South Africa | Hip-Hop and Politics

20 Years Ago Today Nelson Mandela Became South Africa’s First Black President

May 10, 2014 By mrDaveyd

May 10th 1994, 20 years ago today, Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first Black president.. For many like myself who were involved in the anti-apartheid and divestment movements it was a big deal. It seemed like such a day would never happen but it did.. For those on the ground in South Africa, after decades of brutality, bloodshed and all out dehumanization, Mandela being sworn in was monumental..Folks forget that South Africans had their country taken over and were the overwhelming majority in a country where a white minority ruled with ruthless force.

That white minority ruled because the US and Israel backed them with weapons, financial support and steadfastly refused to go along with world-wide sanctions that folks called for. Nelson becoming President after being imprisoned for damn near 30 years was Hope and Change years before Obama hit the world stage..

As we look back to those joyful times, one has to ask how have things improved in South Africa? There’s no doubt its one of the most developed countries on the continent? At the same time many say egregious wrong turns were made starting with Mandela not returning the land and natural resources stolen by the white minority… At the time folks praised Mandela for exemplifying humanity. It was humanity never shown to Blacks in South Africa. But 20 years later what has that gotten folks inside South Africa and globally? What lessons did we learn in the aftermath of Mandela’s presidency?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhG0IDrKiaI

500 Female Emcees: Meet Yugen Blakrok-Reppin’ the Eastern Cape of South Africa

March 18, 2014 By mrDaveyd

I got hip to this sista Yugen Blakrok the other day and was told she is on a ‘next level‘ vibe. The assertion is true. Yugen who hails from a small farm in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, comes to the Hip Hop table seriously pushing the envelope.

Yugen began listening to Hip Hop during the late 90s. It was the last dying days of the ‘Golden Era‘ when substance far outweighed swag and the youth of America were still being conscious-ised by artists like; Public Enemy, Organized Konfusion, the Zulu Nation as well as the more spiritually infused sounds of Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest. Words of Black Consciousness and Self-Emancipation made up Yugen Blakrok’s journey into Hip Hop.

Listening to her music over a decade later one often catches strong glimpses of these foundations, her lyrics are mosaics of social commentary infused with layers of mysticism and consciousness, layered over beautifully dark and lush boom bap backdrops.

In 2009, while trying to get get her ‘Recess Poetry‘ ep stocked in Grayscale Stores, Yugen met Gradmaster Shorty Skillz of Iapetus Records who suggested she hook up with Splif-Obliterating Super producer and Sampletologist Kanif the Jhatmaster. They strike a chord and she signs to the label.

Since then she has been touring with fellow stablemates hymphatic thabs, Gin Grimes, Witchcraft, Fifi, Zetina Mosia. As Well as with the late Robo the technician. As a solo artist she has shared the stage with some of the dopest artists in the country as well as international acts like; Public Enemy, Copywrite, Soweto Kinch and Jonzi D to name a few.

Her debut album ‘Return of the Astro-Goth‘, independently released through Iapetus in October 2013 has already been hailed a classic in several international reviews and is available now on all major online stores.

source: Iapetus Records

Yugen Blakrok – Chatterboxin’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVCShsFW3Hw

Yugen Blakrok – Darkstar Animatron

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raLuKP8UE5c

Yugen Blakrok – House of Ravens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHkBxjbXEAY

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 500 Females page Tagged With: 500 Female Emcees, chatterboxin, female hip hop, return of the Astro-Goth, South Africa, Yugen Blakrok

Legendary Singer Stevie Wonder Set to Pull Out of Fund-Raising Gig for Israeli Army

November 29, 2012 By mrDaveyd

For the past week there was a lot of buzz about how disappointed folks were with legendary singer Stevie Wonder when it was announced that he would be doing a special fundraising show for the Israeli military IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) in Los Angeles on December 6th. Many had come to view Wonder as a champion of Human Rights and felt him performing to raise money for Israel’s military of all organizations, was the height of hypocrisy.

For starters there has been a cultural campaign encouraging artists not to perform in Israel because of the ongoing conflict with Palestine. You can read about that boycott HERE. Granted Wonder wasn’t performing in Israel, but considering the gist of the cultural boycott is around the use of Israel’s military to oppress Palestinians, many felt Wonder had crossed the line and being insensitive. Word of him performing for IDF really caused upset given the recent bombings that have gone on in Gaza under Operation Pillar where dozens of children were killed.

If that wasn’t enough, recently the social media director of the Israeli Army, Sacha Dratwa took a photograph of himself in blackface, mocking President Obama.. You can read about that HERE

On social media, many raised the questions if Wonder actually knew about the IDF organization and what they stood for or if he was under some sort of pressure to perform. Whatever the case, it didn’t look good as folks from all over the world started to raise a stink and send out petitions. Here’s what the Change.org Petition said:

We call on Stevie Wonder, as a conscientious American advocate for human rights and dignity not to support the Israeli Defense Force by performing at their gala fundraiser. In the face of over 60 years of Israeli colonization of Palestinian land and the disenfranchisement of the Palestinian people and in the wake of Israel’s latest violent aggression against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip– we ask you NOT to support the IDF. The IDF is an institution which promotes, enables, and protects Israel’s Apartheid regime. You were arrested in 1985 protesting South African Apartheid, now we ask you: please remember that apartheid is apartheid, whether it comes from White Afrikaaner settlers of South Africa or from Jewish Israelis in Israel. Desmond Tutu has recognized that Israel’s Apartheid is worse than South Africa’s– will you stand with us against apartheid and cancel your performance at the IDF fundraiser?

Another petition put out by the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, called on Wonder to “Please be a ‘full-time lover’ of justice by standing on the right side of history and canceling your performance for the Israeli army.”

Late yesterday, there were news stories running in Jewish based publications like HAARETZ noting that Stevie Wonder is set to pull out of his performance. They note that Wonder’s representatives claim that he did not know the nature of the group, the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, and that he believes such a performance would be incongruent with his status as a UN “Messenger of Peace,”You can read about that HERE

Some may say that Wonder was using his UN position as a weak excuse and that he should’ve taken a firmer stand condemning Israel military and the policies that govern it. Others are happy that he’s pulling out and hopefully will not back track or commit himself to do future fundraisers for IDF. It’s still a mystery to many of us as to why the IDF feel a need to host a a fund-raiser for the Israeli Army considering the billions we give to them each year via our tax dollars in military aid. Israel has the 4th largest army in the world and gets on average 3 billions dollars a year from the US. You can read about that HERE.

With Wonder pulling out, former Green Party VP candidate and activist Rosa Clemente raised a more challenging question. She released this statement via social media last night; “….all of you complaining about Stevie (Wonder) and asking about signing petitions, are you still rolling with the Obama Democratic administration that actually funds and supports Israel? I mean it’s not like he (Wonder) is making or implementing policy.”

Holding our public officials and the policies they support is where the real battle ground is..Stevie Wonder pulling out hasn’t changed our policies yet.. More pressure is needed.. In the meantime, here’s a song that was done in protest of Stevie Wonder’s initial decision to perform for the IDF. It’s done by a Palestinian singer known as Doc Jazz..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kR99M75T6A

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: boycott Israel, Desmond Tutu, doc Jazz, Gaza, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Operation Pillar, Rosa clemente, South Africa, South Africa under apartheid, Stevie wonder

HKR: Jean Grae Speaks Her Mind to Davey D ….Cake or Death

June 18, 2011 By mrDaveyd

One of my favorite emcees is the one and only Jean Grae. Witty, smart and deftly skilled on the mic, she’s one of the few folks in Hip Hop I hadn’t interviewed even though we’ve run into each other on a number of occasions. Finally when she touched down in Oakland to a do a show at the New Parrish, last summer (2011) we got a chance to chop it up. During our interview we covered a variety of topics ranging from how she got her name to the highlights of her career to her roots in South Africa to her process for writing songs and executing her artistic vision…We also talked about the upcoming release of her album ‘Cake or Death’ In short we did Jean Grae 101…