By: Ally Friedman
Managing Editor
Not many internationally acclaimed rappers nurse their morning-after aches at that little blue B&B on East Main. M.anifest, named “Best Rapper of the Year” at the 2013 Ghana Music Awards, is the exception to this rule. Fresh off the plane from a concert in Mexico City, a bleary-eyed but beguiling M.anifest sat down with me last Monday to discuss his week as a visiting artist at SLU.
Joining us at the B&B was Dr. Halifu Osumare, Professor and Director of African and African American Studies at UC Davis, who was also flown in for last week’s “Hip Life” extravaganza. Dr. Osumare is a preeminent Black Popular Culture scholar, and her most recent book is titled The Hiplife in Ghana: West African Indigenization of Hip Hop. Last week, scholar and subject met for the first time thanks to Dr. Madeline Wong’s efforts to bring Hip Life discussions and performances to campus.
In this exclusive interview with The Hill News, M.anifest and Dr. Osumare reveal what globalization means to them, why they think Hip Hop is worth studying, and what’s on their personal playlists.
AF: So, Dr. Osumare, you’ve already had a day with SLU students. What did you talk about?
O: Well, I am interested in the globalization of Hip Hop, looking at the “Africanness” aesthetic and how Hip Hop affects youth cultures in different countries. I’ve found that no matter where Hip Hop goes there are certain elements that remain…Which is why I use the term “Africanness” to express the aesthetic that is always present even if there aren’t black or African people in a given society. In my second book I focus on just one country, and discuss the Hip Life music scene as a derivative of Hip Hop in Ghana.
AF: And were the SLU students nice to you?
O: Yes! I was really surprised and impressed by the depth of questions I was asked today.
AF: That’s great news. Now, could you define “Hip Life”?
O: The Hip Life movement is a merging of “Highlife” and Hip Hop. The movement marks a generational conflict that began in the ‘90s, when Ghana began to adopt American cultural nuances into their developed Highlife scene, which is a mixture of musical genres.
AF: M.anifest, do you identify as a “Hip Life” artist? How did your time in the US [studying at Macalaster College and living in the Twin Cities] influence your music?
M: I am a child of Highlife who grew up on Hip Hop and Hip Life. While living in the US I was exposed to more Hip Hop and began to understand why the music was made. I started to see the differences between Southern and West Coast music for example, and this made me more consciously aware of where I’m from. I think what is happening where you’re from definitely influences what you’re going to say in your music… Wanting to be authentic and keep it real and still represent where you’re from.
AF: M.anifest, what artist you most like to collaborate with?
M: Mos Def would be an interesting collaboration for me; I can imagine there would be a lot of synergy there. Or Nas, because he’s my favorite artist of all time. Having worked with the Damon Albarn, Flea, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I always think there’s always a bit more power in unlikely collaborations.
AF: Dr. Osumare, who were you listening to on the plane ride here?
O: Because I’m a global Hip Hop scholar, I listen to Hip Hop. On my i-pod I have Okyeame Kwame and Floetry, I don’t know if you’ve heard of them…
AF: I haven’t. Tell me you listen to some rappers SLU students listen to as well!
O: Okay, I listen to Wale. And I think Kendrick Lamar is phenomenal.
AF: What singular message would you most like to transmit to young Americans about Hip Hop and Globalization?
O: I don’t think that American students are aware enough of how powerful Hip Hop has been globally, of the influence Hip Hop has had around the world. It has empowered youth who would have never had the voice Hip Hop gave them… It definitely gave youth agency and allowed them to challenge certain norms.
M: Hip Hop gives a pulse of what’s going on in the world… Corporations know this and that’s why they use the “cool factor” to sell. There’s so much to know and anyone can use music as a passageway to discover and find out more about life.