From Accra, Ghana: Bike Lordz

In Western capitals, trendizoids rush to customize their multi-thousand dollar fixed gear bikes, praying for hills to stay out of their way for fear of falling and denting their neon paint job (please make it stop). Meanwhile in Ghana, a new frenzy is growing around very acrobatic BMX bike riders… this phenomenon was captured by young film director Mikey Hart, who is now looking for support to finish things up nicely, ie get some DVDs made, send some gear back to the boys in Ghana, and prepare for the next round of bicycle wizardry. Once the video has convinced you that you could indeed part from that $20 bill in your pocket, please check out the film’s kickstarter page.

Music Video: Solid K – Walk Like A Champion

Jul 17, 2020

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...

Official Video: Petite amie/Elle veut by Ozaki

Apr 12, 2020

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...

Music Video : Flowking Stone – Let them Know

Sep 2, 2019

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...

From Accra, Ghana: Bike Lordz

In Western capitals, trendizoids rush to customize their multi-thousand dollar fixed gear bikes, praying for hills to stay out of their way for fear of falling and denting their neon paint job (please make it stop). Meanwhile in Ghana, a new frenzy is growing around very acrobatic BMX bike riders… this phenomenon was captured by young film director Mikey Hart, who is now looking for support to finish things up nicely, ie get some DVDs made, send some gear back to the boys in Ghana, and prepare for the next round of bicycle wizardry. Once the video has convinced you that you could indeed part from that $20 bill in your pocket, please check out the film’s kickstarter page.

Music Video: Solid K – Walk Like A Champion

Jul 17, 2020

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...

Official Video: Petite amie/Elle veut by Ozaki

Apr 12, 2020

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...

Music Video : Flowking Stone – Let them Know

Sep 2, 2019

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...

Hip Hop Very Much Alive in Eastern Congo – Salaam Kivu All Stars

Interesting timing: although there hasn’t been any mention of it on here, Benjamin Lebrave just got back from a wild journey in eastern Congo, starting off in Goma, where this VERY exciting video was shot. Goma has gone through hell for most of the last decade, but it is calmer now and the arts are flourishing again.

Music in Congo is something else. Often times music seems to be the only common ground for the Congolese: if you like rumba, if you dance rumba, well then you’re Congolese. This phrase is not as benign or naive as you’d think. For instance, in Goma alone there are 4 shops MAKING guitars. Not to mention places where you can purchase imported guitars. And this is Goma, one of many mid-sized Congolese cities. As a point of reference, Accra, capital of Ghana, has – to our knowledge – not a single shop making guitars. Point being, music and live music play a fundamental role.

We’ll share more about this exciting journey to the east, but for now this video can do the talking. Please do check out the full story over at africanhiphop.com and have a look at Yolé! Africa‘s site, they are the ones behind this project – which got the Economist‘s attention.

Music Video: Solid K – Walk Like A Champion

Jul 17, 2020

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...

Official Video: Petite amie/Elle veut by Ozaki

Apr 12, 2020

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...

Music Video : Flowking Stone – Let them Know

Sep 2, 2019

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...

Hip Hop Very Much Alive in Eastern Congo – Salaam Kivu All Stars

Interesting timing: although there hasn’t been any mention of it on here, Benjamin Lebrave just got back from a wild journey in eastern Congo, starting off in Goma, where this VERY exciting video was shot. Goma has gone through hell for most of the last decade, but it is calmer now and the arts are flourishing again.

Music in Congo is something else. Often times music seems to be the only common ground for the Congolese: if you like rumba, if you dance rumba, well then you’re Congolese. This phrase is not as benign or naive as you’d think. For instance, in Goma alone there are 4 shops MAKING guitars. Not to mention places where you can purchase imported guitars. And this is Goma, one of many mid-sized Congolese cities. As a point of reference, Accra, capital of Ghana, has – to our knowledge – not a single shop making guitars. Point being, music and live music play a fundamental role.

We’ll share more about this exciting journey to the east, but for now this video can do the talking. Please do check out the full story over at africanhiphop.com and have a look at Yolé! Africa‘s site, they are the ones behind this project – which got the Economist‘s attention.

Music Video: Solid K – Walk Like A Champion

Jul 17, 2020

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...

Official Video: Petite amie/Elle veut by Ozaki

Apr 12, 2020

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...

Music Video : Flowking Stone – Let them Know

Sep 2, 2019

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...

Lungu Lungu: Wanlov Tells the FOKN DunaQuest Story

A few minutes with Wanlov the Kubolor, half of the FOKN Bois. He and M3nsa connected with the Irie Maffia in Budapest, giving birth to some infectious, futuristic Afropop. Akwaaba, chaleh, welcome 2 d future.

Via our new Lungu Lungu column over at The Fader:

Apparently the end of the world has been either canceled or delayed. The reason is pretty clear to me: FOKN Bois just released their latest album, The FOKN DunaQuest in Budapest, and it needs a bit of space before we can all proceed with the end of times. Surely it will happen—on Ghana time.

The FOKN Bois, aka Wanlov the Kubolor and M3nsa, are not your average Ghanaian rappers. They reside far from the shady world of payola and corporate sponsorships that seriously limits the recognition of creative artists in Ghana. The Bois are closer to the streets, as exemplified in their amazingly fresh Coz Ov Moni pidgin English musical. They’re no payola policy means they’re not the most played artists on Ghana’s radio stations. However, after spending about 5 seconds on the streets of Accra with Wanlov, it’s pretty clear he is incredibly popular, a genuine artist recognized by people from all walks of life.

But forget Ghana for a second. Their latest collaboration with Hungary’s Irie Maffia can hardly be pigeon-holed as “Ghana music”—whatever that may mean, anyway. Instead of paraphrasing the story of how the album came to be, I’ll let Wanlov tell it. Check the video, below, to find out how these dudes ended up in Budapest, and better understand the double meaning of lungu lungu, a phrase that alludes to zigzagging through back streets, and also, corruption.

Music Video: Solid K – Walk Like A Champion

Jul 17, 2020

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...

Official Video: Petite amie/Elle veut by Ozaki

Apr 12, 2020

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...

Music Video : Flowking Stone – Let them Know

Sep 2, 2019

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...

Lungu Lungu: Wanlov Tells the FOKN DunaQuest Story

A few minutes with Wanlov the Kubolor, half of the FOKN Bois. He and M3nsa connected with the Irie Maffia in Budapest, giving birth to some infectious, futuristic Afropop. Akwaaba, chaleh, welcome 2 d future.

Via our new Lungu Lungu column over at The Fader:

Apparently the end of the world has been either canceled or delayed. The reason is pretty clear to me: FOKN Bois just released their latest album, The FOKN DunaQuest in Budapest, and it needs a bit of space before we can all proceed with the end of times. Surely it will happen—on Ghana time.

The FOKN Bois, aka Wanlov the Kubolor and M3nsa, are not your average Ghanaian rappers. They reside far from the shady world of payola and corporate sponsorships that seriously limits the recognition of creative artists in Ghana. The Bois are closer to the streets, as exemplified in their amazingly fresh Coz Ov Moni pidgin English musical. They’re no payola policy means they’re not the most played artists on Ghana’s radio stations. However, after spending about 5 seconds on the streets of Accra with Wanlov, it’s pretty clear he is incredibly popular, a genuine artist recognized by people from all walks of life.

But forget Ghana for a second. Their latest collaboration with Hungary’s Irie Maffia can hardly be pigeon-holed as “Ghana music”—whatever that may mean, anyway. Instead of paraphrasing the story of how the album came to be, I’ll let Wanlov tell it. Check the video, below, to find out how these dudes ended up in Budapest, and better understand the double meaning of lungu lungu, a phrase that alludes to zigzagging through back streets, and also, corruption.

Music Video: Solid K – Walk Like A Champion

Jul 17, 2020

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...

Official Video: Petite amie/Elle veut by Ozaki

Apr 12, 2020

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...

Music Video : Flowking Stone – Let them Know

Sep 2, 2019

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...

01/31 WFMU show with DJ Rupture

Last week, Benjamin Lebrave connected with DJ Rupture for his weekly show on New York’s WFMU. If you don’t know about Rupture… well, now’s a good time to learn more about the hyper active producer / journalist. The two had connected last fall in Tilburg for Generation Bass‘ Incubate event. Fast forward a few months, and there was still plenty to share about what we’ve been up to, and what we’re cooking up with our imminent move to Accra, Ghana. Listen below, and/or subscribe to the podcast to download the full show.

Pan African Music Stew mix for This Is Africa

This here is a 2 hour roundup of some of our favorite sounds coming from Africa. With a definite emphasis on sounds to make your hips move, and also definitely not an exhaustive line-up of genres – we are heavily biased towards Ghana, Angola, the Congo Kinshasa and Ivory Coast… what can you do!

BBRAVE put this mix together for This Is Africa and Nairobi-based Ghetto Radio who will air the mix… shortly. In the meantime, cop it here, and make sure to check out the full playlist below. And make sure to play loud and warm up the tip of your half-frozen feet!!

Monalisa – Ruff-N-Smooth Site | Buy
Simple – Bradez Buy
She De Bee feat. Guru – Old Sodja
So Cold – DaSoul
Ratata feat. K. Switch – R2Bees Buy
Extra – Just A Band Site | Buy
No Time feat. P Square – Bracket Buy
Swagger feat Stay Jay – Ruff-N-Smooth Site | Buy
Dome Na Mendowo feat. Castro – Appietus Site | Buy
Pipi – Marlaw
Fall In Love – D’Banj Buy
Yori Yori- Bracket Buy
Essabel feat. Mike & Old Sodja- Appietus Site | Buy
Boom Back Remix feat. Jose Chameleone – Bebe Kool
No One Like You – P-Square Buy
? – Les Garagistes Buy
Coeur Blanc – Les Patrons Buy
Do As i Do – Bracket Buy
Ma Alomo feat. KK Fosu & Reggie Zippy – Appietus Site | Buy
Eha Ye De (Bebia Awo) feat. SK Blinks – Nana Boroo Buy
Femme Africaine Lutchiana 100%
Elegom Bounsa feat. Maskarado (Radio Mix) – DJ Djeff Site | Buy
Relela – Skeat Site | Buy
Miss Doctor feat. 4X4 – Appietus Site | Buy
Kiss Ur Hand feat. Wande Coal- R2Bees Buy
Usinibore – Just A Band Site | Buy
DJ’s Mortel (2) – Polio – Kiloko
Sentiment Moka – ?
Wengeze – Eazzy
Windek – Cabo Snoop
Tchouchou Tchoucou – Kedjevara Site | Buy
Coupe de Tête de Zidane – DJ Menza Site | Buy
Asta Di – Aurlus Mabele Buy
Django – DJ Bonano Site | Buy
Som Do Zoca – Zoca Zoca Site | Buy
Tabouret Baoulé – Pat Sexy
Celimania Remix – Gadji Celi Buy
Sukuma – Killamu Site | Buy
Tiramakossa – Noite e Día Site | Buy
Number One – Fofandó & Saborosa Site | Buy
Aladin Mix – DJ Znobia
Kassumuna – Game Walla

Introducing Arc Djébé

Many,. many, MANY thanks to Ryan Lash for coping with the lack of structure, the heat, the at times dubious food and the heavy sweat-inducing “small walks” across Lomé and Accra!!! And tahnks to Tim aka Videomit for piecing this video together, at last we are excited to share this glimpse into Arc Djébé’s world with you. Full album available from us via Bandcamp, or in iTunes.