved road again, walking down alleyways
The place where I’d spend all my time, was the central market, by the taxi rank to be precise
Big up to all taxi drivers in the city of Ouaga
Gounghin, Pissy, Tampouy, Larlé, Kilwin, Baskuy, Kolg, Ouidi, Bassinko, Cité An3, Diisa Yaaré (Sector 10 market)
Presser…