As the lethal Ouagalais MC records his next opus, the Tentacule Records team put together this video, directed by Jérémie Lenoir. Pure hip hop vibes, Melos thunder barely contained in the colorful collage. Still a few copies of his Wogdog Blues album available on vinyl, check it here!
This is very, very exciting: Akwaaba’s very first vinyl release! And also the first vinyl release from any Burkinabé artist in years… and the only African hip hop vinyl in years – or even ever? We only pressed very, very few copies of Art Melody’s album Wogdog Blues, grab one of 150 records from Bandcamp – while supplies last!
[:de]
This is very, very exciting: Akwaaba’s very first vinyl release! And also the first vinyl release from any Burkinabé artist in years… and the only African hip hop vinyl in years – or even ever? We only pressed very, very few copies of Art Melody’s album Wogdog Blues, grab one of 150 records from Bandcamp – while supplies last!
[:fr]
This is very, very exciting: Akwaaba’s very first vinyl release! And also the first vinyl release from any Burkinabé artist in years… and the only African hip hop vinyl in years – or even ever? We only pressed very, very few copies of Art Melody’s album Wogdog Blues, grab one of 150 records from Bandcamp – while supplies last!
Gargantuan: of immense size, volume, or capacity. What better way to describe this stellar lineup of fearless MCs, who speak their minds with very little concern for what people consider appropriate.
Art Melody (Burkina Faso) is a veteran on Ouagadougou’s hip hop circuit. His irreverence has mostly kept him away from airwaves at home, but it has helped him build an audience in France and across Europe, ever since his critically acclaimed second album Zound Zandé in 2011. In 2012 he teamed up with Joey le Soldat to form Waga 3000, a hint at Ouaga 2000, an absurdly posh neighborhood in Burkina Faso’s capital. Melo and Joey have been touring Europe, but this is their very first show in Ghana.
Elom 20ce (Togo) is a highly engaged Togolese rapper. Like his Burkinabé counterparts, he has had more luck touring in Europe than at home in Lomé, where self censorship has kept his music mostly away from the airwaves. Nevertheless, Elom has built a following among emancipated Africans from Lomé to Paris. This is also his first show in Ghana.
Wanlov the Kubolor(Ghana) is another master of irreverence, on a mission to shake up mentalities anywhere he sets foot. Too often dismissed as eccentric by the mainstream Ghanaian media, Wanlov is a visionary who uses pidgin and humor to spread his message across the widest audience possible, at home in Ghana, as well as Europe where he was recently nominated artist of the year by Mondomix.
Yaa Pono (Ghana) is another veteran microphone slayer, one who started alongside the likes of Sarkodie in Tema over a decade ago. To this day, he is considered to be one of the finest twi lyricists in Ghana, one who also uses humor to sharpen his social critique.
Walk like a champion was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns. The video captures high spirits from the start, as the kids run together through the neighborhood. Shows a champion mindset and how it's accompanied by hard work (Muscle guy in the gym). it captures...
Ozaki is part of a new generation of Ivorian artists inspired by global trap legends, Ozaki’s words are firmly rooted in Bassam and Abidjan’s bustling culture, and his La Bassamoise EP is yet another milestone pushing the envelope of the local Ivorian rap...
Kumasi (Oseikrom) based Ghanaian rapper Flowking Stone releases a band new video titled "Let them Know". Let them know is one of the songs of his recent album Gifted II . The song which is a fusion of 60's Ghanaian highlife and hiphop trap beats was produced by...
Gargantuan: Hip Hop Heavyweights
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Akwaaba Music presents: Gargantuan – Hip Hop Heavyweights
Gargantuan: of immense size, volume, or capacity. What better way to describe this stellar lineup of fearless MCs, who speak their minds with very little concern for what people consider appropriate.
Art Melody (Burkina Faso) is a veteran on Ouagadougou’s hip hop circuit. His irreverence has mostly kept him away from airwaves at home, but it has helped him build an audience in France and across Europe, ever since his critically acclaimed second album Zound Zandé in 2011. In 2012 he teamed up with Joey le Soldat to form Waga 3000, a hint at Ouaga 2000, an absurdly posh neighborhood in Burkina Faso’s capital. Melo and Joey have been touring Europe, but this is their very first show in Ghana.
Elom 20ce (Togo) is a highly engaged Togolese rapper. Like his Burkinabé counterparts, he has had more luck touring in Europe than at home in Lomé, where self censorship has kept his music mostly away from the airwaves. Nevertheless, Elom has built a following among emancipated Africans from Lomé to Paris. This is also his first show in Ghana.
Wanlov the Kubolor(Ghana) is another master of irreverence, on a mission to shake up mentalities anywhere he sets foot. Too often dismissed as eccentric by the mainstream Ghanaian media, Wanlov is a visionary who uses pidgin and humor to spread his message across the widest audience possible, at home in Ghana, as well as Europe where he was recently nominated artist of the year by Mondomix.
Yaa Pono (Ghana) is another veteran microphone slayer, one who started alongside the likes of Sarkodie in Tema over a decade ago. To this day, he is considered to be one of the finest twi lyricists in Ghana, one who also uses humor to sharpen his social critique.
Walk like a champion was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns. The video captures high spirits from the start, as the kids run together through the neighborhood. Shows a champion mindset and how it's accompanied by hard work (Muscle guy in the gym). it captures...
Ozaki is part of a new generation of Ivorian artists inspired by global trap legends, Ozaki’s words are firmly rooted in Bassam and Abidjan’s bustling culture, and his La Bassamoise EP is yet another milestone pushing the envelope of the local Ivorian rap...
Kumasi (Oseikrom) based Ghanaian rapper Flowking Stone releases a band new video titled "Let them Know". Let them know is one of the songs of his recent album Gifted II . The song which is a fusion of 60's Ghanaian highlife and hiphop trap beats was produced by...
If you missed Melo on his European tour, here is a small glimpse of the action. Backed by the Waga Block Band along with Joey le Soldat on vocals, Numa Lakroch’ on drums and pads, and Mama J on percussion and backing vocals. I myself have not had the pleasure of witnessing them live, but I keep hearing rave reviews. Until Melo comes back for his next tour, enjoy this rehearsal vid for the song Barka Barka, off of his Wogdog Blues album. Sneak peak: vinyl coming soon!!! Full video credits over at youtube.
[:de]
If you missed Melo on his European tour, here is a small glimpse of the action. Backed by the Waga Block Band along with Joey le Soldat on vocals, Numa Lakroch’ on drums and pads, and Mama J on percussion and backing vocals. I myself have not had the pleasure of witnessing them live, but I keep hearing rave reviews. Until Melo comes back for his next tour, enjoy this rehearsal vid for the song Barka Barka, off of his Wogdog Blues album. Sneak peak: vinyl coming soon!!! Full video credits over at youtube.
[:fr]
If you missed Melo on his European tour, here is a small glimpse of the action. Backed by the Waga Block Band along with Joey le Soldat on vocals, Numa Lakroch’ on drums and pads, and Mama J on percussion and backing vocals. I myself have not had the pleasure of witnessing them live, but I keep hearing rave reviews. Until Melo comes back for his next tour, enjoy this rehearsal vid for the song Barka Barka, off of his Wogdog Blues album. Sneak peak: vinyl coming soon!!! Full video credits over at youtube.
Two years after the acclaimed Zound Zandé album, Burkinabé rapper Art Melody returns with Wogdog Blues – Ouagadougou blues.
An ambitious album which stretches the limits of African hip hop and throws the listener into a musical vortex. Produced by Redrum and Minimalkonstrunction, the beats draw from afrobeat, bass music, 1990s hip hop, African tradition and retro-futurism to best carry Art Melody’s unique flow. The album is mastered by Dave Cooley (Spoek Mathambo, J Dilla, Madvillain) in Los Angeles.
With support from artists such as High Priest from avant-garde hip hop group Antipop Consortium, or Walter Kibby aka Dirty Walt of cult LA band Fishbone, Art Melody helps us break down the borders separating our words.
Powerful, raucous and dark, Art Melody’s voice describes the blues and melancholy of an African people resisting poverty, disease, obscurantism and war daily. Despair which finds hope in Art Melody’s voice.
Art Melody still lives in the same neighborhood with his family.
On a different note: Art Melody will be touring France later this month, check the dates in the right column of this post.
Deux ans après le succès de Zound Zandé, le rappeur burkinabé Art Melody est de retour avec Wogdog Blues – le blues de Ouagadougou.
Un album ambitieux qui étire les frontières du hip hop africain et entraîne l’auditeur dans un vortex musical. Produit par Redrum et Minimalkonstrunction, les instrumentaux empruntent à l’afrobeat, à la bass music, au hip hop des années 90’s, à la tradition africaine et au rétro-futurisme pour porter au mieux le flow unique d’Art Melody. L’album est masterisé par Dave Cooley (Spoek Mathambo, J Dilla, Madvillain) à Los Angeles.
Avec la participation d’artistes comme High Priest du groupe hip hop avant-gardiste Antipop Consortium, Walter Kibby alias Dirty Walt, ou le groupe mythique de Los Angeles Fishbone, Art Melody nous aide à briser les frontières qui séparent nos mondes.
Puissante, rauque et sombre, la voix d’Art Melody décrit le blues et la mélancolie d’un africain en lutte quotidienne contre la pauvreté, les maladies, l’obscurantisme et la guerre. Une affliction qui trouve dans la voix d’Art Melody une source d’espoir.
Art habite toujours le même quartier avec sa famille.[:de]
Two years after the acclaimed Zound Zandé album, Burkinabé rapper Art Melody returns with Wogdog Blues – Ouagadougou blues.
An ambitious album which stretches the limits of African hip hop and throws the listener into a musical vortex. Produced by Redrum and Minimalkonstrunction, the beats draw from afrobeat, bass music, 1990s hip hop, African tradition and retro-futurism to best carry Art Melody’s unique flow. The album is mastered by Dave Cooley (Spoek Mathambo, J Dilla, Madvillain) in Los Angeles.
With support from artists such as High Priest from avant-garde hip hop group Antipop Consortium, or Walter Kibby aka Dirty Walt of cult LA band Fishbone, Art Melody helps us break down the borders separating our words.
Powerful, raucous and dark, Art Melody’s voice describes the blues and melancholy of an African people resisting poverty, disease, obscurantism and war daily. Despair which finds hope in Art Melody’s voice.
Art Melody still lives in the same neighborhood with his family.
On a different note: Art Melody will be touring France later this month, check the dates in the right column of this post.
